Jack Havig's Growth Rate

 

See Time Away And Time Of Return.

And, of course, I should have mentioned Poul Anderson's mutant time traveller, Jack Havig, who, in his childhood, has:

"...remarkably fast physical and mental development, these past months..."

-Poul Anderson, There Will Be Time (New York, 1973), I, p. 14 -

- and an:

"...astonishing growth rate..." (II, p. 20)

- because he spends time in the past but returns to or near his departure moment.

Even this can be a stumbling block in some readers' understanding. Havig departs from the twentieth century, spends (say) a year in the nineteenth century and returns to the twentieth century to find that a year has elapsed during his absence? He could allow a whole year to elapse but why should he do it that way? He wants to conceal his time travel ability from his family and acquaintances. There does not have to be any absence. He could return shortly before his departure and see himself depart. 

We understand that, in The Time Traveller's Wife, Clare has to wait for Henry but we must also understand that, when time travel departures and arrivals are controllable, there is no need for waiting. I gather that Henry's and Clare's daughter, Alba, has better control of her time travelling.