A coming-of-age tale set against a natural disaster unlike any previously known. Juila is eleven and an only child, living with her parents in Southern California. As the story begins, it has been discovered that the earth's rotation has begun to slow. It's almost not noticeable at first, but then "the slowing" starts to effect gravity, the weather and plant life. The Age of Miracles is a fine debut, that would also be perfect for younger readers. There is sadness, death, and a deep sense of loneliness for Julia; but there is also the feelings of first love, and the understanding of adult complexities that come very quickly at this age. Karen Thompson Walker obviously learned quite a bit, working as an editor. The book moves at a brisk pace, and the reader may even get a little choked up by the end.