The novel explores how seemingly minor events can radically alter the course of a life. In each of Archie's four timelines, small variations - a different maternal job, moving to another city, surviving an accident - lead to drastically different outcomes.

In each incarnation, Archie struggles with questions of identity, purpose, and his place in the world. This search is intensified by the political and social upheavals of the 1960s, where he confronts issues like war, racism, and social injustice.

Love, both romantic and familial, plays a central role in Archie's life. Each version of his story shows different facets of love, from passionate affairs to complicated relationships with his parents, demonstrating how love shapes, challenges, and ultimately defines us.