Is “It was that year that...” grammatically correct?

Question

I don't know if this sentence is grammatical and natural:

I have written a novel. It was that year that I entered university, and finished Beauvoir's Le Deuxieme Sexe (1949) in the library.

Would it be better to say it this way?:

I wrote my novel the year that I entered university, and finished Beauvoir's Le Deuxieme Sexe (1949) in the library.

Answer 1

Anybody is free to disagree with me, but "I wrote my novel the year that I entered university" sounds better in my opinion.

My problem with the 1st option is that the two sentences seem... disconnected. Imagine if your parents introduced you to a cousin you never met. You're related to them, sure, but they're a complete stranger.