A Superb Read

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

To give you an idea of how good this book is, let me say this:  I bought it in the airport on my way home this weekend.  With the exception of Vampire Diaries (duh), I haven't even bothered to catch up on any of my TV shows since I got home.  No Downton Abbey.  No Nashville.  No Revenge.  Perhaps a glance at Big Bang Theory because it's not very long and I'm co-habiting with a nerd and must make sacrifices.

That's how good this book is.

No spoilers - read on.

The book is told from the perspective of a woman who was 11 years old when the earth's rotation began to slow down.  She explains the story in hindsight which accomplishes two significant things: (1) the point of view of a pre-adolescent girl trying to figure out the world when it unexpectedly goes bonkers, and (2) a sophisticated writing style that wouldn't exist if she didn't frame it within the hindsight narrative.

One day in October, the earth's rotation slows down.  No one can figure out why; no one can make any predictions about what will happen next.  And as it turns out, the rotation continues to slow, making a "day" 72 hours long (and still growing in length) and sizzling as the atmosphere decays, making nights just as long and freezing cold.  Of course this begins to affect plants, animals, the magnetic field.  Which in turn affects how humans try to live in the midst of constant change.

Walker takes the most basic thing that we take for granted (the sun will rise, the sun will set) and turns it on its head.  How do people respond, cope, live in the face of absolute disorder?  What happens to them physically, psychologically when nothing is the same as it was before?  Could something as simple (or as complicated, depending upon how you look at it) as our circadian rhythms make us sick if the body no longer "knows" how much daylight or dark to expect?  What happens to society when the scientists don't have any answers for the phenomenons and the doctors can't even speculate why people are dying?  What happens when we realize all those answers we thought we had dissolve, and we're left with no explanations and no solid expectations for tomorrow?

As morbid as the theme sounds, Walker strikes a balance between the fear (terror) of events and the innocent experiences of a young girl still trying to figure out friendships, school, and her parents' rocky marriage.  Sometimes the apocalyptic fades into the background as she simply tries to navigate everyday life.

I highly recommend this book.  It will bring to the surface all you take for granted and you will find yourself thankful for just another ordinary day.

Enjoy!