LoveReading Says
May 2013 Debut of the Month.
This stunning debut has a fascinating premise that 'the earth is slowing down' and it provides a unique framework for this memorable, haunting and bittersweet coming of age novel. It is seen through the eyes and experiences of Julia, an 11 year old girl whose turbulent life, seems to mirror the changes in the world outside. Reminiscent in part to The Time Traveller’s Wife this science fiction-like idea doesn't get in the way, and shouldn't put you off for reading this book is a pretty special experience.
Sarah Broadhurst
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The Age of Miracles Synopsis
'A stunner from the first page - an end-of-the-world, coming-of-age tale of quiet majesty. I loved this novel ' Justin Cronin, author of The Passage
WHAT IF our 24-hour day grew longer, first in minutes, then in hours until day becomes night and night becomes day?
What effect would this slowing have on the world? On the birds in the sky, the whales in the sea, the astronauts in space, and on an eleven-year-old girl, grappling with emotional changes in her own life...?
One morning, Julia and her parents wake up in their suburban home in California to discover, along with the rest of the world, that the rotation of the earth is noticeably slowing. The enormity of this is almost beyond comprehension. And yet, even if the world is, in fact, coming to an end, as some assert, day-to-day life must go on. Julia, facing the loneliness and despair of an awkward adolescence, witnesses the impact of this phenomenon on the world, on the community, on her family and on herself.
'It is never what you worry over that comes to pass in the end. The real catastrophies are always different - unimagined, unprepared for, unknown…'
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Karen Thompson Walker Press Reviews
"'Miracles' indeed. Karen Thompson Walker's debut novel is a stunner from the first
page—an end-of-the-world, coming-of-age tale of quiet majesty. I loved this novel
and can't wait to see what this remarkable writer will do next."
Justin Cronin, author of The Passage
“A luminous, magical coming-of-age novel, set in a world where time becomes meaningless and the ordinary extraordinary.” Eithne Farry, Marie Claire
“Stunning in its originality, devastating in execution. The Age of Miracles is one of the most exciting debuts I've read” Jo Ellison, Vogue
“A curious tale that‟s gripping from the word go.” Beatrice Hodgkin, Easy Living
“Blending global catastrophe with a touching coming of age story, Karen Thompson Walker has created a truly remarkable novel you won‟t be able to stop thinking about.”
Joanne Finney, Good Housekeeping
“A powerful, unsettling but mesmerising read.” Fanny Blake, Woman & Home
"I asked my editor if I could give this books 6 stars out of 5. My favourite book of the year so far." Charlotte Heathcote, Sunday Express
"Vividly captures the changing world of a 10 year old girl, which is brilliantly mirrored by the apocalyptic changes in our world. An imaginative, haunting and gripping book by a very exciting debut author." Shahesta Shaitly, The Observer
About Karen Thompson Walker
Karen Thompson Walker is a graduate of UCLA and the Columbia MFA program. A former book editor, she wrote The Age of Miracles in the mornings before work. Born and raised in San Diego, California, she now lives in Brooklyn with her husband.
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