She’s never met Brad Pitt or Jennifer Aniston, but the Hollywood couple certainly are familiar with author Audrey Niffenegger’s book “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” They’ve purchased the film rights to the book and are having it adapted into a screenplay.

Niffenegger, who attended high school in Evanston, addressed about 100 people at the Evanston Public Library, 1703 Orrington Ave., on Monday night. She read excerpts from her work, answered questions from the audience and signed copies of the book, which was released in September and climbed to No. 31 in last week’s New York Times’ Bestseller List for hardcover fiction. It also was featured on the “Today Show.”

The plot centers around Clare and her husband Henry, who has a genetic defect that sends him traveling through time. The story takes place in Chicago and focuses on the impact of Henry’s sporadic time travel on his marriage with Clare.

Niffenegger, who teaches at Columbia College and spent four and a half years writing the book, said she hopes the movie is filmed in Chicago.

“That’s the only thing I’ve asked for,” said Niffennegger, who has no control over the screenplay. “I’m curious to see what will happen.”

She said the book was not autobiographical, although she dyed her hair red to match Clare’s after finishing the book.

“Clare is not a self-portrait,” Niffenegger said.

A big difference between the author and her character is that Niffenegger has never married.

“I went around asking married people what it was like, and they said it was good when the other person was out of town,” she joked and compared it to Clare having time to herself when Henry time traveled.

Niffenegger said she doesn’t think her book necessarily reinforces stereotypes of women by having Clare stay at home to wait for Henry’s return from his travels.

“I did think to myself, ‘This is very unfeminine,’ and I am an ardent feminist, so that bothered me a little,” she said. “But art doesn’t conform to political correctness.”

Evanston resident Karen Vroegh, who stood in line waiting for Niffenegger’s autograph, said she enjoyed the book.

“I just thought it was so unusual,” Vroegh said. “I’d never read anything like it before. It was a page-turner.”

Niffenegger said she was amazed the book sold well and was received warmly.

“Hopefully it will make you wonder about time and people’s relationship to it,” Niffenegger said. “It’s such an invisible thing.”