Earlier this week, a promising young author published their debut novel. Chatham Greenfield, born and raised in the Sarasota area, has released Time and Time Again, a young adult love story that’s rooted firmly in their upbringing. The novel, which was published by Bloomsbury Publishing Inc, blurs the lines between science fiction, coming of age stories and romance. 

Time and Time Again follows Phoebe Mendel, a queer high school student in small-town Florida who struggles with her debilitating IBS. Phoebe has a more pressing issue however, than just the pitfalls of growing up: she’s been stuck in a time loop since August 6, relieving the same day over and over again for a month. On the other side of this time loop lies a doctor’s appointment scheduled for the following month, a proverbial light at the end of the dark tunnel of chronic illness Phoebe is trapped within. “I was inspired to write this when Covid first struck in 2020, because I was seeing how everybody was just stuck at home and doing the same things over and over again. That’s something that I have to an extent always experienced because of my own health issues,” says Greenfield. “It got me thinking about how having health issues can make you feel like you’re trapped in a time loop, so I wanted to play on that by making the time loop literal.”

The time loop isn’t all bad for Phoebe however. In a cosmic turn of events, Phoebe’s childhood crush Jess, enters the time loop after getting into a fender bender. Jess pushes Phoebe to take the loop for what it is, bringing Phoebe out of her comfort zone and immersing her in new experiences. Phoebe starts to fall for Jess, hard, and with her growing feelings comes a different type of anxiety: would this relationship ever happen if Jess and Phoebe weren’t forced to be together? “Being disabled and living in a small town can often be so isolating and I wanted Phoebe to be stuck with Jess who kind of inherently understands her and connects with her. Jess sees the time loop as a positive thing, because when the pair wake up the next day there are no consequences,” says Greenfield. “It lends itself to Phoebe learning that there are a million ways to live out one day and that even though her health issues stay the same, she’s still continually getting out of her comfort zone and exploring new things.”

To learn more about Chatham Greenfield, visit: chatgreenfield.com/.

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