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zaza_bdp's review against another edition
5.0
Si Koumaïl/Blaise est le petit miracle de sa chère Gloria, alors ce roman d'Anne-Laure Bondoux est mon propre petit miracle. Ce livre est purement et simplement l'un des meilleurs livres, sinon le meilleur livre que j'ai pu lire depuis un sacré paquet d'années !
'Le temps des miracles', c'est une histoire d'exode et d'exil à travers l'Europe pendant les années 90, c'est l'histoire de Koumaïl et Gloria bien sûr, mais aussi celle de Fatima, de Stambek et ses soeurs, de Nouka, Babik et Boucle-d'Oreille, d'un samovar, d'un barda, et d'un atlas aux pages cornées. Pour Koumaïl et Gloria, un seul objectif : atteindre la France pour que le jeune garçon retrouve sa mère, Jeanne Fortune, gravement blessée lorsque le héros n'était encore qu'un bébé.
Ce roman empreint d'une humanité bouleversante est conté par Koumaïl, et s'ouvre alors qu'il est devenu un jeune homme et attend un vol qui lui permettra peut-être de retrouver Gloria. Koumaïl va reprendre pour nous les choses depuis le début et remonter le fil de son histoire. Ce garçon nous dépeint son quotidien dans le Caucase, la vie dans l'Immeuble, sorte de squat façon auberge espagnole, puis les kalachnikovs résonnent, et il faut partir. Commence alors un voyage rocambolesque à travers l'Europe, au gré des rencontres, au son des bombes, au son d'un vieux violon désaccordé, mais surtout à l'écoute des histoires de Gloria, reine des conteuses. L'univers dépeint par Anne-Laure Bondoux s'inscrit dans celui des films de Kusturica ; on retrouver cette poésie et ce sens de la fantaisie, cette douce folie et cette mélancolie qui n'est jamais loin.
Chaque étape de ce voyage fou est un vrai morceau de bravoure, comme les deux héros, on s'attache aux nouvelles personnes qu'ils rencontrent, et comme eux, on est tristes lorsque vient le temps de la séparation. Cet exode à travers l'Europe est également pour nous un compte à rebours, car nous savons depuis le début l'issue du voyage, du moins une partie des circonstances, et c'est le ventre noué qu'on attend le moment fatidique ... Impossible de ne pas penser à tous ces hommes, femmes et enfants qui mettent leur vie en danger pour fuir leur pays, tel qu'on le voit régulièrement dans les médias, ce qui la lecture d'autant plus émouvante.
C'est un livre poignant, qui m'a bouleversée, qui m'a fait complètement voyager, une magnifique histoire d'amour et d'humanité, porté par une plume dont je suis tombée amoureuse. Pour moi, ce Temps des miracles est tout simplement un must-read !
'Le temps des miracles', c'est une histoire d'exode et d'exil à travers l'Europe pendant les années 90, c'est l'histoire de Koumaïl et Gloria bien sûr, mais aussi celle de Fatima, de Stambek et ses soeurs, de Nouka, Babik et Boucle-d'Oreille, d'un samovar, d'un barda, et d'un atlas aux pages cornées. Pour Koumaïl et Gloria, un seul objectif : atteindre la France pour que le jeune garçon retrouve sa mère, Jeanne Fortune, gravement blessée lorsque le héros n'était encore qu'un bébé.
Ce roman empreint d'une humanité bouleversante est conté par Koumaïl, et s'ouvre alors qu'il est devenu un jeune homme et attend un vol qui lui permettra peut-être de retrouver Gloria. Koumaïl va reprendre pour nous les choses depuis le début et remonter le fil de son histoire. Ce garçon nous dépeint son quotidien dans le Caucase, la vie dans l'Immeuble, sorte de squat façon auberge espagnole, puis les kalachnikovs résonnent, et il faut partir. Commence alors un voyage rocambolesque à travers l'Europe, au gré des rencontres, au son des bombes, au son d'un vieux violon désaccordé, mais surtout à l'écoute des histoires de Gloria, reine des conteuses. L'univers dépeint par Anne-Laure Bondoux s'inscrit dans celui des films de Kusturica ; on retrouver cette poésie et ce sens de la fantaisie, cette douce folie et cette mélancolie qui n'est jamais loin.
Chaque étape de ce voyage fou est un vrai morceau de bravoure, comme les deux héros, on s'attache aux nouvelles personnes qu'ils rencontrent, et comme eux, on est tristes lorsque vient le temps de la séparation. Cet exode à travers l'Europe est également pour nous un compte à rebours, car nous savons depuis le début l'issue du voyage, du moins une partie des circonstances, et c'est le ventre noué qu'on attend le moment fatidique ... Impossible de ne pas penser à tous ces hommes, femmes et enfants qui mettent leur vie en danger pour fuir leur pays, tel qu'on le voit régulièrement dans les médias, ce qui la lecture d'autant plus émouvante.
C'est un livre poignant, qui m'a bouleversée, qui m'a fait complètement voyager, une magnifique histoire d'amour et d'humanité, porté par une plume dont je suis tombée amoureuse. Pour moi, ce Temps des miracles est tout simplement un must-read !
bookwoman1967's review against another edition
4.0
This was such a good book, I did not even realize it was supposed to be YA. All of my youth librarian friends, please do not pelt me with things, I realize YA literature is arguably awesome in its own right, but not something I would normally look for to read. I have to admit I guessed one part of the spoiler near the beginning, but not the whole story, and even then was still entranced by the people and happenings. The writer and the translator deserve kudos for using language that lets humanity shine through tragedy and struggle.
mariahroze's review against another edition
4.0
I totally didn't realize that I never wrote a review for this book.... oops!
I read this book for the Diversity in All book club. If you would like to participate in the group discussion here is the link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/18969415-a-time-of-miracles-november-2017
This is a young adult novel that deals with multiple different issues that immigrants face. The main character grows up loving to hear stories of how he came to live with Gloria in the Republic of Georgia: Gloria was picking peaches in her father’s orchard when she heard a train derail. After running to the site of the accident, she found an injured woman who asked Gloria to take her baby.
"When Blaise turns seven years old, the Soviet Union collapses and Gloria decides that she and Blaise must flee the political troubles and civil unrest in Georgia. The two make their way westward on foot, heading toward France, where Gloria says they will find safe haven. But what exactly is the truth about Blaise’s past?
Bits and pieces are revealed as he and Gloria endure a five-year journey across the Caucasus and Europe, weathering hardships and welcoming unforgettable encounters with other refugees searching for a better life. During this time Blaise grows from a boy into an adolescent; but only later, as a young man, can he finally attempt to untangle his identity."
I read this book for the Diversity in All book club. If you would like to participate in the group discussion here is the link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/18969415-a-time-of-miracles-november-2017
This is a young adult novel that deals with multiple different issues that immigrants face. The main character grows up loving to hear stories of how he came to live with Gloria in the Republic of Georgia: Gloria was picking peaches in her father’s orchard when she heard a train derail. After running to the site of the accident, she found an injured woman who asked Gloria to take her baby.
"When Blaise turns seven years old, the Soviet Union collapses and Gloria decides that she and Blaise must flee the political troubles and civil unrest in Georgia. The two make their way westward on foot, heading toward France, where Gloria says they will find safe haven. But what exactly is the truth about Blaise’s past?
Bits and pieces are revealed as he and Gloria endure a five-year journey across the Caucasus and Europe, weathering hardships and welcoming unforgettable encounters with other refugees searching for a better life. During this time Blaise grows from a boy into an adolescent; but only later, as a young man, can he finally attempt to untangle his identity."
jeanwk's review against another edition
4.0
Not what I expected, which is OK. Good story with geography lessons and surprising plot twists.
stollhofen's review against another edition
3.0
I'm struggling with how to review and rate this novel for several reasons, mainly because I feel that I should never have read it. Don't get me wrong, it was a good read, it was just very hard to get through. I'm going to give it 3 stars as a middle-grade read for it's simplicity, age-appropriate language, and good plot description/execution, but as a young adult read it wouldn't have passed at all.
First off, this is definitely a middle-grade/young-YA novel which is a genre I don't particularily enjoy reading. If I had known this in the first place I probably wouldn't have read it. I found it to be very childish and juvenile at first, though in the end it made a lot of sense for Blaise to be so young a narrator in such terrifying conditions.I also felt unequipped to read this because I struggled with the history and non-fiction aspects of the novel. I know absolutely nothing about Georgia or the collapse of the Soviet Union. A lot of the politics and cultural norms were lost on me (and probably many other YA readers). I wish Anne-Laure Bondoux had given a brief history at the start, though the maps definitely helped me keep track of where they were going.
As a novel, A Time of Miracles was structured well. Very few details were given at the start when Blaise's memories would have been blurry and grew into larger chapters as he aged. I liked how realistic his recollections were: some chapters were just for one day, while others covered several years as time slipped by. Since I had no idea that this was supposed to be about Blaise's childhood rather than adolescence I spent the first half of the story frustrated with the pace, wishing it would speed up to present. In the end everything made sense and I was appreciative of how many details were given about each stage in Blaise's life.
First off, this is definitely a middle-grade/young-YA novel which is a genre I don't particularily enjoy reading. If I had known this in the first place I probably wouldn't have read it. I found it to be very childish and juvenile at first, though in the end it made a lot of sense for Blaise to be so young a narrator in such terrifying conditions.I also felt unequipped to read this because I struggled with the history and non-fiction aspects of the novel. I know absolutely nothing about Georgia or the collapse of the Soviet Union. A lot of the politics and cultural norms were lost on me (and probably many other YA readers). I wish Anne-Laure Bondoux had given a brief history at the start, though the maps definitely helped me keep track of where they were going.
As a novel, A Time of Miracles was structured well. Very few details were given at the start when Blaise's memories would have been blurry and grew into larger chapters as he aged. I liked how realistic his recollections were: some chapters were just for one day, while others covered several years as time slipped by. Since I had no idea that this was supposed to be about Blaise's childhood rather than adolescence I spent the first half of the story frustrated with the pace, wishing it would speed up to present. In the end everything made sense and I was appreciative of how many details were given about each stage in Blaise's life.
eahaynes's review against another edition
4.0
I value this book for the historical context; it describes a time in the not-to-distant past in a part of the world I know little about. It is well written and tells a compelling story, with an unsurprising ending and a cast of likable characters. I guess my only complaint is that the story, given the horrors of the world it reflects, seemed too surface-level...the angst and pain just didn't go deep enough to really capture my heart. But still worth the time to read.
inthatpinkdress's review against another edition
4.0
This book is set during a war in 1989 in Russia and is about a Boy called Koumail who has been told to by his adoptive mother that his real Name is Blaise, he is French and his real mother has died during a bomb attack in Russia. The Story is really interesting and exciting and the writing style is really beautiful. Be ready for some surprising twists and quite a sad and tearjerking ending. All in all I give this book 4 from 5 stars.
annsantori's review against another edition
4.0
I know little to nothing (emphasis on the nothing) about this period of history -- shamefully -- and so contextually, it was hard to pick up on all the details of the book, but the emotions? The prose? That is UNIVERSALLY lyrical and beautiful. Really well done with lots of character depth for such a short book.