A wild romp of a love story across time, interweaving astrophysics and indie rock.

Karl Bender exclusively uses his Chicago apartment’s wormhole to send people back to rock concerts until his best friend cannot be talked out of trying to save John Lennon. Alas, Karl accidentally leaves off the “1” in “1980,” sending Wayne back to 980, Mannahatta. Though he receives Wayne’s texts extolling the quality of life, and especially the quality of the fish, Karl can’t figure out how to bring him back.

Enter brilliant, prickly, overweight astrophysicist Lena Geduldig. Karl and Lena’s connection is immediate. While they work on getting Wayne back, Karl’s future self emails him from Seattle, imploring him: don’t lose Lena. Karl visits Seattle, now waterlogged, and meets his future stepdaughter. Unable to resist meddling with the past, Karl and Lena bounce around time in Boston, Portland, Chicago, Montana, Seattle, and Mannahatta. When Lena ultimately prevents her own long-ago rape, she alters the course of her life. She no longer knows Karl, who must figure out how to get her back without erasing the stepdaughter to whom he’s grown close.