A Time of Miracles

A Time of Miracles
By Anne-Laure Bondoux
Delacorte Press, 2010. 180 pgs. Young Adult

Is he Koumail or Blaise Fortune? Unsure of his history, Koumail lives with Gloria, who rescued him, as a baby, from a train accident in the Caucasus in Europe. Whatever his story, Koumail is a French citizen and one day will find his mother there. Meanwhile, Koumail and Gloria reside in a refuge camp, constantly ready to flee whenever the soldiers or rebels appear. When their camp is broken up, Gloria decides it is time for them to travel to France. It takes many years and many hardships, but Koumail and Gloria are determined. This book feels as though it takes place in an earlier time period, but occurs mainly during the 1990s. It is heartbreaking to read such an account, of refugees and the hardships and privations they suffer. But as the title suggests, miracles do happen for Koumail in this satisfying story.

MN