It is called “the slowing”—the sudden and inexplicable change in the rotation of the earth that makes the days and nights grow longer and longer. Widespread panic ensues in The Age of Miracles, the debut novel by Karen Thompson Walker, as humanity struggles to understand what is happening in this chillingly plausible tale about the end of the world as we know it.
As the environment is thrown into chaos, sixth grader Julia continues to struggle with the tender, day-to-day realities of her life—the collapse of her parents’ marriage, the relationship changes that often occur in early adolescence and the hopeful and devastating effects of first love. As Julia and her family face the possible apocalypse, she is forced to carry on and face the tribulations of middle school as the world around her swirls out of control. The Age of Miracles is an evocative and stunning story about a young California girl coming of age in a dystopian world.
Thompson Walker studied English and creative writing at the University of California, Los Angeles, before moving to New York City to attend the MFA program at Columbia University. The Age of Miracles was named one of the Best Books of the Year by People, Publishers Weekly, O: The Oprah Magazine and other publications. The author will appear at Boswell Book Co. on Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. to discuss The Age of Miracles.
Book Happenings
Thoughts turn to murder during a hunting trip in John Bolger’s debut novel, The Hunters. The Milwaukee author’s literate, psychological thriller is a page-turner set in locales recognizable to anyone who has spent time in northern Wisconsin. Bolger will read from The Hunters at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8 at Boswell Book Co.
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