a time of miracles written by anne-laure bondoux

 

Bondoux, Anne-Laure. A Time of Miracles. New York: Random House Children's Books, 2009. ISBN: 9780385739221

Plot Summary:
     Blaise Fortune is a twenty year old refugee who retells his story of how he was saved from the arms of his mother after surviving a trail derailing. However, Blaise was saved by Gloria in the Republic of Georgia. After being saved by Gloria, Blaise depicts his constant struggle as the Soviet Union collapses and he and Gloria flee heading toward France. Throughout this journey Blaise seeks a better life while embarking on a journey to understand his own identity.

Critical Analysis:
     A Time of Miracles is an international work of fiction that encompasses many elements of multiculturism such as: cultural markers, an insider perspective, and a consistent historical setting. The author, Anne-Laure Bondoux is a French native who provides readers with an insider approach as she is able to portray the French culture group from a personal perspective through the protagonist of her story, Blaise Fortune. Bondoux sets the story of Blaise during the middle of when the Republic of Georgia was fighting for their independence from the Soviet Union. Throughout this novel the author includes vivid imagery and history which allows her readers to understand the struggle and civil war that refugees and their country were fighting for. As Bondoux depicts the journey that Blaise Fortune embarks on she utilizes cultural markers such as the English Channel, Charles de Gaulee Airport, and prominent historical figures. Not only does she incorporate a plethora of cultural markers, but she also includes the French language within the story of Blaise. This inclusion builds awareness of not only a foreign language, but it also strengthens Bondoux's cultural authenticity as it relates to this time era. 

Review Excerpts:

"An exceptional story." - School Library Journal

"[A] beautifully nuanced novel." - Publishers Weekly

"A refugee boy and his mother flee Georgia in 1989 and travel alone through the Caucasus for eight years to reach France. Koumaïl has always lived with Gloria, who tells him stories of rescuing him from a bombed train and stealing passports from his dead French mother. As civil war engulfs the Caucasus, they escape, moving from one refugee camp to the next, suffering hunger and illness. Along the way, Koumaïl makes friends and finds first love, supported by Gloria, who calls him her "little miracle," promises "tomorrow life will be better" and reminds him to "be happy... at all times." When they arrive in France, Gloria vanishes, leaving Koumaïl to survive alone to become a real French citizen. Koumaïl tells his story "in the right order," from the perspective of a 20-year-old refugee who ultimately discovers his true identity and that of the optimistic, resourceful woman who made "up stories to make life more bearable." A beautifully cadenced tribute to maternal love and the power of stories amid contemporary political chaos." - Kirkus Reviews

"Blaise Fortune—citizen of France—is telling his story, now that he's grown up. It starts when he was seven, living in the Republic of Georgia with other refugees fleeing as the Soviet Union dissolves. Life is uncertain, but Blaise (or Koumail, his Georgian name) has Gloria to love him and keep him safe. Her story says that she rescued him as a baby when his French mother died in a train explosion near Gloria's farm. Now they are on their way to France to make a new life; after all, Blaise is French, isn't he? Their extraordinary journey takes years, as they move slowly westward, mostly on foot, encountering other refugees, overcoming heart-stopping obstacles, and receiving help from local residents, including a restaurant cook and a Chinese forger. Most of their experiences will be hard for American teens even to imagine; one of the worst is digging through a huge hill of toxic debris for nickel wires that can be salvaged. Bondoux is sparing with words and scenes, yet deftly reveals tantalizing bits of the past as the travelers trudge through Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Hungary, and Germany. In Romania, with Gloria desperately ill, they are taken in and cared for by a band of gypsies. Will they make it to France? This novel of love, determination, and the power of stories is almost heartbreakingly poignant, especially when Blaise, as a young adult, finds Gloria after years of separation and learns her true story. Readers may want to whisper with him, "Deep down, I think I always knew it." Bondoux, an award-winning author in her native France, is well served here by translator Maudet." - Children's Literature

Connections:

Customers who purchased this title also purchased the following titles: Once, Bog Child, Rose Under Fire, and Then.

Interactivity:

• Ask children if they have ever moved from one state to another. After their responses, ask them the differences they encountered from different states.
• Have children research the history of the Republic of Georgia as they fought for their independence from the Soviet Union; this will allow them to see that it was that long ago.
• Ask children what was the longest trip they've ever been on. Now ask them how they would feel if they had to embark on a trip that lasted five years.