ðə nˈɑːvəl ɪz ɹˈɪʔn̩ æz ɐ lˈʌv stˈoːɹi bᵻtwˌiːn tˈuː ˈeɪliənz sˈɛpɚɹˌeɪɾᵻd baɪ tˈaɪm, ænd ɪz sˈɛt ɪn θɹˈiː dɪstˈɪŋkt tˈaɪm pˈiəɹɪədz: wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛlv, tˈuː θˈaʊzənd twˈɛnti fˈoːɹ ænd ðə jˈɪɹ fˈaɪv θˈaʊzənd.
The novel is written as a love story between two aliens separated by time, and is set in three distinct time periods: 1812, 2024 and the year 5000.