Product Description

The Austins are beyond question a charming family, but their path isby no means rock-free: Vicky sneaks off to a friend's house andseverely injures herself in a bike accident, they all get the measles,John is beat up after his guest sermon in church, and they almost loselittle Rob. Despite ordinary family setbacks, there's no usepretending this is a run-of-the-mill family. When Vicky is sick, herolder brother, John, comes into her room and soothes her with adiscussion of the solar system, our atomic composition, and therelativity of size. Family dinner-table talk includes the ethics ofmeat eating, and a chat with Grandfather ends up with a discussion ofwhether Einstein believed in God. As in all of L'Engle's novels, sheasks the big questions: What is the meaning of life, and how doesdeath fit into that? Are there different kinds of intelligence? Whathappens when you remove a screw from a radiator? This strangelycomforting novel, first published in 1960, is an ALA Notable Book, andwas followed by four other books featuring the Austin Family: The Moon by Night,The YoungUnicorns, ARing of Endless Light (a Newbery Honor Book), and Troubling aStar. (Ages 9 to 12) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Great book with food for thought
Madeleine L'Engle is one of my favorite authors, and "A Wrinkle in Time" has been one of my most loved books since I was a child, also in the 60's.I read "Meet the Austins" later, many times, and really liked the family, except for Suzy. Never could stand her, especially as the books went on. She supposedly had it all, brains, looks, personality, while Vicky felt plain and boring, yet she took every opportunity to shoot Vicky down.

I hadn't thought much about their family dynamics other than they were pretty close to being a "perfect" family, which was nice to read about, especially if one didn't happen to have the same at home. One thing that really stood out for me though, was that the Austins were supposed to be the embodiment of a loving, secure family with good Christian values. Yet, when sad, unhappy Maggy comes to live with them, every one of the kids loathed her and wanted her out of their lives. It didn't seem like they ever really tried to put themselves in Maggy's place, even for a minute, and think what her life was like. The parents made only one halfhearted attempt to point out that Maggy had never known one moment of what they took for granted, never known love, security, ora real family. No one even gave a thought, as they were feeling so bad for Elena, that Maggy had lost both her parents within a month. Where did the "good Christian values" go as soon as they had one test of those values? I don't think being a good Christian just means loving the people that are easy to get along with and who love you. I wondered also why Elena wanted Maggy to live with her, after she had been several years at the Austins', and had only known Maggy and her father one month before his death.

The other thing I never understood about the Austin series is that as soon as Maggy went to live with Elena,at the beginning of "The Moon By Night," after living with the Austins for years, she was never mentioned again, except for the LA visit. A part of the family is suddenly not there anymore and it's "out of sight, out of mind?' It was the same with Emily in "the Young Unicorns."That just seemed so odd to me.

interesting
Vicky is in fact my favorite L'Engle heroine and this book gives you the beginnings of her story. Although no matter how hard she tries there is no way to make her younger sister anything but annoying.

A wonderful book about an unusual family
"Meet the Austins" was a great read when I was a kid, and I appreciate it even more today because, despite the fact that decades have passed, the characters in the book are so human and true to life even today.This is a rare quality in family stories and met in my experience only by a few classics such as "Little Women". I also like the way L'Engle presents an obviously very intelligent and somewhat unusual family as normal folks who are not comically eccentric - there are no crazy inventor fathers building a flying machine in the back yard, or any of that.The family also has a strong sense of spirituality without being overtly preachy or religious, at least in my opinion.(Be warned, however, that the characters do discuss God and how he fits in with science in ways that non-believers may find a bit heavy-handed.)

The main character, Vicky Austin, didn't grab me as much as Meg Murry from L'Engle's "Wrinkle" did at the time, simply because Vicky was way more ordinary.Vicky doesn't go jetting off to a far planet to save her father; instead her adventures are far more conventional, such as a nighttime bike ride that ends unfortunately in a bad accident.Vicky's activities and thoughts generally have to do with more traditional female concerns such as the feelings of her various family members, world peace, and so on, and it's her older brother John who is busy building a space suit in the backyard with the help of his uncle - a project I was quite jealous of myself at the time!Thankfully, all is not lost in terms of female liberation, since Vicky has a younger sister Suzy who is very independent and non-traditional, in that she is bound and determined to become a doctor when she grows up come hell or high water. Suzy's goal might not seem unusual today, but when this book was written, and even for a few decades afterwards, little girls didn't just grow up and become doctors.You get the feeling Suzy is not going to let anything stand in her way, though.

This book is usually presented as being about the Austins taking in their orphaned cousin Maggy, who doesn't really fit in well and threatens to disturb the family unit.However, only a small portion of this book is about Maggy, and a lot of other things happen to the family.There are quite a few cliffhangers, dealing with everything from a broken radiator that floods the house to Vicky's bike accident to the family coming down with the measles.In between, this family has a lot of very intelligent discussions about God, the universe, science and, well, everything. I really wished I had parents or grandparents who would take the time to engage in the deep discussions that the Austins get into with their brood.Best of all, despite the occasional mentions of God and values, and the obvious high intelligence of the whole family, the kids are presented as human, not a bunch of plaster saints.They occasionally misbehave, bicker, have to be reprimanded, and feel like their life is grossly unfair, just like all kids did back then and still do today.Truly a timeless book.

I loved it, and so did my 10 year old daughter
Vicky Austin, the delightful narrator of the story, is twelve. She's both much younger as compared to the worldliness of today's tweens, and much older as compared to responsibility level. I loved the classic old-fashioned big-family fun tales of the whole Austin clan, which included such things as a fun trip to Grandpa's barn-house on the beach, a secret "Anti-Muffin club"- and my favorite -a whole-family scheme to scare off Uncle Douglas' girlfriend.

First published in 1960, parts of it seem extremely dated such as this bit of a parental rant: "If they've gone out in all this rain, I'll beat them to a pulp and spread them on my toast like strawberry jam" (p. 52). Children of today might see that as some sort of weird child-abuse threat, but for me, growing up in the 70's with such threats as "I'm going to put you in a world of hurt," I know it's all in good fun.

Other parts also seem like something that kids today wouldn't understand, such as a girl whose mother travels all over Europe leaving her in the care of nannies and the nurturing yet firm mother and the authoritarian father that she comes to live with after her parents' death.

This book was delightful -- comfort reading. I am halfway through the second one in the series, and I can't wait to read the whole series.

But how would it go over with a well-read ten-year-old girl of today? Well, my daughter Amanda loved it. She told me she really liked it, and she even described it as "timeless." So, go figure.

No matter your age, if you are a L'Engle fan, I recommend this book.The back of the Square Fish paperback reprint has a chart listing all the characters of the Meet the Austins series and Wrinkle in Time series and how they intersect -- yes, some of the characters are in both series!

wonderful family book
This is a lovely, perceptive story of family life in a small New England town--written by the author of _A Wrinkle in Time_, it sparkles with the same fine attention to personality and to the reactions of a loving family in a crisis ... Read more

Product Description
"A beautifully illustrated story . . . subtle, poetic, and imaginatively conceived."--Booklist. Full color. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Rare find!
This is a real treasure of a book.It is the Christmas Story told in a whole different way! L'Engle writes one of her best here!

I FOUND IT AGAIN!
I grew up loving this wonderful book that originally came out in the 60's. It is the one book I remember so clearly. I lost it some years back and it looks like they finally reprinted it! You will love it...I promise!

Brilliant!
This book is one of my favorites of all time.As usual, Madeleine L'Engle manages to capture the magnificance of our Creator in the most powerful and thought provoking ways.I love this book so much that I brought it to life on our stage two years ago through storytelling and dance.It was a huge success.Everyone from 2-100 can relate to this story.

Sadly, I see that it is not longer in print and I just cannot understand why...

I can't wait to read this one to my nephews...

What makes a great children's book? It's that combination of words and pictures, action and magic, that you find in this desert story. This is such a creative and surprising tale. It starts out scary - describing all the things in the dessert at night that prowl and sneak. And then all of those creatures come to a group of travelers, one by one, and dance with a little boy. I cannot recommend this book more highly. Each page is a new adventure with a new animal, and it's the perfect length to keep your child interested.

Beautiful on many levels
The story is wonderful, it had to spring from the mind of Madeleine L'Engle.It is both solid in Faith, and magical, with creatures like dragons and unicorns.It gives a unique glimpse of Christ as a child, both innocent and powerful, dancing with the wild, dangerous creatures of the desert on a moonlit night.We gave out several copies at Christmas, and it was well-received by all. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

good
I forgot about this book until I started reviewing the other L'Engle novels.I have not read this book in years but I do remember liking it.

No thanks.....
I liked this book OK until I got to the last 10 pages. I am so not used to her writing books like this first off, but the fact that this ended so abruptly the way it did just left me feeling VERRRY empty. Now that I think about it, I think that book put me in a depressed state of mind. Darn Dragons in the Waters lol! I shall donate this to the used book store ASAP! Some of you may like this, but for me it was a no thanks!

Escapist fun
Wasn't L'Engle's husband a soap actor? This story rolled over the waves with action-reaction from start to finish. It was a fun read, with all the drama and half the romance of the soaps.

L'Engle is always impressive with her eye for details and timeless relativity. You know that she's traveled on cargo ships and encountered South American policemen.

It was strange to read this after also reading (ack! what was the title? an Austin story... the daughter travels to Antarctica). There were so many similarities. Did L'Engle plagiarize herself?

enjoy
Brand new condition - fast, fast delivery.I love these fantasy books.Amazon is the best place to shop for them.

A different path
If you're looking for a continuation of the Wrinkle series, you're not going to find it here.However, L"Engle writes as eloquently as always.The Arm of the Starfish comes before Dragons though and it would be good to read it first.Starfish, Dragons, and Lotus are definitely geared toward teen girls in my opinion and would be great for intelligent girls looking for the right answers in this confusing world. ... Read more

Product Description
The story of a marriage of true minds and spirits--a brilliant writer's tribute to lasting love. "A vivid and touching chronicle."--Chicago Tribune ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Great story on marriage/relationships
I was pleasantly surprised when I read this book.It was recommended for a book club and had never heard of this book so I didn't really know what to expect.
I loved the story line and how she told a real life story. You are drawn in from the beginning and can sense that she is waiting for something special. I love how Madleine interacts with all those around her and how her relationship starts out with her husband.It is a true love story in marriage, even to the end. I was gratedul to read about the courage they both had to make it through all their trials and the love they had for one another through it all. It really helps you to reflect on your own marriage and how you can remain totally in love even after 50+ years of marriage. Highly recommended.

Absolutely lovely.
Quite simply, this is the most beautiful book on marriage I've ever read.Simple, quiet, honest and heartwrenching, it moved me to tears (and few books do).I recommend this book to anyone who appreciates a good love story--the REAL kind, the kind that stays and works.

Inspirational
A little slow at first but delightful after that. A beautiful description of a real marriage that has become a goal for me.

Nice read, but like another
This is a poignant tale of L'Engle's relationship with her husband. It shows what true, mature love is. If, however, you have read her "A Circle of Quiet" you will find some of the same vignettes here, albeit with a different perspective.

Personal & Insightful look into Madeline L'Engle's world
I enjoyed this book - it was an insightful look into L'Engle's life. I never knew that she had been an actress. I especially liked her stories about her theatre life.The fact that she was married to the actor that eventually played "Dr. Tyler" on All My Children was interesting too.She shares her views on things that matter to her, and tries to impart some wisdom upon the reader about living with an actor husband, doing what is best for her family, and ultimately doing what is best for her husband in his time of illness.I would recommend this book for anyone going through a difficult time with a gravely ill spouse, and anyone looking to find out more about L'Engle's life. ... Read more

Product Description
Three classic titles now in one volume!

The Genesis Trilogy has long been awaited by fans of Madeleine L?Engle, who have expressed a desire to have all three of the authors books on Genesis in one volume. In addition to L?Engle?s vast reader base, The Genesis Trilogy will be embraced by the literary community (which deeply respects L?Engle?s award-winning work) and all those who seek to experience more fully the truths represented in Genesis. Book 1 of the trilogy, And It Was Good, speaks especially to those captivated by the creation story and those interested in new beginnings, while Book 2, A Stone for a Pillow, holds treasure for those seeking answers to the questions posed during their inner and outer journeys. Book 3, Sold into Egypt, provides hope to those who have experienced grief and loss.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Review of L'Engle's 'Genesis Trilogy'
To begin, this book wasn't what I was expecting, so my review may be a little more critical than others.

The Genesis trilogy is a thoughtful collection of spiritual essays by Madeleine L'Engle. Each essay takes its inspiration from one aspect of a story from Genesis (the early essays from Creation, the later from Joseph in Egypt).

I really enjoyed the sincerity of L'Engle's writing, although I didn't agree with much of what she had to say. These are highly autobiographical essays, and contain a lifetime of consideration and opinion. Even where I disagree with the author, I respect the thoroughgoing nature of her arguments.

Were I to criticize Mrs. L'Engle, I would ask that she pay more attention to drawing parallels between her essays and Genesis. At times, she seemed to drift off wherever her memories beckoned.

Unconventional Commentary
First off, this book deserves to be back in print; it is a treasure.I was fortunate to get a copy and I'd rank this as possibly Madeline's best work of non-fiction.It combines autobiography, deep spiritual reflection on the text, and wonderful meanderings along the way. And while it's not like most commentaries, the substantive wisdom and profound insight will stay with most readers.Some will take issue with a few of Madeline's positions, but I can't imagine anyone not being blessed by these 3 gems in one volume.

The genesis of my faith
I reread this book every time I feel myself being drawn down by doubt and mired in the poisons of what Christians can do to one another.It reaffirms me and strengthens me!

It is very telling, when you click on the concordance, that the two biggest words are God and Love.

I, too, have loved L'Engle ever since I first read her books.I picked up the first part of the Trilogy _And_It_Was_Good_ at a yard sale thinking that it was another of her fiction works.I got halfway through the book in a single sitting, never realizing that I was reading theological reflections!From then on, I was hooked!

Given how often I return to this work, I do wish that it was available in hardback, so that it would be a little more sturdy!

Approachable and sincere
I, too, started out as a fan of L'Engles fiction work.I was in my mid 20s when I started reading her non-fiction.And she never ceases to amaze and inspire me.This book made me think.While she infuses her fiction work with her theological beliefs, this trilogy truly lays it all out in a thoughtful and thought provoking way.Every time I read this book I see something new and am forced to think.And being forced to think is a very good thing.L'Engle does indeed, think outside the box.This book is probably not for "Christian" "fundmentalists" (or "fundalits" as L'Engle would call them).It is, however, for people who believe in the fundamental value and truth of the core teachings of the Bible - whether those people call themselves Christian or not.L'Engle incorporates the stories from Genesis with her own life experiences and weaves an outlook on the world that is both unique and timeless.This book altered my outlook on life for the better, and every day I am presented with new and overwhelming evidence that she hit the nail on the head.Amazing book.

What a refreshing breath of crisp clean air.
L'Engle's Genesis Trilogy is a refreshing breath of crisp, clean air.As I turned page after page, I found freedom from some long held conflicts with my faith.Not only does she present a picture of God that is outside the box, she throws the box away.Thank you! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Wonderful, Touching story
I loved this book.Ms. L'Engle has a way of explaining the most difficult concepts so that even the most inept readers can understand.This is suggested for 9-12 year olds, but I'm 14 and I still love it. Like most of her books, this story is wonderful for all kids and adults over the age of8. I thought this a wonderful story that I couldn't tear away from.Istayed up all night reading. ... Read more

Product Description
Touche L'Engle-Franklin is confused: Her mistress goes away for several days—and then returns with another dog. But this dog doesn't have a tail. She doesn't have much hair. And she never has to go outside when it's raining. What on earth could the family want with that inferior breed known as Baby? Based on the true tale of her own poodle's experience coping with a new baby in the house, Newbery-winning author Madeleine L'Engle gives this familiar domestic drama an utterly charming new twist. Tongue-in-cheek wit, endearing illustrations, and a revealing author's note make this a publishing event to celebrate.Amazon.com Review
From the beloved author of the Newbery Medal-winning title A Wrinkle in Time comes a charming story for younger readers, especially those with a new sibling. Touche L'Engle-Franklin, the very talented, sophisticated, and articulate poodle of the house, is shocked and dismayed when her master and mistress bring home another dog, especially such an odd-looking one. This interloper has no fur to speak of, no tail, and--horror of horrors--it does its business inside the house, in something called a diaper. Touche doesn't know what to make of this strange turn of events--after all, as she says, "This was a great waste of money. Dogs are expensive to feed and clothe, and one dog is enough for any family. I fail to see why I did not satisfy all requirements." Gradually, though, although she still considers the addition to the family an inferior breed, Touche begins to warm to "Jo-dog," and ultimately determines that "in every home there should be at least two dogs!"

Funny, touching, and original, this oversize picture book is just the ticket for disgruntled siblings. Precocious pooch Touche expresses her feelings toward the new baby in the household in a way that any child can relate to and every adult will recognize, and Christine Davenier's watercolor-and-ink illustrations have the nostalgic feel of Ludwig Bemelmans's Madeline books. (Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Wonderful gift for first baby, especially if they have a treasured pet.
This is such a warm, touching story for a new first baby arriving in a family with a treasured pet. It is beautifully told and illustrated.

Love It!!!
This is the most precious book!!! Our dog was always used to being numero uno. This book captures exactly how we think he felt when we brought "the other dog" home. I found it at the library & fell in love. I bought numerous copies and gave them as gifts to all my friends with dogs bringing new "dogs" home.

Another classic from L'Engle
I bought a copy of this book about 5 years ago for my goddaughter.I thought it was cute then, and I've always loved Madeleine L'Engle.But when my son arrived, and my golden retriever was acting EXACTLY like Touche, I realized the spectacular insight L'Engle gave to this experience.It's definitely a book the entire family -- including the dog -- can enjoy together.

Love this book!!
This book is too funny!! I read this gem when I was working at a library a few years back. I bought it when I was pregnant with my daughter, so I could have some of my favorite children's books to read to her in the womb. She's 2 now, and this is her second favorite book of all time, it's right behind The Cat Came Back. I secretly think she likes the cat book better because I usually end up singing it to her. Get this for YOUR child and you won't be diapointed!!

What a cute story told from the dog's perspective!
This book is very unique because it tells the story of bringing home a new baby through a dog's eyes.It's a very cute story that even a toddler can enjoy. ... Read more

Product Description
While working at a conference in Cyprus, sixteen-year-old Polly tries to come to terms with the emotionally tumultuous events preceding her arrival on the island and her relationships with old and new friends. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (33)

Must Read for Mature L'Engle Fans
I adored this book. The imagery... wow, although nothing is ever just imagery with L'Engle, it's life, every sense, as always, is brought to life in her descriptions. This is no different. The reason that I say that it is for mature fans is that it does deal with homosexuality and sex some. However, it is not in a bad way, it neither condones nor condemns it. In wonderful fashion, she once again forced you to think for yourself. Really though, it's a wonderful book and had me absolutly enthralled, start to finish.

House Like a Lotus
Typical Madeleine L'Engle fare, which means not only a good story, but depth to characters, as well.Her main character faces some problems that bring about a lot of mature growth.If you like L'Engle, you won't be disappointed.

House Like a Lotus--Typical L'Engle fare
If you are a fan of Madeleine L'Engle, you won't be disappointed.This is a book rich in layers of meaning.It is sweet, poignant--a coming of age novel; however, it has much to be gained by adults, as well.It's definitely a worthwhile read.

somewhat dated
I'm 21, but I read this for the first time when I was 11 or 12, and I was hardly shocked by it.If anything, L'Engle's other books are far more frightening and "adult."They deal with global politics, the possibility of the end of the world, etc.This just has queer people in it, and they're not even very out queer people.

Rereading, I have to keep reminding myself that it was written 20 years ago.The tone that the adult characters take towards Max is meant to be tolerant and compassionate, but, while Max certainly gets to be a complex character, homosexuality is treated as a subject better not talked about in polite company.Hopefully we've evolved somewhat as a society since then such that it isn't considered rude to tell a precocious teenager that two women who have lived together for many years are, indeed, partners.

And I am sad that Meg, after all of her adventures, has been utterly tamed.In some ways Max gets to be one of the most complex adult characters in L'Engle's books: she points out Meg's sense of loss, and she gets to make mistakes, and be generally vivid.The other adults are far less multidimensional.

Opening Flower
I was introduced to L'Engle when I was seven years old, through "A Wrinkle in Time."Since then, I have choosen to read many of her other young adult fictions, and slowly crossed the threshold to her more "adult" stories.
I am only 19 and have just read Lotus.The introspectivity through the book by many characters is amazing.The story moves, taking you through life the way Polly feels it.Through a play with time, L'Engle offers the reader more objectivity then Polly and also allows the catalysmic event the novel is centered around to be a softer blow.
I am sure this book has had its share of controversy becuase of one of the subject matters: homosexuality.However, though homosexuality is a part of the book, it is never the real point to be focused on.L'Engle goes beyond, showing compassion for her characters and painting realistic people, neither making homosexuality a sort of amazing dream or a dreaded, evil thing.The hardest thing for me to comprehend in this book was the way lesbianism is treated.Being raised in the world of today, I never realized that people regarded homosexuals as evil- as some of the less unenlightened characters in this book take for granted.However, the main character herself is also shaken by her close friend being a lesbian.
This book was a wonderful read.I would recommend it to anyone with an open heart.I has also proved to me beyond doubt that Madeline L'Engle is an amazing author for all the good subject matter in the world. ... Read more

Product Description
This journal follows the church year from Advent to Advent, reflecting on its seasons and spiritual rhythms reflected in the life of the church and the author's own life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Painfully yet reassuringly familiar
Oh, my. Another of L'Engle's wonderful nonfiction books! This one deals almost equally with her journey as a writer and her journey as a Christian. L'Engle's work has been speaking to me ever since I read A Wrinkle in Time when I was a young girl. I'm finding that her Crosswicks Journals speak to me now even more effectively than her fiction, perhaps because I'm at the stage of life where she was when she wrote them.

Hers is not a faith of easy answers, or of easy acceptance for the hard ones. Her struggles with God sound painfully yet reassuringly familiar, and although the details of this book reflect the period of its writing - the 1970s - it is anything else but dated. I'm going to donate my copy to my church's library, after I've loaned it to someone who is waiting to read it next.

--Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of 2005 EPPIE science fiction winner "Regs"

a delight!
Lovely spirituality and gentle musings by the author of a childhood favorite: "A Wrinkle in Time".

How take faith into every day life
This book uses a framework of the Episcopal church calendar to talk about a year of living in authenticity and faithfulness.

Imagination and integrity.
I've enjoyed many of Madeleine L'engle's books, this among the best.I was a bit surprised that I liked this one, since L'Engle turns the old rule about autobiographies -- bag limit of one -- on its head, writing yet again about her "non-eventful" life: kindness, love of animals, imagination and scientific curiosity, honest, hard-thought Christian humanism.

Other reviewers have mentioned other things they liked about the book; let me say something about the poems.The first almost scared me off: poems are sometimes a good writer's self-indulgence.(I skip most the poems in Tolkien.)But here they are jewels in the crown.Her poem of the wind and the star (p. 165-6) is magnificent.Unsentimental but hopeful, too, the gritty realism (reminiscent of the biblical Christmas narratives) of the communion poem that begins:

"Come, let us gather round the table.
Light the candles.Steward, pour the wine.
It's dark outside.The streets are noisy
with the scurrying of rats, with shoddy
tarts, shills, thugs, harsh shouting."

This is a diary of a different sort. I read it in the evening, a few pages at a time, a few moments conversation with a kind Christian lady of intellectual integrity to end the day.

Classic L'Engle Always Delights
This is classic L'Engle, full of thoughtful observations and solid spiritual food.It's a good book for meditation and healing.And always L'Engle poses questions that give one pause. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (61)

Ugh...are you sure this is a L'Engle?
Sheer drudgery. That's the best way to summarize the fifth in L'Engle's Time quintet. Occasionally I've found some of her work to have a slow start, so I gave it 30 pages, then 50, 150...200...surely it's got to get good sometime now... Hmmm. Though it finally began to pick up toward the end of the novel, it wasn't nearly good enough to warrant the 250-odd pages it took to get that far, much less when it's followed up with a lack luster ending. So why did I bother to finish it? I'm stubborn. If I've wasted that much of my time already, I'm darn well going to finish it! Add to that my hoping in vain that it would have some redeeming qualities...somewhere...it has to, right? After all, it was written by L'engle!

As a bit of a science geek, I often enjoy the tidbits L'Engle drops in as well as how she then stretches them to the fantastic. Where was that writing in this novel? And what happened to the great character development of her other works? I found myself truly annoyed with the characters in this novel, rather than caring anything about what might happen to them. Maybe I'm mistaken, but weren't the Murry's much more interesting and open to exploring different ideas in the earlier novels? Here, they're portrayed as boring, closed-minded individuals who rail against that exploration. The bishop character is wearisome; though I appreciate her attempt to show the bishop's openness to other religious beliefs, the entire novel still comes off as very preachy rather than relying on displays of human compassion and creatively written examples of utter faith. Finally, there's the regurgitation of the same plot from some of her earlier Wrinkle books, but unfortunately without any new twists and turns to really grab and hold a reader.

Honestly, this strikes me as a novel which was published simply due to its author's previous success along with the supposed connection between the characters in this novel and previous novels in the quintet. Had this been her first, it would certainly not have won any acclaim and who knows, may not have easily found a willing publisher.
Why not 1 star? Because, sadly, I've read worse. But for true fans of L'Engle's first three books in this quintet, just be forewarned! Moves incredibly slowly and simply lacks imagination and excitement which fill her other work. However, if you're having trouble getting to sleep, pick it up! Guaranteed to knock you out...in 30 pages or less.

good read
Poly is a very interesting character but this book is the first one about her that really makes me think of her as a Murray.Zachary is a fool but it is always interesting to see how he appears in so many stores.Plus this story takes another good stab at explaining time travel.

Madeleine Vath's Review of "An Acceptable Time" by Madeleine L'Engle
I think it was a good idea for Madeleine L'Engle to write this last book, "An Acceptable Time", to conclude the Time series. In the book series' that I have read where I feel as if I have grown up alongside the main characters, the author does not usually devote an entire book about the original main characters' kids (if they have any) after the main characters have grown up and I, as a reader, would sometimes like to know how the main characters kids turn out. I feel like that is exactly what L'Engle did in "An Acceptable Time." Now that I have read the book, I know that Polly is almost exactly like her mother and has the brains of both her parents and her grandparents. I think that that is the thing I liked most about this book. The thing I liked the least as a thirteen-year-old is that, as I was reading the first four books they taught me a thing or two about science, but when I read "An Acceptable Time", I could hardly understand any of the science and mathematical terms and stuff. The only stuff I could really grasp was the time thresholds and I only understood that because it was made up! I would have waited a few years to read the whole series if they were all that difficult to read, but it was only that book that was hard for me to grasp.

A Drawn-out Tale that Ignores the Prior Books
For the fifth book in the Wrinkle of Time Series, An Acceptable Time was a huge disappointment.I actually considered not finishing it and was relieved when I did.The story uses several of the same plot techniques from the previous books; however, the characters seem to have no reference of the events of previous books.The story was boring and held little action for the amount of words used.

The main character is Polly O'Keefe, daughter of Margaret Murry.She spends the summer at the Murry's and goes through a time portal to 3,000 years earlier.As the story develops and she has conversations with the Drs. Murry, they act like they have never had any of their adventures or that the twins never went back to Noah's time.They are uncharacteristically scared for Polly and attempt to keep her from the adventure.

When she travels backwards, along with a friend Zachary and a retired Bishop, she is taken for a goddess.The religious references that follow, including from the Bishop, seem to be almost entirely pagan rather than Christian.The Druid spirituality/religion seems to be exalted in this book as the pure essence of a creature-creator relationship.Mother Earth is referenced as a reality and the theme of human sacrifice is present throughout the story as a method for appeasing Mother Earth.

It is a strange sort of story, even without the time travel.Unfortunately, there is not enough story or character development.It seems like anything interesting had already been done in previous books. I hate to say it but this is one that I could have lived without, despite my interest in the prior books of the series.

Garbled metadata and "dreaded topaz" format
The metadata on this file is garbled so that the author's name is sorted by first name rather than last, causing mis-alphabetization on the Kindle home screen on an author sort. When I attempted to correct this error with mobi2mobi, I then discovered that this file is .AZW1 (the "dreaded topaz" format). Very unprofessional presentation by a major publisher. ... Read more

Product Description
Katherine Forrester Vigneras, in a continuation of her story from The Small Rain, returns to New York City from Europe to retire. Now in her seventies, she encounters an old friend from her Greenwich Village days who, it turns out, is the former Bishop of New York. He asks Katherine to give a benefit concert at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. This leads to new demands on her resources--human, artistic, psychological, and spiritual--that are entirely unexpected.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

Good of kind and one of a kind
You'll know from other reviews that Madeleine L'Engle shows a different side in this book; it's not quite like anything else she ever wrote, though it incorporates dimensions of her early style (the heroine is the same as in her first novel, now in old age), her Canon Tallis mysteries, and especially her "Ring of Endless Light" phase, much concerned with death and dying. The end result is surprisingly like a book by an American P.D. James, with an American detective of sorts who bears some resemblance to Adam Dalgliesh. Indeed the book begins in cozy mystery fashion with old ladies sipping tea and gossiping: Katherine Forrester Vigneras, famed concert pianist, returned to her birthplace of New York after many years in France; and Mimi Oppenheimer, endearingly nosy orthopedic surgeon. Either would do as a Miss Marple figure.

But Vigneras, at least, is no Marple: she is as disciplined, reserved, and haunted by the past as Dalgliesh himself. She was imprisoned by the Germans during the occupation of Paris and her husband was sent to a concentration camp. L'Engle aims very high by making part of her story so extreme. But the present focus of the novel is a mystery unfolding around the grounds of the real-life Cathedral of St. John the Divine. After she is invited to perform a benefit at the Cathedral, Katherine discovers all kinds of dirty work afoot, including threats against herself and the ex-bishop and a possible murder attempt. Her unraveling of the mystery leads her to find out the dark secrets in the lives of everyone she encounters. Like Dalgliesh, she becomes a confessor figure. Though the novel is reticent about L'Engle's own Christian faith-Katherine is an agnostic and allowed to stay one, more or less-its true subject matter is the sacrament of confession.

Confessors hear a lot and yet, after a while, it inevitably begins to run together: at this point one burns out or one discerns certain patterns, by which human beings are able to make the best of things and pull themselves together again. L'Engle's deliberate choice in exposing us to so much pain in fairly short order is to put us in the position of the confessor who must insist on the patterns and the perspective, again and again, with broken soul after broken soul, while retaining equilibrium in his or her own life and staying in touch with his or her own pain. And most of the stories Vigneras hears are awful, the unbearable tragedy nearly everyone has in his or her life if they've lived long enough. L'Engle has been accused of smoothing over the rough edges of life; here she doesn't, and her brutality seems quite deliberate. Some of her consolations are still ill-advised; the story of Katherine and her husband in the war is itself so brutal that the quick turnarounds into the present, and Katherine's brisk, schoolmistressy advice to other suffering souls, can leave one sickish.

Though the novel has serious flaws and some hard to forgive, L'Engle manages to make us believe in the value of reconciliation even when it seems impossible. Some of the failures of taste may even be deliberate-the author wants us to feel what it is like to have to forgive the unforgivable. Katherine struggles with reconciliation in her own life, but at the story's end she is called on to forgive an unpleasant person who has done an unpleasant thing, as she has been called on to rescue the innocent victim. In the process, she receives an extraordinary grace in her own life, a moment of consolation for her own worst tragedy. This is all quite believable, though like the horror, it's the kind of thing one believes primarily because of experience, not because it sounds credible on paper. And though L'Engle's belief in a loving God shines through at the very end-a God who makes all right what humans cannot-it owes nothing this time to science-fictional or other fiats.

It's still clearly a book written almost thirty years ago; racism and homophobia, it's got. The frightened, mean, superstitious brand of Christianity practiced by the novel's villain exists, but the novel's messages would have been much more powerful had it been the penchant of a white Anglican, not a hysterical Latina. Nor is Katherine entirely believable as the mother figure she becomes to person after person-she's really rather a cold fish, and more entertaining when presented as one. And in the end one just wants more about the war than Katherine's dubious forgiveness of her Nazi jailer (and lover). But the book aims high and hits several of its many marks well. How wonderfully it could have been adapted for television by the same team as gave us serials of the Adam Dalgliesh mysteries, especially with a younger Claire Bloom as Katherine.

great read
I have always loved this book even though it is far more adult and dark than her other works.It is interesting to see how she ties this story back to one of her YA novels plus it mentions my all time favorite L'Engle character the heroine from And Both Were Young.

Tedious and Overpopulated
After several tries, I had to give up on this book. Perhaps familiarity with L'Engle's other works endears this weariness to some. (I haven't read her other books,although I did skim her portrait of her marriage). New characters just keet coming and coming, yet they are cut-outs, not developed other than their particular talents stated. The cold main character is haughty and unlikeable. I've liked other books withrepugnant protagonists, but this woman is unpleasantly vapid despite an abundance of talent and an interesting life - maybe that's the dull point. If she was a real person, you'd avoid her. Why waste your time when there are so many interesting books waiting?. Perhaps the plot kicks in at some later time, but after 100 pages waiting for the countless characters to do something, I give up.

Waking Up
Although perhaps best known for her excellent work in children's fiction, Madeleine L'Engle is an astounding writer of adult fiction."A Severed Wasp" is a brilliant novel that interweaves numerous characters and storylines without losing or short-changing a single one.L'Engle is a masterful storyteller with an uncanny ability to weave intelligence and faith into the heart of her stories.

To try to summarize the plot of "A Severed Wasp" would do a disservice to the book, for it is a joy to discover each intricate detail as it emerges from the past and present.The tale centers around Madame Katherine Vigneras, a concert pianist, who has returned to her home in New York City, hoping to retire quietly.Out of the blue she is contacted by an old acquaintance, a former bishop of the Episcopal Church, who wishes for her to give a benefit concert for the cathedral's building fund.Against her better judgment, Katherine soon finds herself agreeing, and finds her retirement anything but quiet as she becomes involved in the lives of those connected with the cathedral.Yet as she learns more about the families associated with the church, she finds a dark story lurking just beneath the surface, a mystery that someone doesn't want uncovered and is more than willing to keep Katherine from discovering the truth.

"A Severed Wasp" is beatifully written, a testament to the power of memory, as Katherine weaves her narrative between present events and the past that has shaped the woman she is today.At times the story is ponderous and relies a little too heavily on coincidence, but L'Engle pulls her narrative through to the end.And while the resolution is perhaps a little quick in coming, the buildup to the final pages is a remarkable journey.The author deftly brings all of these characters to life, making the reader one with the events unfolding around them.Madeleine L'Engle allows her readers to witness firsthand, the joy and bittersweet realities of life through fictional characters, a feat that is often hard to accomplish.

Well written but ultimately disturbing
I grew up reading and enjoying L'Engle books, and recently re-read "A Severed Wasp."Now that I'm older and have children my perspective has changed, and the book bothered me.(Spoiler alert!)At the end of the book Katherine discovers that one of the characters attempted to molest a child (kissing on the mouth, telling her she was like a sacred temple virgin, other innapropriate behavior and statements) - - and then threatened the child if she told anyone.This had happened 2 years prior, and because of certain events that took place the child was afraid to tell anyone and had been living a nightmare.Her sister and friend were frequent visitors of this character and seemed to be in her thrall.When Katherine discovers this, instead of immediately telling the child's parents, and getting the other 2 girls out of danger, she just takes it upon herself to offer absolution to the character.This horrified me!Katherine's behavior is portrayed by the author as being wise and gracious, instead of criminally negligent.I also found Katherine's personality to be abrasive, self-serving and annoying.As another reviewer stated, the author sees Katherine through rose colored glasses, but she bothered me intensely.Most of the characters tried to justify immoral behavior.The book left me with a really bad taste in my mouth. ... Read more

Product Description
Charlotte Napier has much to learn about herself, her faith, and her marriage. She flees to Portugal, desperately looking for comfort after the death of her son and, she thinks, her marriage. There she finds solace in the letters of a 17th century nun who struggled with temptation and sin. AAs Charlotte achieves a clearer focus on her own pain, she gains a powerful sense of the rigorous and demanding nature of real love. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

An All-Time Favorite by a Favorite Author
This is one of my all-time favorite books by one of my all-time favorite authors.

Based on a true story - see Letters of A Portuguese Nun by Myriam Cyr for the nonfiction account of this story.

...
This year (specifically August/September) I got really into Madeleine L'Engle and her writing. I had read the Time Quartet several times as an early teen (or younger) and enjoyed those (specifically the first two books) and only recently thought to try anything else.

So at the end of August I tried Camilla and absolutely adored it. After that I was like a vacuum... buying and reading L'Engle books at a frenzied pace. Read most of the Murray books, read most of the Austin books, read the two Katherine Foster novels. And then I hit upon The Love Letters. I started it in the middle of September and only last night did I finish it.

The Love Letters, in tone, is standard L'Engle. Her ability with words is amazing and that is no different here. Where she lost me with this book is her use of flashback. I have said it several times in Amazon reviews that flashback is generally unnecessary and disruptive and, when used frequently, confusing.

In this case flashback is, unfortunately, necessary for the effect L'Engle wanted (the intertwining of two stories from two different eras). The way she does it is not just confusing, but kind of boring.

There are actually three different eras being jumped around in. The story starts out in "the present day" (or, more accurately, the era L'Engle write the book in) with Charlotte, who just ran away from her husband (to the "comforting" arms of his mother). She discovers a book of love letters (presumably) written by a nun and starts reading them to try and gain some insight into her own plight. The nun, Mariana, is the life of the place and is being groomed to become the next abbess. And then Noel comes into her life. If it was just those two eras, it would be easier to grasp. But there are also flashbacks into Charlotte's past.

Oh, and there are no indications in the text to indicate which era you are entering. There aren't "chapters" as much as pauses in the text (separated by curling lines)... so the switch between people and era often takes a little while to comprehend... even longer when it is the less frequent switch to Charlotte's early years. They could have simply marked the sections as "Charlotte" "Charlotte's Past" and "Mariana" and it would have been a lot less confusing and a lot easier to read.

Beyond that, I felt that the correlation between the two tales was weak at best. L'Engle tried to tie the two tales together by starting a thought with Charlotte like this...

...Then adding a curly line, switching eras, and ending the thought with Mariana (complete with ... dots) like this. Which was difficult to pick up on initially because of the beginning confusion in the first five or six "breaks" with who is where doing what and wonder why the heck it's not marked. Then once you pick up on the trick, you smile, say "how cute" then loathe it for the rest of the book. Thankfully, about 2/3rds of the way through, L'Engle seems to give up on that particular trick, only using it sparingly.

The correlation is faulty from other aspects as well. The relationships between the ladies and their men are different. There is nothing that happens in Mariana's side of the story that foreshadows what can or should happen with Charlotte. Thus, it just becomes a story... albeit one that Charlotte talks about a lot.

So we end up with two stories trying to waltz together to make things work and fit into some nice, tidy box. Instead it ends up more like a duel as the two separate tales are woven together, but never really becoming one.

In the end it is actually Mariana's story that ends up being the best written, most thought out, and has the greatest emotional grip (not to mention intellectual intrigue). While there is a change in both main characters, it is Mariana's that is the one we root for most, since there seems to be a lot more at stake. With Charlotte it is all talk and fluffy words, while listening to sage words of advice from her mother-in-law and doctor. Which is fine. It just doesn't really provide much literary spark. Whereas with Mariana we (despite some poor foreshadowing, another pet peeve of mine ranking up there with flashback) are gripped not only by her serenade, but the relationship she has with the people around her, both good and bad. She interacts with a whole collage of people. Charlotte has a very limited palette of people to relate with. Resulting in a story that seems more like muted grayscale, in contrast to Mariana's vibrant colors.

Is it worth reading? Sure. What makes the book readable is what is present with every L'Engle book. Her way with words, making mundane concepts come alive. Plus, the end of Mariana's tale is amazingly emotional, with a perfect and believable conclusion. But definitely NOT as a first, or even second L'Engle book. Rather, read Camilla, A Live Coal In The Sea, The Small Rain, and A Severed Wasp first. Even go for the Austin series. Don't be afraid to read this book, just don't judge L'Engle solely on it.

the purest of all the love letters out there
The Love Letters was--is--more than I had expected or hoped for.I have been reading Madeleine L'Engle ever since elementary school in the form of her popular science fiction series.I am now 17, and I have gone back again and again to L'Engle and there's no stopping me from going to her again in the future.She has surprised me ever time in terms of being able to give me something unexpected and helping me see life and love in a totally different way.Letters does not fail here.Sometimes, reading these books, I find myself stopping for a moment and repeating out loud a sentence or a phrase or a paragraph that I just read that struck me down to the core.Her writing is wonderful...perfectly orchestrated each time--yet raw with feeling and love.I loved how Letters is a little more poetic than most of her other works.The form works splendidly.The only complaint that I have to lodge is that the writing is too obscure at times.Or perhaps it is me not trying hard enough.Nevertheless, I do lose her at times.And correct me if I'm wrong, but Letters is one of her earlier books, which shows.But to end on a high note, this book is still totally worth the ten hours or so you will spend reading it.

it's by madeleine l'engle, so of course it's worth reading
madeleine l'engle is my favorite author so i was especially pleased to find a book by her that i had not read at a local library.as always, ms. l'engle delivers a riveting and thought provoking story. the characters are engaging and the plot is pure l'engle. my only complaint was that the ending didn't explain exactly what happened to the characters, but perhaps that is more my issue than the book's.if you can find it, the love letters is definitely one to be read!

Madeline L'Engle scores again
It took me two read-throughs to properly appreciate this book.At first, it reads like 60s romance fiction, which is when it was originally written.Upon a second, more careful reading, the true (and very typical L'Engle)message comes through... Life's set-backs can rock us to the core, and wecan take time to grieve, but we should not turn our back on Life and Love(of self, of others, etc.) and give in to Nothingness. Also of interest,in typical L'Engle "nepotism," (something I truly enjoy) thereare scenes in this book that are referred to in another one of her books,_Certain Women_. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (35)

Throughly Enchanted
If you are currently roaming the various written reviews deciding whether or not to read this book, stop, and read it. I guarantee you will not find a better written yet beautifully simple story. I believe this book will appeal particularly to teens (I say so because I am one) if not any age, and believe me when I say this, I do not (emphasis on the not) write reviews, but this book just demanded one even at 2:oo in the morning. To any readers who like romance, this is my favorite type, awkard in just the right way and deep yet relatable (not in a complicatly confusing manner as some books tend to gravitate towards). No doubt this book is well written, and in my opinion this book is better than A Wrinkle In Time, which I also love dearly. The scenes are described so vividly, and in such a straight forward manner with every word leaving a lasting impression. This is truly a must read, and once again, very relatable. I am so glad I stumbled upon this rare discovery! Despite being an avid book reader it has been a while since I've been so blown away.

Angieville: AND BOTH WERE YOUNG
I think this may have been the last Madeleine L'Engle book I read (for the first time) as a teenager. And for some reason it holds a sort of distinction in my head because of that fact. I, like most other readers I know who love her books, got in on the whole thing with A Wrinkle in Time, moving on to the other Murry and O'Keefe family books and then the Austin family series and so on from there. I must have been somewhere around ten or so when I first read the Time series and by the time I got through all the others and worked my way around to her standalones I was a bit older. Although one of my very favorite things about her body of young adult work is that there are so many connections between them. And while AND BOTH WERE YOUNG is probably one of the most standalone of them all, for the discerning reader there is a very lovely, very oblique reference to its main character in L'Engle's much later novel A Severed Wasp. Interestingly, I don't think I ever realized just how old this book is. Originally published in 1949, it was actually her first young adult novel. Incidentally, my copy features the old 1983 cover. But a lovely new hardback edition was just released on Tuesday and, as it is one of my very favorite of L'Engle's books, I wanted to highlight it while I convince my local bookshop to order a copy into the store.

Phillipa Hunter, better known as Flip (oh, how much I love this), never wanted to leave her father and her Connecticut home to come to a Swiss boarding school. That was her father's new "friend" Eunice's bright idea. Since her mother passed away, Flip has grown even closer to her artist father and the idea of leaving him and attending a foreign school among a host of strange other girls terrifies her. But her father is bound for China to draw and Eunice is traveling with him instead of Flip. And so Flip tries to hide her trembling and put on a brave face for her father's sake. But boarding school is just as alien and difficult as she feared. Though the girls hail from all over the globe, Flip finds it hard to fit in. Long-limbed and lacking in coordination, she watches her fellow students from the sidelines and prays for the year to be up soon. The one bright spot in the gloom is her art teacher Percy--a young woman who seems to understand Flip's solitude and need to filter her kaleidoscopic emotions through some sort of creative act. Then one day out exploring further than she ought to be above the school grounds, Flip runs into a young man named Paul. Paul lives with his father in a small cottage not far from the school. These two dispossessed young teenagers form a friendship and, in the process, find the kind of acceptance and understanding in each other that they've been searching for.

Flip is the kind of foot-in-her-mouth, arms-and-legs-everywhere protagonist that I connected with instantly as a teen reader. I loved her for her haplessness and the way that she just kept on stumbling through her outer coating of awkward to a place where she could voice her thoughts and experiences so that someone else could see them and appreciate her for who she was. In my eyes, that made her admirable--that drive to keep going despite the many misconceptions and deliberate slights of those around her. That was what was so hard for me at that age, and I like to think I drew a little strength from watching her try and fail and try again and succeed. It helped that her interactions with Percy were so poignant, particularly in the wake of having lost her mother and being without her father. The other girls at the school were especially well done as well. At first you think they will be mere stereotypical characterizations, the way Flip almost expects them to be, but they each emerge from their initial roles to play an important part in Flip's development. And then there's Paul. Lovely Paul. He has long reminded me of Jeff Greene from A Solitary Blue and a kinder, less destructive Zachary Grey. Yes. You will fall in love with Paul just as much as Flip does. And the even more gratifying thing is that the story is not just about Flip's journey to self-discovery, but Paul's as well. It's not all the way he fills her needs, but how she fills his as he has an unusually dark past that he is rather successfully steadfastly refusing to deal with until Flip comes along. This is an eternally sweet and moving book. Like so many of L'Engle's books, I turn to this one when I want to be reminded that the world and the people in it can be beautiful despite the darkness.

A well-written teenage romance in a historical context
This sweet and simple story - at least it's simple compared to some of L'Engle's other works featuring twisted plots, international intrigue, and fantasy elements - focuses on a young teenage girl's friendships and first love, against the backdrop of a boarding school in post-WWII Switzerland.After her mother's death, Phillipa, nicknamed "Flip", is miserable at being separated from her beloved artist father, who is jaunting off around the world with his new girlfriend.Shy, sad Flip has a hard time fitting in with her new schoolmates.A knee injury and her own lack of confidence keep her from excelling at sports, particularly skiing, which is a major part of school life.Flip escapes into her art, hoping to one day become an artist like her father.

Only one teacher, Madame Perceval, seems to have any sympathy for Flip. Then one day, while out walking alone, she meets Paul, a handsome and mysterious boy her own age.He has a troubled past that he can't remember, and he also turns out to be Madame Perceval's nephew.It's eventually revealed that Paul, like several of the boarding school girls and teachers, has been through traumatic experiences in the recently ended war.Under the watchful eye of Madame Perceval, who sees that Paul and Flip might be good for each other despite the boarding school's "no dating" policy, the young couple develop a secret romantic friendship.With Flip's help, Paul is able to face his past, and with Paul's support, Flip is able to build her confidence and make friends at school.Paul and Madame Perceval even secretly teach her to ski, so she can surprise her classmates with her skills.

I enjoyed this book somewhat as a teenager but I found it a little bit slow-moving. Also, there isn't a lot of background given on WWII, probably because the book was first published when the war was still fresh in recent memory, so if you don't know the basic facts about things like the Blitz, the Resistance, and concentration camps, you might not quite understand the book.Flip's boarding school experiences are also a little obscure.For example, Flip's classmates nickname her "Pill" out of frustration with her aloofness, but I didn't understand when I first read this book that "pill" was a 40's-era slang insult for someone with an aloof, un-fun personality, so I didn't understand why the nickname made Flip sad. Flip's fellow students also perform a hazing ritual on her in which Flip is spanked by the whole class and left alone in the woods, tied up to a tree.This behavior seems weird and awful by today's standards but is passed off in the book as sort of youthful hijinks.Finally, if you're not into skiing, you might not enjoy this book so much since a large part of it focuses on Flip learning to ski and eventually participating in the school's annual skiing tournament.

I gave the book four stars because I enjoyed it as an adult, but when I first read it as a teenager I gave it more like three, because it just seemed so weird.I particularly couldn't understand why no one at the school except Madame Perceval seemed to understand Flip's very justified (in my opinion) sadness, but as an adult I see that it was not only a different era, when kids were packed off to boarding schools by wealthy parents on a regular basis, but also many of the boarding school students and teachers had seen so much in wartime that Flip's sadness may have appeared very self-indulgent, since Flip was from the US and thus away from the hardships.

Don't tell me - is this book out of print?!
I am a fan of L'Engle and her many complex books, but this one remains my favorite (ok, well, this and 'A Wrinkle in Time') and is perhaps one of my favorite works of all. All contemporary teen romances are, in my opinion, pale mimes of this beautifully executed work which hits all the right moments in all the right ways. From the snobbish girls in the aloof, exquisitely remote boarding school to the interesting adult relationships to Flip's beautifully hushed romance with Paul, it all falls together in a lovely rhythm that either a young person or a crusty jaded curmudgeon (like me!) could respond to.

Wonderful
This was my favorite book growing up. I have read and reread it many times and still as an adult will pick it up now andthen. I passed my copy on to my daughter who also loved it and gave it to her niece. I loved the fact that Philippa overcame so many obstacles such as being what she thought was clumsy, homely which she wasn't and losing her mother at a young age, shyness etc. Her description of her boarding school was excellent and interesting considering the timeframe was post WW11. I highly recommend it for a young teen. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Madeline L'engle
i have read every one of her "A Wrinkle in Time" trilogy books (several times each). i have to say that they are some of the best books i have ever read. they are exciting, captivating and altogether perfectlywritten. ... Read more

Product Description
Madeleine L'Engle's friends and writing studentsremember the beloved author in nearly three dozenessays and poems, illustrated with photographs.Second edition has a black and white interior. ... Read more

Product Description
Winner of the Newberry Medal for A Wrinkle In Time, Madeleine L'Engle presents a short, but effective morality play elaborating on the Biblical story of Jonah and the Great Fish. The Cleveland Press calls it,"...Delightful to read, simple to produce and full of ideas for discussion." "A littlejewel of a play."--The National Catholic Register. Illustrated in black-and-white. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Journey with Jonah

This is a play that children would enjoy putting on and would be learning about the Biblical Jonah at the same time (probably without realizing that that's part of the point of the play.) It is also extremely readable for adults. ... Read more

Product Description
John Austin calls a meeting of the Anti-Muffin club after little Maggy distinguishes herself in a spectacular Sunday School brawl. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Here's a rare book - but there's another way to read it!
The Anti-Muffins was originally written as a chapter of Madeleine L'Engle's 1960 novel Meet the Austins. At the time, however, the themes of diversity and tolerance were considered controversial, and the publisher made her leave this chapter out of the published book.Many years later the missing chapter was published separately as The Anti-Muffins.This little book is long out of print, and sometimes sells for about $60 used.

The good news is that the 1999 hardcover edition of Meet the Austins includes this chapter in the novel for the first time. Unless you're a serious L'Engle collector, you can skip this rare book and buy the Meet the Austins hardcover instead. It's one of her best books, and well worth getting in hardcover.

GO AGAINST THE GRAIN!
At first, I thought this book was strange like many of Madeline's books.It was not until I learned a few things about Madeline, that I begin to understand some of the characters from the book and what the anti-muffinsreally means. Using this book to teach others to stand up for what is rightwould be ideal.I think all young and old adolescents should go out andread this book. It's great!

A Heartwarming Read-Aloud
A wonderful picture book introduction to Madeleine L'Engle's Austin family.The story of staying true to yourself and supporting family and friends is simply told through the eyes of young Vicky.This beautifulstory makes you want to form your own "Anti-Muffins" club. ... Read more

Product Description
Noted writer Madeleine L'Engle and her photographer daughter, Maria Rooney, team up to provide a tender verbal and graphic portrait of the bond between mothers and daughters from all walks of life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

This book is incredible!
I couldn't get through more than 2 pages of this book at a time, because my eyes kept swelling with tears. I purchased this book as a gift for my adult daughter, and hope that she passes it on to hers someday.

FROM A MOTHER'S HEART TO HER DAUGHTER'S SOUL
A POSITIVE WAY TO SHARE A FEW CHARISHED LOVING MOMENTS WITH YOUR MOM/DAUGHTER IN OUR BUSY WORLD.THE PHOTOGRAPHS WILL TOUCH ALL MOTHERS HEART'S AND THE TEXT WILL EXPLAIN TO A DAUGHER'S HEART THE FEELING WORDSCAN NOT DO JUSTICE FOR.IT SHOWS AND TELLS THE DEPTH OF LOVE THAT PARENTSFEEL FOR THEIR DAUGHTERS, BUT FOCUSES ON THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MOTHHERSAND DAUTHERS.THIS ALSO MAKES A BEAUTIFUL GIFT OF THE HEART TO PASS ON TOTHE NEXT GENERATION. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (24)

decent
In this book we first meet Zachary who we persist in messing with various heroines for book upon book.In general this book is very straightforward except for the rather bizarre ending.Overall a good read.

A good book for an introspective teenager
This book is the sequel to "Meet the Austins", but you can easily read this book even if you haven't read the preceding one.Here, the Austins are on an extended family vacation, driving across the USA, seeing natural wonders, and camping out for a whole summer.Vicky, now 14, is having the usual angst that comes with being 14, feeling like she doesn't quite fit in anywhere, not sure if she believes in God (this is a bit of a problem given that her family is quietly but definitely Christian), and worried about the future of the planet.Regarding the latter, this book appears to be set in the Cold War atom bomb era of the early 1960s, around the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis but before Viet Nam became the most pressing youth concern.

Much of the book deals with Vicky's thoughts about these matters, whether interior to herself or expressed and discussed with family members and friends. A major device of the plot involves two boys who are interested in Vicky.One is Zach, a rich boy with a potentially fatal health problem and a jaundiced view of the world that may be partially caused by his own fear of death.Zach constantly gets into arguments with Vicky about the world and philosophy, and she professes to find him annoying, but on another level seems to enjoy the intellectual sparring.The other boy is Andy, a much more down-to-earth and positive guy, whose company Vicky is able to simply enjoy without all the sturm und drang she gets from Zach.Zach, who has decided he needs Vicky in his life, gets jealous and creates all sorts of havoc and hassle for Vicky in trying to get her away from Andy.At times Zach is so annoying that you really wish Vicky would give him the boot for good, but he makes a good foil for Vicky to express all the feelings about life, death, the future of the planet and so forth that are rattling around in her head.

Interspersed with Vicky figuring out the world and her place in it are various adventures the family has on the road, including budding doctor Suzy saving a kid from bleeding to death, and another little girl coming perilously close to a bear.Once again the author skillfully crafts chapters to hold the reader's attention, often giving them a cliffhanger ending.

This is a good book for teens and pre-teens knowledgeable enough to understand the historical context of Vicky's worries.It's likely that young people of today have some of the same fears and concerns, except theirs is tied to the post-9/11 era rather than the long-gone Cold War, so much of what Vicky worries about is still relevant today.I'll confess to skipping through a lot of the overly "thoughtful" parts of this book as a young reader, being in a hurry to get to the exciting parts about rockslides and bears in the park, but once I got old enough to have patience with Vicky's musings, I enjoyed those as well.

Great Book
I own about half of the books that L'engle has written, and I love each and everyone one of them. This may not have been my favorite, but it was very good and an essential read for anyone who loves her work. It's following Vicky Austin and introduces Zach, who is in at least 2 other of her books, which makes this even more important to understanding his character, and Vicky's, more fully.

The Moon by Night
Vicky and her brothers and sisters and cousins were at their grandpas, them her uncle,aunt and her cousins left to go to their house. then Vicky and her family went to visit them and Vicky's uncle got her mom a set of pots and pans so when they went camping they used them. they camp for about a week then they came home and went to the beach and Vicky went and sat on her rock that she hadnt got to sit on in forever.

I think this book was ok but it wasnt the best book i have ever read before but it was pretty good.

Well written but frustrating
This book was pretty well written, but it was a bit frustrating to read. In the story, Vicky went on a road/camping trip with her family. She meets a mysterious boy named Zachary. Zachary is... well, a bit of a hoodlum who doesn't like the world, ect. He is interested in Vicky, and she returns his affections. However, her family isn't so sure they are the perfect match... This was a bit of a frustrating book to read because Vicky is so naive, but I enjoyed it all the same. ... Read more

Product Description
For half a century, Madeleine L'Engle has spun magic with words, touching millions of lives and earning a devoted readership with her award-winning fiction, candid reflections on her personal and family life and graceful meditations on faith.Now, Glimpses of Grace captures the essence of L'Engle's literary gift in one unprecedented volume.

Ranging freely throughout L'Engle's remarkable lifework of more than 40 volumes of fiction and nonfiction, adventure stories, family dramas, autobiography and religious commentary, editor Carole P. Chase has collected evocative passages and arranged them as daily readings that offer illuminating bits of wisdom, provocative insight, and, above all, engaging and intelligent daily inspiration.With enduring power and resonance, each of these 366 rich selections speaks to the simple joys and sorrows of daily life and the deepest questions of the human heart and spirit, while reflecting the exhilarating artistry of one of the most spiritually alive and articulate storytellers of this century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

How we can struggle with our doubts in a life-giving way
Like C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L'Engle is one of those authors that an amazing number of adults encountered once as children but never read again.She is best known perhaps for her A WRINKLE IN TIME (1962).As this daily reading of her fiction, letters, and essays makes clear, she is just as interesting for adults to read as children.In her work, L'Engle struggles with issues of faith, doubt, evil, science, and justice, and in the process helps us all come to some helpful conclusions.For Christians who are interested in seeing a talented author frankly and creatively wrestle with a range of important issues like these, GLIMPSES OF GRACE is worth reading.In her treatment of quantam physics, for example, she was ahead of her time in understanding how scientific advances were reshaping the Christian faith.Ministers, worship leaders, and Sunday school teachers will find her treatment of faith refreshing, affirming, and compelling.

Glimpses of Grace: Daily Thoughts and Reflections is recommended for devotional reading as well as an overview of this important author's work.

Daily Reflections
I've been using this book as part of my daily prayer/meditation.I enjoy L'Engle's approach to Christianity and spirituality.

Glimpses of Grace: Daily Thoughts and Reflections
Madeleine L'Engle is a fantastic author and her books are great for all ages.My husband has read many of her books and has enjoyed all of them.
He highly recommends this book!

The Mystery of the Word Made Flesh -- a fitting title
Since Christmas of 1995 my wife and I have used these fabulously interesting readings from GLIMPSES Of GRACE to buffet us from the storms of everyday life! As one quite perceptive reviewer speaks of her as a Mystic and Yes, she asks good questions. Her readings relate to the living of all life in the face of Belief and Doubt.

One reading from May 20th she is doing an afterschool seminar for high school students and is asked by a brilliant young lady from Harlem, earlier from Panama: "Mrs Franklin, do you really truly believe in God with no doubts at all?"

"Oh, Una, I really and truly believe in God with all kinds of doubts... But I base my life on this belief." Another topic that often arises in her readings is that of Death and Eternity. After one student is saying that it seems lately "there's death everywhere..." Another answers, "Is the price too high? Are you afraid?" These lead to the titles of "We Die Many Deaths and A Metaphor for the Afterlife." Her simple yet clear approach seems to come down from the power found in Creation... that Life is a Gift and where there's Life there's Hope!

This is truly one lovely, consistently inspiring devotional book by an awesome fearless lady! Sincerely retired Chaplain Fred W Hood

Best Selections from Madeleine's Works
Madeleine L'Engle has written many wonderful books for both adults and children.Her work is very provocative and most thoughtful.You glean something more every time they are read...GLIMPSES OF GRACE takes the best passages from her books and reveals more contemplative insights.This Daily Thoughts and Reflections is cross-referenced by topic and title.GLIMPSES OF GRACE can be appreciated by Madeleine's fans as well as someone who is not familiar with her work.I keep an extra copy on hand as I have often given this book as a gift.Highly recommended! ... Read more