The Time Keeper is a fable about the man who discovers how to measure time. He becomes Father time. As he begins to discover even better ways to break down time, time becomes an obsession for him, and for many that would come after him. As punishment for trying to measure God's great gift of time, he is banished to a cave where he does not age, and where he listens to the sounds of people's obsessions over time throughout the millennia.
Finally, in our own day, Father Time is released with a mission to help two people from different spheres of life - A 78-year-old billionaire dying of cancer and a 17-year-old girl who has become obsessed with garnering the attention and love of one of the most popular boys at school. The billionaire is obsessed with getting "more time". The girl, after being rejected, seeks to end her life, thus cutting off her time.
This was a great book on many levels. The story is original, engaging, and well-written. Like all good novels, the story also provokes a certain level of introspection in the life of the reader. Albom wants the reader to rethink our obsession with time. There are many great quotes and thoughts throughout the book that made me stop and think. Here are just a few:
“You marked the minutes,” the old man said. “But did you use them wisely? To be still? To cherish? To be grateful? To lift and be lifted?”
"Yet despite all they accomplished, they were never at peace. They constantly checked their devices to see what time it was..."
"Common sense would have told Sarah to steer clear of Ethan’s waters. But common sense has no place in first love and never has."
This was a great book to start off a new year of reading. I wouldn't be surprised if it is one of the best books I read all year.