Average Bufph Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Karen Thompson Walker
2012-06-26
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
People ∙ O: The Oprah Magazine ∙ Financial Times ∙ Kansas City Star ∙ BookPage ∙ Kirkus Reviews ∙ Publishers Weekly ∙ Booklist
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“A stunner.”—Justin Cronin
“It’s never the disasters you see coming that finally come to pass—it’s the ones you don’t expect at all,” says Julia, in this spellbinding novel of catastrophe and survival by a superb new writer. Luminous, suspenseful, unforgettable, The Age of Miracles tells the haunting and beautiful story of Julia and her family as they struggle to live in a time of extraordinary change.
On an ordinary Saturday in a California suburb, Julia awakes to discover that something has happened to the rotation of the earth. The days and nights are growing longer and longer; gravity is affected; the birds, the tides, human behavior, and cosmic rhythms are thrown into disarray. In a world that seems filled with danger and loss, Julia also must face surprising developments in herself, and in her personal world—divisions widening between her parents, strange behavior by her friends, the pain and vulnerability of first love, a growing sense of isolation, and a surprising, rebellious new strength. With crystalline prose and the indelible magic of a born storyteller, Karen Thompson Walker gives us a breathtaking portrait of people finding ways to go on in an ever-evolving world.
“Gripping drama . . . flawlessly written; it could be the most assured debut by an American writer since Jennifer Egan’s Emerald City.”—The Denver Post
“Pure magnificence.”—Nathan Englander
“Provides solace with its wisdom, compassion, and elegance.”—Curtis Sittenfeld
“Riveting, heartbreaking, profoundly moving.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
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Karen Thompson Walker's 'The Age of Miracles' was a poignant exploration of life when the Earth begins slowing its rotation. The narrative structure, a blend of personal and global crises, offered a unique interface for readers to engage with themes of time and change. The novel's art direction is somewhat understated, but it effectively builds a mood that complements the story's introspective journey. The character arcs felt genuine, with each individual grappling with the altered world in ways that felt both personal and universal. A compelling addition to the speculative fiction genre that leans into emotional resonance rather than hard sci-fi elements.
Karen Thompson Walker's debut novel, The Age of Miracles, swept me into a delicate dance with the uncanny. Set against the backdrop of a slowing Earth, Walker's prose is a tender yet stark examination of humanity's response to an unprecedented phenomenon. The story, rich with nostalgia for the world as it was, resonates with a melancholic beauty that harkens back to the speculative fiction of my youth, while also pushing the boundaries of the genre. It's a contemplative piece, a whisper of what might be, and a reminder of the fragility of our existence.
