Scattered

We too often realize what we want only after it's gone. In 1906 Montreal, Elie Rutherford dreams not of marriage, but of science. She longs to join the groundbreaking physics lab led by her father, the legendary Ernest Rutherford, at McGill University. But in an era confines women to domestic roles and separate classrooms, Elie finds herself trapped by societal expectations. Determined to follow her passion, she refuses to accept a marriage proposal that could shackle her ambition forever. A century later, in 2006, William Hertz, a brilliant graduate physics student at McGill, lives an introverted life immersed in the world of astrophysics with his fellow misfit physicists. Wounded by past experiences, he keeps love at arm's length-until a mysterious woman, lost in time, crashes into his life. When Elie concludes a lab mishap has catapulted her into the future, she must hide her identity to survive. But as her path crosses with William's, their shared love for physics kindles an undeniable connection. Together, they set out to recreate the experiment that could send Elie back to her time. Torn between her past and a future she never imagined, Elie faces a heart-wrenching choice. Will she find her way back to 1906 or embrace a new destiny? Katherine Benfante writes science fiction, and she likes to "put the science in science fiction." Of all the dream careers she's been fortunate to have so far, including as mechanical engineer and French teacher, being an author is the most satisfying and enjoyable. Katherine lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters, voracious readers all. Scattered, her debut, is a time travel novel full of physics, love, and actual historical figures. Her short stories "Convergence" and "First, Do No Harm" are published in volumes two and three of The Accidental Time Travelers Collective. Silent Y is a dystopian sci-fi romance. She's currently working on the upcoming sequel to Scattered and future novels. Find out more about these and subscribe to her newsletter at www.katherinebenfante.com