Adolescence is the growth period between childhood and adulthood. Why did the author choose an adolescent protagonist, and how does this phase of human development lend itself to the storyline of The Age of Miracles? 

Gabby is willful, gothic, and sexually savvy, characteristics that cast her as the foil of the story’s protagonist, Julia. Examine the character of Gabby and discuss the ways in which she is used to reveal elements of Julia’s characterization. 

Julia’s parents experience marital problems throughout the novel. In Chapter 31, Julia wonders if “the slowing” has affected her father’s decision to cheat on Helen with Sylvia. Why might Julia rationalize her father’s behavior in this way? At what other points in the novel does Julia consider the effects of “the slowing” as the cause for erratic behavior?