Scattered by Katherine Benfante

In 1906, Elie Rutherford dreams of joining the physics lab her father, the great Ernest Rutherford, heads at McGill University. Elie is thwarted from pursuing her passion in an era when women are confined to female-only college classes. Fueled by her burning desire for knowledge and purpose, she rebels against societal expectations, refusing to accept a marriage proposal that would threaten to shackle her dreams.
Fast forward to 2006, where William Hertz, a brilliant graduate physics student at McGill, lives an introverted life, immersing himself in the world of astrophysics. Wounded by past experiences, he shields his heart from love, finding solace among his fellow misfit physicist friends. Little does he know that his life is about to take an extraordinary turn when a mysterious stranger appears, lost in time.
Disoriented, Elie concludes a lab mishap brought her forward a century. Trying to blend in with modern students, she hides her identity until she meets William and risks everything by revealing who she really is. Elie and William's shared passion for physics sparks a bond as they attempt to recreate the experiment that can return Elie home. Torn between her past and a 21st-century future with William, Elie faces a heart-wrenching choice. Will she find her way back to 1906 or embrace a new destiny?