The Age of Miracles

A Novel

By: Karen Walker

Narrated by: Emily Janice Card

Audie Award Nominee, Science Fiction, 2013

With a voice as distinctive and original as that of The Lovely Bones, and for the fans of the speculative fiction of Margaret Atwood, Karen Thompson Walker's The Age of Miracles is a luminous, haunting, and unforgettable debut novel about coming of age set against the backdrop of an utterly altered world. "It still amazes me how little we really knew... Maybe everything that happened to me and my family had nothing at all to do with the slowing. It's possible, I guess. But I doubt it. I doubt it very much."

On a seemingly ordinary Saturday in a California suburb, Julia and her family awake to discover, along with the rest of the world, that the rotation of the earth has suddenly begun to slow. The days and nights grow longer and longer, gravity is affected, the environment is thrown into disarray. Yet as she struggles to navigate an ever-shifting landscape, Julia is also coping with the normal disasters of everyday life - the fissures in her parents marriage, the loss of old friends, the hopeful anguish of first love, the bizarre behavior of her grandfather who, convinced of a government conspiracy, spends his days obsessively cataloging his possessions. As Julia adjusts to the new normal, the slowing inexorably continues.

©2012 Karen Thompson Walker (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

Advance praise for The Age of Miracles
: "[A] gripping debut....Thompson's Julia is the perfect narrator...While the apocalypse looms large-has in fact already arrived-the narrative remains fiercely grounded in the surreal and horrifying day-to-day and the personal decisions that persist even though no one knows what to do. A triumph of vision, language, and terrifying momentum, the story also feels eerily plausible, as if the problems we've been worrying about all along pale in comparison to what might actually bring our end."( Publishers Weekly)

"In Walker's stunning debut, a young California girl coming of age in a dystopian near future confronts the inevitability of change on the most personal level as life on earth withers. She goes through the trials and joys of first love. She begins to see cracks in her parent's marriage and must navigate the currents of loyalty and moral uncertainty. She faces sickness and death of loved ones. ...Julia's life is shaped by what happens in the larger world, but it is the only life she knows, and Walker captures each moment, intimate and universal, with magical precision. Riveting, heartbreaking, profoundly moving. ( Kirkus Reviews)

"What a remarkable and beautifully wrought novel. In its depiction of a world at once utterly like and unlike our own, The Age of Miracles is so convincingly unsettling that it just might make you stockpile emergency supplies of batteries and bottled water. It also - thank goodness - provides great solace with its wisdom, its compassion, and the elegance of its storytelling." (Curtis Sittenfeld, author of Prep)

Dear Diary, Met a Boy & the World is Ending

Age of Miracles has been on every "best summer novel", for months now, appealing to fans of speculative fiction with its brief description about a dystopian world. What was not mentioned is the specific target audience for the book - and there was a reason. Originally the book was aimed at a YA audience, then found to be too slow and unexciting enough for that particular market--(saturated as it is with fantastical supernatural creatures and amped up romance) Age of Miracles was actively re-marketed as an adult speculative fiction; suddenly gaining rave reviews from publishers and critics everywhere. Unfortunate for the YA market, and an unexpectedly sweet addition for adult readers. NOW I know that, but it took Walker's beautiful and smooth style, and the pure authentic voice of Julia to lure me in and thoroughloy convince me this was a book for adults. I relate this for a reason...

YA books are not my preferred genre. At the onset, I was disappopinted, thinking I had somehow been duped into purchasing a YA novel, and thus was expected to relate to the everyday events of a 12 yr. old girl. As the book progressed, I still wasn't loving this. I felt like I was being read a 7th grader's Dear Diary, listening as she wrote about training bras, boys, and snooty cliques - all more important than the sudden mysterious global changes. But, what author Karen Walker does so effortlessly and well is keep true and authentic to young Julia's view and voice; and I found myself getting to know this girl, and becoming engrossed in her sincere story. And suddenly the book worked for me.

Parents sometimes joke that egocentric teenagers see themselves as the center of everything, and the events of the world as a backdrop; but it is that concept that makes this story so appealing, and prevents the "spin" or scientific accounting of events from turning this story into just another end of the world read (which is actually all somewhat irrelevant here). Julia is more self aware and observant than this stereotype teen, but still has a bright innocence and naivete that endears her to the listener (reminiscent of the narrator in The Lovely Bones) and makes this story all the more wistful and bittersweet. We care more about this tender, observant young girl than the chaos going on around her. Emily Card does a remarkable, and very convincing job, reading and conveying the emotions of Julia.

It isn't a big speculative fiction blockbuster; there are no dynamic moments or peaks and valleys, rather, it is a consistent flow from the heart as Julia observes her self, her family, and her world, and the world (planet) on their propspective paths of change. I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of this book, and the emotion it brings to the surface, and think it works equally well for adults and YA.

Good but not what I expected~

Age of Miracles is a thoughtful novel.

I was dissappointed as I was hoping for something like 'One Second After' or 'Life as We Knew It' and it is not. It is told from the perspective of an 11 year old and is an innocent yet poignant coming of age (a bit early in my opinion~) story.

The changes occurring on earth are merely a back story. I believe if I had different expectations I would have become more engaged.

This is a good book but the synopsis is misleading. I suggest it would be a wonderful read for middle school child. (probably best for a girl as it deals with crushes and first bras!!!!)

Thought provoking Sci Fi

Beautifully written sci fi novel with great foreshadowing.sensitive portrayal coming of age love story. Makes you think about whats really important and what we should not take for granted on this beautiful planet earth.

Not Your Standard Young Adult Book

Any additional comments?

When I chose The Age of Miracles, I had no idea that it was (a) a very newly released novel, (b) on the New York Times Best Seller List, or (c) that it was a young adult novel. As an avid reader of YAL (young adult literature) this didn't bother me, but it should be known. It was an interesting novel from the viewpoint of a young girl that has to deal with much more than the average teen of today. The novel doesn't have the happy ending you hope for the narrator, but it's made clear she's not done living yet.

Lovely, Poignant End of World Story

The story of a world disaster told from the POV of a pre-teen, we hear of her fairly normal life, including her fears and insecurities, the normal teen drama, and her friendship and young love with a boy. As the world draws to its premature end, she and her friend explore big and small ideas and try to make sense of some complicated moral issues. The ending was touching, poignant and tragic and worth the reading in itself. Not just for young adults, older readers who enjoy thought experiments might like it too. The reader did a lovely job.

It's really a book for teens and tweens

What did you love best about The Age of Miracles?

I like the flow. Disaster strikes. The Earth has shifted on its axis causing a steady stream of problems. However, adjustments are made and life continues.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The constant angst expressed by the young main character got old pretty quick. The stream of consequences that follow such a major event was very interesting.

Loved it!

Where does The Age of Miracles rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I found it very thought provoking. A good read that sticks in your mind.

What did you like best about this story?

It's a possible future a long, long time from now.

What about Emily Janice Card’s performance did you like?

I enjoyed the reader a lot!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

awesome book with a bit of a love story

This is an awesome book. It kept me wanting the next chapter, edge of my seat. Kept me awake for my long daily drive.

Beautifully Written Story -- Wonderful Narration!

this book was so interesting and thought provoking. i don't usually find myself thinking about a book as much as this one had me doing. it was scary and sad and poignant.

i loved julia. she was close to being the perfect narrator, and i think that emily janice card embodied her so well. she was thoughtful and innocent and wonderful. her telling of the story of the "slowing," as well as how she explained the slow degradation of society and especially her family life was tragic and hopeful and so real.

the concept behind the book, the "slowing" of the earth, was really a crazy idea...which scared the heck out of me once i really started thinking about it.

i loved it. i cried a few times. i think this is a powerful and well written story and can't wait for more from karen thompson walker.

Sad

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Age of Miracles?

How much family means in times of suffering

Have you listened to any of Emily Janice Card’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No I just do not do that, about 2 hours at a time