Product Description

Customer Reviews (29)

GREAT!
From a child I've always loved this book,and now I own ALMOST the entire set of Madelenine L'Engle's books that takes me back to fond memories. The shipment arrived but not knowing when (since I'm always away to recieve my packages)I would recieve it. There isn't a way to track this shipment,so don't try. Also,if you're a fan of the writer,I highly recommend looking for the sub novels that's attached to this series. They're hard to find so get ready to search. It would be nice if you carried the other books that goes along with them.
Ex:
The Arm Of The Starfish
Dragons In The Waters
A House Like a Lotus
An Acceptable Time
Meet the Austins
The Moon by Night
The Twenty-four Days before Christmas
Young Unicorns
Ring of Endless Light and Troubling a Star

Excellent Service
This was a great deal! I ordered this set and was extremely happy with it. The set was wrapped as new, was in excellent condition and arrived very promptly.

Wrinkle In Time
My son read "A Wrinkle in Time" at school. He liked it so much that he was very excited to find it was part of a series. If it can get a 11 year old boy to read and want more, you know it must be good!

Waves of Nostalgia
Wow!I first read this series in the 5th grade, more than 12 years ago and I couldn't believe all the memories that came rushing back with this story.It's the first fantasy series I ever read and the vivid picture that L'Engle paints with stay with me for every.I highly recommend this set to kids from 10 to 100!Absolutely wonderful

A Wrinkle in time Quartet Boxed Set
L'Engle has a very vivid imagination based on known technology at the time of her writing. Was really impressed and enjoyed the fantasies along with the scientific facts. Excellently written. ... Read more

Product Description
In Walking On Water, Madeleine L'Engle addresses the questions, What makes art Christian? What does it mean to be a Christian artist? What is the relationship between faith and art? Through L'Engle's beautiful and insightful essay, readers will find themselves called to what the author views as the prime tasks of an artist: to listen, to remain aware, and to respond to creation through one's own art.
Amazon.com Review
For years, beloved author Madeline L'Engle has commingled her writing with her faith in such titles as A Wrinkle in Time and A Swiftly Tilting Planet. In Walking on Water, L'Engle takes a fresh look at what it means to be a Christian artist and what separates Christian art from that which is supposedly secular. This first-person account draws the reader into L'Engle's mind frame and sphere of reference--uncloaking her frustrations with bad art (from poetry to painting) that claims to be religious--and explains how the true artist can only serve the world by imitating the ultimate Creator, the Lord Himself. When asked to describe where faith stops and art begins, L'Engle explains that there is no separating the two--"it means attempting to share the meaning of my life, what gives it, for me, its tragedy and its glory." Words of wisdom seep from these pages in a practical, faith-filled manner by encouraging the reader to slow down amidst the business of life, to listen to the spirit, and to be more fully devoted to God by seeking to be more truthfully artistic. "Unless we are creators, we are not fully alive," L'Engle writes, hoping readers are inspired to turn the "chaos of life" into the "cosmos of art." --Jill Heatherly ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

My first read of L'Engle's nonfiction
I really enjoyed this book. For me, it is not something that ought to be read in large chunks at a time, but rather I read each section at a time, and often reflected on it afterwards. While it is geared toward artists, writers, etc., I think it can also be good for anyone who wants to expand the way they perceive faith and art in general. I didn't agree with quite everything that the author said, but then again, it is nice to see other's views. I'll be keeping this on my shelf to re-read.

Good thoughts
This is a good read for artists.I don't know if I agree whole-heartedly with everything she says, but caused some good conversations, and encouraged me to think outside of my box.

Hodge-Podge of False Doctrine
I picked up her book Walking on Water, which discusses Christianity and the arts, hoping to gain some insight on the sometimes confusing topic of the christian artist.

Its an interesting book, though not very well written in itself, being somewhat of a quilt or hodge-podge of thoughts on christianity and writing. Red flags went up for me in the second chapter, pages 44 - 45, where L'Engle writes:

If we fall into Satan's trap of assuming that other people are not Christians because they do not belong to our own particular brand of Christianity, no wonder we become incapable of understanding the works of art produced by so-called nonchristians, whether they be atheists, Jews, Buddhists, or anything else outside a frame of reference we have made into a closed rather than an open door....We also approach God in rather different ways, but it is the same God we are seeking...

This universalism, believing that every religion is just a different way to get to the same place, is clearly against the bible, which teaches that salvation through Jesus Christ is the only way. After reading this book, I did further research on L'Engle, finding an interview where she states in response to a question about being a Christian Author, "No. I am a writer. That's it. No adjectives. The first thing is writing. Christianity is secondary."

If writing is more important to you than your faith, then what are you worshipping truly? What saddens me is that she can say these things so openly, and yet still sell thousands of books Specifically to a Christian market, through stores like Lifeway.

I'm not saying Don't read these types of books, the important thing is to recognize when the author is writing false doctrine. Many young believers or nonbelievers could be misled by such books, its important for Christians to know their theology, and to know what books to endorse and what books to warn about.

Please remember to read everything with a discerning eye. Every book besides the Bible is a fallible work created by a fallible author.

An Inspiration to the Artist Within
Walking on Water puts into beautiful language the ebb and flow of the artist within all of us, the tension between our deepest beliefs and the way that we express them.Madeline L'Engle has a perspective on faith and art that brings out the best in both, that the Christian artist must first be a true artist and that their faith should only serve to enhance the beauty and truth of their creation. She destoys the boundaries we put between the two, and completely rethinks the way that we come to define God and our faith. Those who do not share her faith will still be able to appreciate and grow from the truths she expresses about the human spirit and experience in creating. This book is a definite re-read as there are so many thoughts and reflections to take in, especially for a person who is just beginning to revisit their own artist within.We are challenged to remember our childlike faith and wonder, to see the world anew, to open our souls and once again communicate and ponder both the simple and the surreal experiences of life.

A Must Read and Re-Read
Madeleine L'Engle's Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art is truly a thought provoking and inspiring work, which will stand the test of time.This is a must read and re-read for artists in the fine and performing arts as well as for enthusiasts of the arts.I found and continue to find new insights into creative freedom and spirituality each time I pick up this book.

Douglas Mann
The Art of Helping Others
[...]
Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art (Wheaton Literary Series) ... Read more

Product Description

The other books of the Time quartet, continuing the adventures of the Murryfamily, are A Wrinkle inTime; A SwiftlyTilting Planet, which won the American Book Award; and Many Waters. (Ages 9 andolder) --KarinSnelson ... Read more

Customer Reviews (125)

A second spiritual allegory
The second in l'Engle's series of spiritual allegories, in which Meg strengthens her spiritual practice of love in her struggle to master her own petulant character - and to save her younger brother from mitochondrial disease (which strangely enough hadn't been discovered at the time l'Engle wrote this book). In this second book she learns that we are called on to love all humankind, even people we dislike or find annoying.

In A Wind in the Door, Meg must again confront evil forces in the universe. Here they are fallen angels called "Echthroi," who are destroying large chunks of Creation and who have the ability to masquerade as people from our daily life.

The most moving part of the book occurs when two of the Echthroi masquerade as Mr Jenkins, the high school principal Meg absolutely despises. As the book approaches its climax, Meg is confronted with three Mr Jenkins - the real one and the two Echthroi pretending to be her high school principal. And the only way she can save her brother is to identify the real Mr Jenkins.

The way she ultimately does so is to recognize within herself the "love" she feels for Mr Jenkins, with his dandruff, old hair cream smell and other annoying flaws - while feeling none of this for the fake Mr Jenkins.

In her quest to restore her little brother to health, she also magically (with helpful spiritual allies) makes herself small enough to fit inside his mitochondria to heal them with her mental powers.

Good book for readers age 10 to 100. Children six and up will enjoy having it read to them.

By Dr Stuart Jeanne Bramhall, author of THE MOST REVOLUTIONARY ACT: MEMOIR OF AN AMERICAN REFUGEE

For young adults and the young at heart
"A Wind in the Door" marks my third book out of the five in the Time Quintet. I read "A Wrinkle in Time" in middle school and positively adored it, and read "A Swiftly Tilting Planet" last summer and enjoyed that too (despite my 24 years). I picked this book up eagerly, and for the most part, really enjoyed it. The author is very creative and inventive when it comes to the people and places she creates for her stories. She describes each place beautifully, and the reader can clearly get a picture of what the characters are looking at and exploring. She also develops the characters quite well, and as the reader I found myself really sympathizing with them for their struggles throughout the story. The emotions of each character come through loud and clear, and are very believable as human beings (or giants or cherubim or whatever they happen to be). However, there were a few places where this book was lacking. For one, Meg is the primary female character, and is portrayed as the least intelligent of all the characters. I am not a hardcore feminazi, but I found it a bit degrading that throughout the entire book she was so dense and slow to learn. Secondly, important questions remained unanswered. For example, WHY was it so important that Mr. Jenkins join them? What exactly did he have to contribute? Why did the Echtroi try to kill Charles Wallace through him? And finally, the ending was a bit abrupt. I got to the last page and thought to myself, "That's it?" However, be that as it may, what it had to offer well outweighed what it lacked, and is still a wonderful book for young adults and the young at heart.

I can't download this book onto my Kindle even though I can download the other 3 in the series??!?
I think this is an excellent book, as well as the series being great; however, after purchasing my new AmazonKindle, I discovered that I could download the "A Wrinkle in Time" series Volumes I, III and IV, but not Volume II - "A Wind in the Door".How does that make any sense at all?I am extremely frustrated about this.

Great book!
The first Madeleine L'Engle book I ever read and the one of hers that I've read the most. I like the characters. In all of her books, she brings up science and religion and how they intersect. Her books always make me think.

love it
Meg Murray back once again draws us into her wonderful trilogy.Fascinating sci-fi concepts with great characters to carry on the great story line. ... Read more

Product Description

The Murry family, also appearing in A Wind in the Doorand ManyWaters, acts as a carrier of Madeleine L'Engle's uniquemessage about human responsibility for the world. Themes of goodversus evil, time and space travel, and the invincibility of the humanspirit predominate. Even while she entertains, L'Engle kindles theintellect, inspiring young people to ask questions of the world, andlearn by challenging. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Customer Reviews (138)

Very enjoyable reading
This is a fascinating science-fiction story that in many aspects brought back to my mind the idea of a scientist name Edward Lorenz, who in 1963 exposed his theory that "a butterfly could flap its wings and set molecules of air in motion, which would move other molecules of air, in turn moving more molecules of air - eventually capable of starting a hurricane on the other side of the planet". More than thirty years later this theory was accepted with the status of a "law" known as The Law of Sensitive Dependence Upon Initial Conditions.
In this book, our hero Charles Wallace travels in time with the help of an unicorn (Gaudior) in order to try to avoid a major disaster on earth. Going within four other people in different times he is able to change a "Might-Have-Been" situation with the help of his sister Meg and an old Irish rune. This is a fast reading book and a page turner that took me around nine hours to finish. Very enjoyable!

Childhood favorite
Another L'Engle book I liked a lot as a child. A sequel to A Wind in the Door.

Enjoyable :)
I hadn't read A Wrinkle in Time since middle school, and I didn't read the second book in the time quintet... but I saw this for $2 and bought it and read it. Anyway, even without the strong background, the book was very enjoyable. I loved the story for what it was, but I also loved the underlying theological implications. It's a lovely little story about faith, trust, and using your brain. :)

great read
Meg Murray back once again draws us into her wonderful trilogy.Fascinating sci-fi concepts with great characters to carry on the great story line.

Not the best, but ok
After reading "A Wrinkle in Time" and "A Wind in the Door", I was hyped about reading the next book,"A Swiftly Tilting Planet". But the hype was drained out of me as i read it. It wasn't the gripping book i thought it would be. I expected it to be like the first two books, exciting, suspenseful. But it was very cliche. I didn't like that Charles Wallace continually went into different peoples bodies and live in different times. It was very redundant. Though the point of it all was captivating, i still thought it was very dreary and repetitious. This book is the least recommeded. But this is my opinion-- you go out and read it. ... Read more

Product Description
This journal shares fruitful reflections on life and career prompted by the author's visit to her personal place of retreat near her country home. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Still a delight!
I purchased this for my daughter because I have always loved it.She does as well. Madeleine L'engle never disappoints.

Why didn't I read this book sooner?
Madeleine L'Engle has delighted me with her writing ever since I was a little girl whose librarian introduced her to A Wrinkle in Time. What a joy to read the author's account of how that classic came to be written, and her trials in getting it published! Woven in with L'Engle's stories of life at her beloved country home, the reader finds in this book two closely related themes: the author's personal philosophy, and what it means to write.

So now I can add to Stephen King's wonderful On Writing another volume to recommend whenever a would-be author asks for useful advice on the craft. Why did it take me so long to catch up with this marvelous read?

A Lovely Memoir
The first in a series of books written at Madeleine's summer home at Crosswicks, this is a gentle tale---a sweet but gutsy recollection written in Madeleine's own inimical style.

Highly recommended reading
This book was outstanding. It is by no means a theology book, but it contains a lot of informal theology. It is basically the author's story of how one tackles the task of creative writing. Actually, it comes not so much from techniques learned, but from learning how to be in touch with who one is.

Cherished Conversations
A long time fan of Madeleine L'Engle, I have only recently taken to reading her autobiographical works."A Circle of Quiet" may have been written in the 1970s, but it is every bit as relevant today as it was when L'Engle first recorded her thoughts and questions.Reading her reminiscenses and insights is almost just as good as having a one-on-one conversation with the author.

In "A Circle of Quiet", L'Engle traverses vast territory including the inspiration and necessity of writing, to questions that have plagued her about faith and God.She is intelligent in her answers and able to recognize her own failings.For such a talented writer, it is amazing that L'Engle endured years of rejection.No one wanted to take a chance on stories that couldn't be categorized.While some may see L'Engle as only a children's author, she is dead-on in her insistence that there is no separation between what makes a book a good children's or adult's book.The fictional stories of imagination should appeal to all ages if they are open to discover the truths that they seek.

L'Engle smartly covers so-called taboo issues and the effect that the changing nature of education and language has played on America's youth."A Circle of Quiet" is truly a wonderful conversation with a cherished friend.Peppered with analogies of her own life and those of her friends and community, she tries to find a light in the darkness that surrounds all of us.In the end, she succeeds.
... Read more

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Customer Reviews (135)

A WRINKLE IN TIME, One of My Oldest and Dearest Friends
I read A WRINKLE IN TIME over a weekend in 1962, the year it was published.I was 12 years old.I didn't know before then that a book could be read in, essentially, one sitting.This book grabbed me up and gave me my first glimpse into a lifetime's education in literature, imagery, music, spirituality, philosophy, biochemistry, and physics.It transported me on unicorn's wings to a world where I was flat as a pancake, a world where I could only breathe or move to one single, unified rhythm, and a world in which my eyes were worthless but I could sense somehow a more soothing sensation than I had ever known.Ms. L'Engle invited me to tesser with Meg and Charles Wallace, and I clung to the pages for the entire ride.Years later I would realize, among so many other things, that no one had to explain the existential experience to me.In the most intimate and private way, it opened my imagination up to every possibility.Even now, when I am experiencing severe pain (migraine headache) I tesser away to go find Aunt Beast.

Once a year, when the frost is on the star-gazing rock, I pull out my copy, cozy myself up with hot chocolate, and wait for Mrs. Who.My wish is that every 12 year old child on the planet could feel the anticipatory excitement that comes from knowing they will soon experience these same adventures and, by doing so, become very clear about why doing the right thing is the right thing to do.

I had the opportunity to meet Ms. L'Engle and thank her personally for the auspicious start in life she gave to me and to so many other children.It was almost as special to me as that first read.

An excellent introduction to spirituality
This wasn't just science fiction for me, as the plot, like Pilgrim's Progress or stories about the Crusades, revolves around a spiritual quest undertaken by a teenage girl. I happen to know something of l'Engle's life - that she was a devout Catholic who studied and wrote on important theological questions.

Although A Wrinkle in Time doesn't concern any specific religious doctrine, it does introduce children to the notion of spiritual practice (the idea that our spiritual beliefs affect the way we act towards one another in our everyday life) It does so mainly via the spiritual development over the course of the book of the main character.Meg is brilliantly described as a very temperamental teenager, who desperately wishes she weren't so argumentative or so prone to losing her temper. As the plot develops, both Meg and the reader gain understanding that a deeper spiritual practice is the key to dealing with negative emotions (such as fear, anger, jealousy, greed) that threaten to overwhelm us.

The specific spiritual message in this book is quite simple, to be more easily understood by children and teenagers. What Meg realizes, as her adventure unfolds, is that the principle of loving one another doesn't just apply to people we like - we are also called on to love people who are negative and disagreeable.

In A Wrinkle in Time, the quest Meg and her younger brothers undertake is to find their physicist father, who has somehow got lost in space in time. To do so, they must confront an evil Black Thing that is threatening to take over the whole universe.

Meg ultimately saves her father and restores him to himself by tempering her own petulance via the power of her love for him.

This is an excellent read for age 10 to 100. Children age 6 and up will enjoy having it read to them.

By Dr Stuart Jeanne Bramhall, author of THE MOST REVOLUTIONARY ACT: MEMOIR OF AN AMERICAN REFUGEE

A Wrinkle in Time
I was completely surprised by the amount of reviews this book received.I think this book is as good as The Harry Potter Series if not better.The book is somewhat confusing, but in the way that keeps you reading.The characters were easy to love.
te book had an incredible plot!I highly recommend this book to all.

Timeless Wonder...
Madeleine L'Engle's 1962 "A Wrinkle in Time" is an astonishingly good children's science fiction story, still very much in print.It features three misfit children, three very unusual old ladies, time travel, and a desparate mission to rescue a missing father.

"It was a dark and stormy night" begins the story, which quickly introduces Meg Murry, an awkward thirteen-year old with braces, glasses, and a scientist father who disappeared under mysterious circumstances.Her five-year old brother Charles Wallace is a child prodigy who can read minds, but not yet books.Together with Meg's schoolmate Calvin O'Keefe, himself a misfit, the three children will be launched on a rescue mission for the missing father by the three mysterious old ladies Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which.Their mode of travel will be a phenomenon called a tesseract, literally a wrinkle in time and space.

The three children will cross several strange worlds in search of the missing Dr. Murry.What they will find is IT, an ancient evil that captures Charles Wallace.In the end, Meg must find a way to face IT if anyone is to have a chance to return home.

"A Wrinkle in Time" is a timeless wonder, whose story and message still resonates. It is very highly recommended to children of all ages who still are fascinated by "once upon a time."

groundbreaking classic
Groundbreaking YA science fiction / fantasy story about a socially inept but bright girl who learns about courage and the value of love in the fight against evil. Many sci fi novels today feature female protagonists, but this was one of the first.

Meg Murry's father has disappeared; no one has heard from him in over a year. Her teachers, thinking that Mr. Murry has abandoned his family, counsel acceptance, but Meg and her siblings know better. One night, a mysterious creature appears during a thunderstorm, and from then on, Meg's life gets crazy. She is taken on a planet-hopping trip that ends on Camazotz, a planet entirely controlled by a gigantic brain called "It" (Stephen King later borrowed this idea and name, only his "brain" was a huge spider). Meg's father is imprisoned on Camezotz, and her space-traveling friends help her rescue him. Along for the ride are Charles Wallace, Meg's genius younger brother, and Calvin O'Keefe, a sympathetic neighbor. They are assisted by three female entities whose powers, while vast, are limited. They and other space beings have been fighting "It" for eons; Meg's father has merely been caught up in this eternal struggle.

Meg, Calvin, and Charles Wallace naturally want to know how they have traveled across space, and the three weird sisters (Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which) explain the concept of tesseract, which they explain as "folding the fabric of space and time." Mr. Murry had been involved in secret government experiments with tesseract and ended up on Camezotz by accident. All ends happily, with Mr. Murry home and everyone safe.

Despite its inventiveness and richness of plot, the story is at bottom a fairly traditional one. Great evil does exist, but it can be overcome by goodness and innocence. Evil manifests itself as total and rigid conformity; it is confounded by independent will and love-driven actions. Towards the end, the Christian overtones become stronger, with Meg realizing that the beings who heal her after her first encounter with "It" are angels of a sort. I see a strong influence from C.S. Lewis's trilogy about space travel, which began with Out of the Silent Planet (1938).

The book has a mixed bag of effects. Erudite references to Shakespeare and Goethe give way to a groan-worthy pun involving a clairvoyant creature called "the Happy Medium." Overall, the message for teens is positive: brains are good, courage is good, family is good. Unlike other, more simplistic, science fiction, this one does not expel or vanquish the evil by the end of the book. "It" is still up there on Camezotz, and the battle goes on.

As with many children's and young adult stories, the protagonist here is missing a parent (for much of the story anyway). In fact, few award-winning novels feature children with two parents. If they exist, they are not present in the child's life at the time of the story (Holes, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Everything on a Waffle). This absence forces the young people to think more creatively and to grow up faster. I have only recently become aware of this phenomenon, and am still unsure what to make of it. Perhaps in a subtle way, this plot device addresses a child's worst fear (loss of parents) while simultaneously offering hope that such a tragedy could be dealt with and lived through.
... Read more

Product Description

In Many Waters, Madeleine L'Engle continues the Murry familysaga, which includes AWrinkle in Time; A Wind in the Door;and A Swiftly TiltingPlanet, which won the American Book Award. L'Engle's mysticalmix of science fiction and fantasy, time and space travel, history,morals, religion, and culture once again urges her many adoringreaders to stretch their minds and hearts to understand why the worldis the way it is. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Customer Reviews (109)

one of my favorites
In the books that focused on Meg I never really like the twins but I loved them in this series.Also, as a atheist you would think I would not enjoy a book so religiously based but I always found this book to be intriguing and the characters very endearing.

Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle
Great book. Very good service from the vender.This is part of the "Wrinkle in Time" group of books.The book centres around the twins as they meet Noah and his family as he learns that he is to build an ark.

an incredible story delving into our history as human beings
I simply loved the story. It is a basic mixture of history, science fiction and fantasy. It also points to a spiritual side of humanity which far too many people have forgotten or which, in a light way, allow us to see a somewhat different perspective on history and life. Are we all just pieces of meat or could spiritual beings exist? If we are spirit, then the likelihood of this story being real is more that what its naysayers might propose. 5 stars for sure.

Disappointing
I adored the Wrinkle in Time series, but I wasn't even aware of this one until recently so when I learned of its existence I was very excited to read it. Unfortunately, it's very disappointing compared to the others.

In contrast to the rest of the series, here the Murray kids' journey through time occurs simply by accident rather than for a particular purpose. There's nothing necessarily wrong with that, but it does make the whole thing seem a bit...pointless.

The story is interesting enough, but the writing often seems strained. The dialogue in particular is absolutely cringeworthy at times. To some degree this could be excused in a kids' book; I certainly don't expect the same quality of writing as I would in a book aimed at adults. But in how many kids' books is a character described as a "slut" and an "easy lay"? Some of the sexual themes in this book seem to raise the target age significantly above what I would have expected from the rest of the series and from the quality of the writing. I'm not offended by it personally (though I've no doubt some readers - or at least their parents - would be), but it just doesn't really seem appropriate.

If you're a Wrinkle in Time fanatic you'll read this book whatever the reviews say, and you'll probably get some enjoyment out of it. But in my opinion it is not up to the standards set by the original book and A Swiftly Tilting Planet in particular.

Ha ha ha funny, this book sucks!
Were doi start. We had to read this for school and th 8th grade and My parents read it to me sometimes when we had reading time. Sometimes my mom put the boo down and was horrified with the amount of sexual relationships. The two twins in loin cloths getting in the nude and coming close to actually going to home base. The story concept was slow and horrifying. Do not recommend this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Product Description
For Madeleine L' Engle, the world is full of beauty, mystery, grace — intimations of the divine. Editor Isabel Anders draws from the best of L' Engle's fiction, non-fiction and poetry to invite the reader on a 40-day journey of incredible richness.

Includes a short introduction to L' Engle's life and work, questions to draw the reader into her spiritual world, journaling suggestions and daily prayers. This 40-day journey is an invitation to personal meditation and/or group discussion. An inspiring journey to take at any time, especially through the seasons of Advent and Lent. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

40-DAY JOURNEY WITH MADELEINE L'ENGLE
Isabel's 40-DAY JOURNEY provides the opportunity for Christians everywhere to be mentored by Madeleine L'Engle, she explains in the directions about how to use the book - and encourages readers "to begin living what you learn." She has selected 40 inspiring excerpts from Madeleine L'Engle's books and added to them questions to ponder regarding the excerpts, psalm-fragments, nudges for journal reflections, followed by prayers of hope and healing for readers.

Isabel promises readers that if they follow the instructions in 40-DAY JOURNEY, they'll deepen the focus and intensity of experiences that result in spiritual transformation. Most of Isabel's books center on this deepening of the spiritual life and reflect her own deep faith and daily spiritual practice. In preliminary pages of the book, Isabel gives direction for keeping a spiritual journal which she recognizes as a form of meditation; i.e., "a profound way of getting to know yourself - and God - more deeply...writing is generative: it enables you to have thoughts you wouldn't otherwise have had...."

Also included in the preliminary pages of 40-DAY JOURNEY is a brief biography of Madeleine L'Engle, who died in 2007. Isabel talks of Madeleine's engagement with the questions of life and death, and her exposition of themes about good and evil, science and faith, and man and nature. Isabel's 40-DAY JOURNEY WITH MADELEINE L'ENGLE is a gift to those of us who are interested in spiritual growth and provides a series of "inspirations" to help us understand how the Holy Spirit is working within all of us. Brava, Isabel, and thank you for the Christmas gift you have packaged of the writings from the work of your friend and mentor, Madeleine L'Engle.

[...] ... Read more

Product Description
Praise for The Ordering of Love
By Madeleine L’Engle

“In a brilliant marriage of myth and manner, histories sacred and profane, prayers of petition and of praise, these poems both articulate and illumine the trouble in the gap in which we live–the gap between human affections and Divine Love. L’Engle is unfailing in her willingness to see through–not around–human suffering, and in so doing announces no final severing of spirit and flesh but an enduring vision of resurrection in that crux, in the cross, in the One in Whom all things meet, continuing.”
–Scott Cairns, author of Slow Pilgrim and Philokalia: New and Selected Poems


“I love L’Engle’s poetry for the way it incarnates not only the great Truths of the faith, but all the little truths of our ordinary existence–our working and playing and loving and fighting and dreaming and idling and all the rest of it–and for the way it shows us that those big and little truths should not, cannot, be separated.”
–Carolyn Arends, recording artist and author

“Why is L’Engle one of the defining poets of our time?Because when life hurts, she does not shrink from the wounds.She clarifies the murk with hope as we feel the lift of grace.”
–Calvin Miller, Beeson Divinity School
Birmingham, Alabama


“We are, all of us, the richer for this carefully crafted and prayerfully rendered collection.”
–Phyllis Tickle, Author, The Divine Hours



“Poetry, at least the kind I write, is written out of immediate need; it is written out of pain, joy, and experience too great to be borne until it is ordered into words. And then it is written to be shared.”
–Madeleine L’Engle


Madeleine L’Engle’s writing has always translated the invisible and intricate qualities of love into the patterns and rhythms of visible life. Now, with compelling language and open-hearted vulnerability, The Ordering of Love brings together the exhaustive collection of L’Engle’s poetry for the first time.

This volume collects nearly 200 of L’Engle’s original poems, including eighteen that have never before been published. Reflecting on themes of love, loss, faith, and beauty, The Ordering of Love gives vivid and compelling insight into the language of the heart. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Madeleine
This book is a wonderful compilation of many different poems.This is one of the only Christian poets I have ever read that I am able to enjoy (modern especially).She is honest and allows her own journey to pour into her writing with amazing depictions of the emotions she was feeling.We are in debt to Madeleine and lose out on her passing.

Vivid and compelling insight into the language of the heart
When my best friend, Jenn, moved to Manhattan she commenced with church shopping. She searched the island looking for the congregation that seemed best suited to her theological leanings and preference for worship style. Nice people were also a big plus. She landed at All Angels Episcopal Church on the Upper West Side, despite the fact that she hadn't fancied herself Anglican in the past. It's a great parish, and I'd like to think that the fact that I'd become involved in the Anglican church not long before she departed for Manhattan might have nudged her to check this one out. I would like to think that, but it would be wrong. Because I know the real reason Jenn is at All Angels --- Madeleine L'Engle.

Out on the church shopping circuit, rumor had it that the famed author was a long-time parishioner at All Angels and that fellow congregants often visited her since she didn't get out as much as in her younger days. The thought of whiling away hours chatting with L'Engle was more excitement than Jenn, book lover that she is, could bear. She took up residence in an All Angels pew (well, chair, they don't really have pews) post haste. In the years that followed she became an active member of the congregation, made friends, got confirmed, met her future husband, taught Sunday School, and got married --- all at All Angels. And she has Madeleine L'Engle to thank for all of that, despite the fact that she still has yet to meet the woman.

Such is the power of L'Engle. Trust me, if you'd read her work and had the potential opportunity to spend lazy afternoons in her company, you'd make your decisions on church membership accordingly as well.

Thankfully, the truth of the matter is that you don't have to trust me. L'Engle is nothing if not prolific with over fifty books --- fiction, nonfiction, and poetry --- to her credit. Her latest release is a collection of almost 200 poems, including 18 that have never been published before, and is an excellent starting place to acquaint or re-acquaint oneself with this potent literary force.

THE ORDERING OF LOVE is a magnum opus of sorts, spanning more than 30 years, from the mid '60s to the late '90s, and it includes everything from unbridled free verse to disciplined sonnets --- all of which tread the well-worn ground of love, faith, and suffering. In her introduction to the book, friend and fellow writer Luci Shaw notes "a good poem is layered, does not reveal itself all at once, in one reading." And, indeed, the understanding of these poems develops so much on subsequent readings that the words themselves seem to be ever-changing. One of my favorites is "The Birth of Love":

To learn to love
is to be stripped of all love
until you are wholly without love
because
until you have gone
naked and afraid
into this cold dark place
where all love is taken from you
you will not know
that you are wholly within love.

In poems like "Fire by Fire" one gets the distinct sense for L'Engle as an "everywoman" who writes about life as it happens and has a gift for seeing the whole spectrum of human experience in the seemingly mundane.

My son goes down in the orchard to incinerate
Burning the day's trash, the accumulation
Of old letters, empty toilet-paper rolls, a paper plate,
Marketing lists, discarded manuscript, on occasion
Used cartons of bird seed, dog biscuit. The fire
Rises and sinks; he stirs the ashes till the flames expire.

Burn, too, old sins, bedraggled virtues, tarnished
Dreams, remembered unrealities, the gross
Should-haves, would-haves, the unvarnished
Errors of the day, burn, burn the loss
Of intentions, recurring failures, turn
Them all to ash. Incinerate the dross. Burn. Burn.

L'Engle also has a very specific talent for turning the stories of Christianity on their heads and making us look at them in new ways. Her poem "Mrs. Noah Speaking" presents a perspective on the flood that we don't often hear but that sounds quite familiar. "The Ram: Caught in the Bush" tells the story of Abraham's almost sacrifice of Isaac from the point of view of the one who would actually go under the knife, conjuring up the image of Christ in the process.

If they ever do meet, I think Jenn and Madeleine L'Engle will get along quite well. Jenn has a knack for endearing herself to somewhat ornery souls and I suspect L'Engle is one, based on her work and the interviews I've read with her. Regardless, she has done her work in Jenn's life merely by living in the space of the written page. Even though Jenn hasn't stopped by at L'Engle's with fresh bagels from Zabar's, she has learned from L'Engle much about life --- the sometimes painful conundrum of faith, the ache of loss, the bliss of love, the assumption of small truths into the Big Truth of redemption --- on afternoons spent with her printed pages. And from a life as a member of All Angels, which she can thank L'Engle for as well.

--- Reviewed by Lisa Ann Cockrel
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Product Description
Madeleine L'Engle bids us, in her own words, to "sit at sacrament" with her "across a strange and distant table." It is a paschal event, a meal of rememberence.

Where her own hurt is cruciform, we are the more alive. When she admits arrogance in Gethsemane, we, too, remember glutting on unleavened loaves. But as she herself declares:

"Never was a feast finer than this. Come, eat and drink, unfreeze and live." --Calvin Miller, author of The Singer Trilogy ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

What a find!

It took me a while to discover that Ms. L'Engle has published two books of poetry.I loved her first as a child, when my mind was fascinated by supernatural wonders in time and space. Recently I discovered her adult novels, and finally this book of poetry.

This poetry covers a range of topics, and many of the poems cover Bible stories and Biblical themes.But it is not sing-songy, watered-down, cliche, or boring by any means.You'll see the world through the eyes of a parrot (and will be taught something of humanity in that poem) and through the eyes of the mother of Jesus.The poetic devices are used beautifully, especially internal rhyme, rhythm, and alliteration.There are some surprises here.A couple of the poems are very brief (only five short lines), and you'll be surprised how much a few words can say.I found myself laughing out loud several times.I kept going over to my husband and insisting that I must read him another poem.

This poetry has encouraged me to continue writing myself.I am hoping to learn through osmosis here, so I am reading these works over and over again.They teach so much about form, style, vocabulary, and wit.There are unsuspected twists and so many different subjects here.Find this book if you enjoy L'Engle or if you enjoy excellent poetry!Many of these poems will be like water for your soul, the cold refreshing water of depth, love, and laughter. ... Read more

Product Description
AND IT WAS GOOD: Reflections on Beginnings by Madeleine L'Engle. Hardcover in dust jacket 213 pages Harold Shaw publishers, 1983 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

It actually started out right!
"One time, more than thirty years ago, after I had come very close to death, I had a terrible dream which recurred to haunt me for a good many years... I could not light the lights in whatever room I was in."Madeline L'Engle, more famously known for her adolescent oriented semi-science fiction works such as "A Wrinkle in Time" and "A Swiftly Tilting Planet" does not leave us in the dark about her relationship with a God few of us understand.

"And it Was Good"leads the reader on a devotional journey considering the very beginnings of Genesis and our knowledge of the Judeo-Christian God to her own understanding of the eternal nature of this God.We find in these pages a wonderfully-written and very personal reflection on the nature of God and man."If I believe in the loving Abba to who Jesus prayed, then I must also believe that this loving father is not going to fail with creation, that the glorious triumph of Easter will ultimately be extended to the entire universe."

'And It Was Good'...is an understatement!
This book wasn't just good, it was brilliant.So far, this is my favorite Madeline L'Engle book because she combines her own personal reflections with her fascinating fiction in a book that was hard to put down.I had to check the date twice to see that it was published in 1984....I was like, "Are you kidding, me?"It reads like it's more contemporary and timely than ever and that is always a good sign with any book (stand the test of time).

I heard about this book through a friend of a friend whom I didn't know and went out on a limb and bought it....and now, I think I may have found another author (apart from Brennan Manning) who is so challenging, insightful and exhilerating, you can't help but sit back, breathe deep and simply thank God for her words.

Insightful
This wonderful book is Madeline L'Engle's meditations on the Gospel of John and Genesis and how her sprituality relates to her life, bound up in a tale of her sea voyage on a freighter.It reads like much of her fiction,engaging rather than didactic. She does take some unusual approaches to thestories in Genesis, some of which I found a little disturbing, butbasically I loved this book, and have reread it many times. ... Read more

Product Description
The author of over fifty books, including Newbery Award winner A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L'Engle is internationally acclaimed for her literary skills and her ability to translate intangible things of the spirit-- both human and divine--into tangible concepts through story. In Madeleine L'Engle Herself: Reflections on a Writing Life, you'll find hundreds of this celebrated author's most insightful, illuminating, and transforming statements about writing, creativity, and truth.

INCLUDES NEVER-BEFORE-PUBLISHED MATERIAL FROM
L'ENGLE'S WORKSHOPS AND SPEECHES.Amazon.com Review
For Madeleine L'Engle, writing is as connected to her Christian faith as breathing is to air. Madeleine L'Engle {Herself} comprises hundreds of L'Engle's reflections on writing, most shorter than a page and many illustrating her equal devotions to writing and prayer. L'Engle believes in collaborating with the subconscious mind. She believes that what you need for a work will come to you. She believes not in writing for children, but in retaining a childlike mind. And she believes it is her job to serve her work (though she claims frequently that she has "never served a work as it ought to be served"). She listens to the book she is writing, L'Engle says, just as she tries to listen in prayer. "If the book tells me to do something completely unexpected, I heed it; the book is usually right." But don't think this means that the work will write itself, and don't wait around to be inspired. "Inspiration comes during work," says the author, "not before it." --Jane Steinberg ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Every writer must get this book...
A writer's dream of a book that could only come from Madeleine L'Engle herself!This collection comes mostly from L'Engle's nonfiction books and since I happened to have most of them, much of this book seemed a little redundant and like I've read it all before.But, it would be the perfect gift for any serious writer who takes characters, words and story as seriously as they should be taken.A wonderful gem of a book that no working writer or struggling writer or unpublished/published writer should be without.Trust me on this one.

faith and craft mingle happily and perfectly
Not so much of a memoir as a collection of thoughts. I read it a section at a time, front to back, while keeping a reading journal at the same time. Madeleine L'Engle has some striking and moving ideas that reshaped my vision of myself as a writer and as a Christian. She's a remarkable woman, and this is sort of a 'best of' collection.

A Daily Pot of Gold
As a writer, I am challenged and encouraged by L'Engle's storytelling.She evokes emotion and images, fantasy and reality...all with a seeming effortlessness.

In "Reflections on a Writing Life," we see into the heart and mind of this incredible woman.We discover the amount of work that goes into her writing, and, along the way, we realize that this 'work' is really a process of letting go.

Each section can be read in a minute and mulled over for days.This is deep and rich food for thought.Artists and creative people of all sorts can find enrichment in L'Engle's shared wisdom.I recommend heartily this mine of daily gold.

Motivating & Inspiring --valuable resource for ANY writer.
The compiler (a fine writer herself), Carole F. Chase, knows Madeleine's work like no other.The reading selections collected and brilliantly edited here will inspire and motivate anyone who writes.Besides her own substantial corpus of work (more than 40 books of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction), L'Engle is widely known for her writing seminars and workshops -- she has lived the writer's life for more than 60 years; always working to 'serve her gift'.But, she has also laboured long and hard to help others serve their gifts as fruitfully.Chase, L'Engle's best biographer, met the famous author years ago and knows her teaching on writing well.The selections which make up this great book come from many unpublished sources and constitute the best of L'Engle's teaching/coaching/mentoring on good writing and the writer's life.I have shared this book with several of my writing friends and have yet to encounter a less than enthusiastic response.My five-star assessment comes from rigid standards and sober contemplation.Quite simply, the book EARNS it.Besides Julia Cameron's THE ARTIST'S WAY, and Rilke's LETTERS TO A POET, this is the most significant writing book on my shelves.

Juicy nuggets of wisdom from an accomplished author
Any person of a spiritual bent who is interested in writing would benefit greatly by reading this book. Not purporting to be a full course in "creative writing", these short one- and two-page excerpts from lectures and other works are inspirational to the budding author. L'Engle is a strong believer in the power of story, in allowing the characters in the story to take the author to unexpected places, in "serving the work", and in the belief that there is no difference in writing for children or adults. Biblical inerrantists may stumble a little at her theology (she seems to be somewhat neo-orthodox), but that should not hinder the creative Christian and non-Christian alike from gleaning much wisdom from this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Have a cup of coffee and put a log on the fire, settle info a comforable chair and enjoy a winter's day with the writings of novelist Madeleine L'Engle and poet Luci Shaw. Participate in the winter season: the wonder, the solemnity, the power, and the miracles. These readings reflect on the winter world around us, drawing joy from winter days, hope from Christmas celebrations, and promise for the New Year.This elegant collection is the natural outflow of the long-standing friendship between Madeleine L'Engle and Luci Shaw. Sharing similar themes and a reflective style of writing, they combine their two rich literary worlds.Newbery Award Winner Madeleine L'Engle is widely known for her children's books, and adult fiction and nonfiction. Her most recent book is Live Coal in the Sea.Renowned poet Luci Shaw's most recent book isThe Green Earth: Poems of Creation. Both women are widely known throughout the United States and Canada for their workshops on writing and journaling, lectures, and retreats. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Early Winter, Christmas, Late Winter
WinterSong: Christmas Readings by Madeleine L'Engle and Luci Shaw, is a beautiful book in every way.I have both the hardcover copy, published in 1996 by Harold Shaw Publishers, as well as the paperback version, published in 2003 by Regent College Publishing (copyright by the authors).Good to have an extra copy of this timeless writing, compiled by Lil Copan, on hand for a gift.

WinterSong includes many different selections of writing in poetry and prose, by L'Engle and Shaw, from their long and distinguished careers. Scripture quotations from different translations of the Bible are also included and appreciated.As noted in the Acknowledgments, many pieces in WinterSong are previously unpublished.It is also lovely to reread familiar pieces in a new conversational and devotional setting.

There are seven chapters in the book, beginning with "Unraveling a Season/Early Winter," "Marvelous Mystery/Incarnation" at the center, and ending with "Newness of Heart/New Year and Late Winter."It is a book to read from cover-to-cover and/or to read and reflect upon selections here and there.

WinterSong is a classic.The books of Madeleine and Luci have been a part of my life for decades now.Surely, I am not alone in feeling comfortable referring to them by their first names.It is a privilege to recommend their work.








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Product Description
For over fifty years, L'Engle has been delighting and inspiring readers with her warm, eloquent prose, and inspirational poetry. She continues this tradition with Bright Evening Star, a personal reflection of the mystery and majesty of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Bright Evening Star provides a glimpse into the life stories of this prolific author and her encounters with God. With a foreword by John Tesh, L'Engle invites us on a spiritual adventure that leads to hope, joy, and a closer relationship with Jesus. "Christmas," says Madeleine L'Engle, "should be a time of awed silence." If you're looking for a unique and Christ-centered Christmas meditation, Bright Evening Star will be a rich and delightful discovery -- year round! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Ecounter the Child-like, Christ-loving life of Madeleine....
This is my sixth Madeleine L'Engle nonfiction book I've read and it was definately one of the better of the six (even though all of them were exceptional).

"Bright Evening Star" explores childhood and the wonders and mysteries that have haunted all of our imaginations and filled our hearts for as long as we remember.In this, Madeleine transforms faith into being a radical, Child-like journey, rather than a stoic, heady and intellectual debate.This was much needed in my heart and life and took me back to a day where my sister and I would take adventures on our bike in our southern neighborhood, pretending to be going on a trip across the country.It was a wonderful memory that needed to be rekindled and remembered.Thank youso much Madeleine.

(Also, Madeleine's books have a way of meeting you right where you are---this book came perfectly into my life and right along with what God has been laying on my heart lately---honestly, every book can do this if the writer is close enough to God, and since she is, she was able to be the vessel for my own relationship and allowed me to stand in awe of Jesus, the risen Christ, once and again).

Prolific writing style, spiritually uplifting!
This book is filled with unique insights into the Incarnation.A wonderful, hard-to-put-down book!

Wonderfully written
L'Engle shows us once again how diverse a writer she is.This book is not bound by time or space, but can take us into worlds yet to be discovered.L'Engle has ways to make even the strangest possibilities come to life, and any person, L'Engle fan or not, will be deeply engrossed in this amazing book ... Read more

Product Description
Seven-year-old Vicky Austin recounts the events of the twenty-four days before Christmas, as she prepares for her role as an angel in the Christmas Pageant and prays that her mother will not be in the hospital for Christmas having a new baby. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

My all time favorite Christmas book
If you love Madeleine L'Engle's books, then this is a definite "must have" for the holidays.Read about the Austin family as they prepare for Christmas, the church pageant, and a new addition to the family.Their warmth and love for each other are contagious, and yet they are a "real" family, growing pains and all.This is a fabulous book for young girls - and one to read every year in preparation for the holiday season.

Read this book to young children at Christmas time.
Against the backdrop of the approaching Christmas holiday, her role in the church play, and her family's wonderful holiday traditions, young Vicky Austin experiences feelings of rivalry for a sibling not yet born, and whose impending birth threatens to disrupt the holiday.This is a warm, loving book.It is an excellent story for older children, and I would recommend making the reading of it, chapter by chapter, part of a family's preparation for Christmas, like a literary advent calendar ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Dreamy, like moonlight on snow
Do you know how awful it is that this book is out of print?I found a copy at the library, and read it in one night -- it's wonderful!The writing style is definitely early L'Engle, reminiscent of The Small Rain.The theme isn't quite as evident as it is in later novels . . . but it's still a delightful read.

The characters are interesting -- both the "younger incarnations", Virginia Bowen Porcher and Mimi Oppenheimer (wasn't there a Renier in there somewhere?), and the characters whom we haven't seen before: Emliy Bowen, Abe Fielding, Kaarlo . . .

The plot in brief: Emily's husband Courtney used to be a professor at a university, and he resigned.They're spending the winter holidays in France, not many years after World War II ended.From there, it's the usual L'Engle family-in-conflict.Vee, their daughter, is also struggling with adolescence and that whole L'Engle-style conflict . . .

It combines the best of many of her novels: the adult conflict and the children's conflict.Not that this is exactly a book for children: it's as heavy as anything else she writes.But in this book I see beginnings of most of the novels that came after it, both for adolescents and for adults.

Highly recommended!That is, if you can find it . . .

Pretty good, for early L'Engle
This book is notable for several reasons: in typical L'Engle "nepotistic" style, it features the younger version of characters who appear in later books (Virginia Porcher, _House Like a Lotus_, and MimiOppenheimer, _A Severed Wasp_); and it features characters who obviouslyevolved into two important characters of her more recent Young Adultfiction, Zachary Gray and Max Horne.While a fascinating read, this bookdoes not have the maturity of writing that Ms. L'Engle developed in hermore recent adult fiction. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (11)

L'Engle's last novel

adeleine L'Engle shows in this book that she has mastered her sory-telling craft.There are well-developed characters and a good plot line.I would recommend it to young adults and up.

enjoyed it
I was so glad to see another book by L'Engle be released.This book was great and seemed like it defintely related to her real life.I enjoyed it greatly.

Simply a joy to read
This is not at all what one expects from Madeleine L'Engle, as it is nothing like the Wrinkle in Time series. But it's such a beautiful little story full of the ordinary things that happen in just a few days of life. It makes me very calm and peaceful to fall into this story.

A must-read for L'Engle fans
The Joys of Love is a coming of age young adult novel set in the 1940's and first conceived as a short story in 1948, so it's quite different from the Young Adult offerings of this decade. When she tried to sell it decades ago, the agents/publishers weren't quite sure how to classify it then either (I received that bit of information from the introduction by her granddaughter, which almost is worth the purchase price itself!).

The story parallels L'Engle's own young adult years that she spent in the theater, so it's a must-read for fans of L'Engle's writings and philosophy. However since the young twenty-somethings of that era probably have more in common with a fourteen-year-old today, the book might span a wider age range than many YA offerings -- even if the respect for parental authority and for good clean fun might seem a bit antiquated.

The only nod to sex is when one character asks if two others are sleeping together (and the answer was, "I don't know. I haven't thought about it."). The material would be appropriate for any teen, but the subject matter would be best appreciated by ages sixteen on up. It would be especially interesting for anyone with a professional or avocational interest in the theater or the arts.

Twenty-one year old Elizabeth Jerrold is in that typical post-college decision-making stage. She earned a sensible degree as her guardian aunt desired, but now she's gotten on as an apprentice in a summer theater on the Jersey coast to see if she has a hope of making a living doing what she loves -- acting.

Alongside the choices she is making about her future, there are inevitably choices concerning love. This plotline is expertly handled by L'Engle. Will she choose Kurt, the older actor who Elizabeth adores but whose sincerity is somewhat doubtful? Or will her best friend Ben declare the love for her that is obvious to everyone? Will she see everyone as they really are? As in real life, the choices aren't always as easy as they seem.

As an adult reader, I loved it. It reminded me of that carefree young adult time when we're free to make selfish choices because they don't affect others, but in the process of making choices, we figure out who we are.

the joys of L'Engle
A nice, entertaining read...and like a typical L'Engle, there's so much more beneath the surface.

L'Engle's tales seem so real because, for the most part, they are. I have to wonder which parts, but that's my own curiosity. It's simple enough to read and enjoy, and wonder if our heroine will end up with the cad.

There's something very real about a L'Engle novel. I like that. I wish I'd have known about these books (beyond 'Wrinkle'). Perhaps she could've given me the courage to realize that there was another adolescence than the reality that Judy Bloom presented. Gratefully, I can read L'Engle's adult works with an appreciation for grace and forgiveness for human weakness. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Advent and preparation - a great kids book for adults too
L'Engle's prequel to the Austin Family series extols the virtues of patience and love as a young Vicky waits for the anvent of Christmas and a new baby.Adults and children alike will enjoy savoring the book inanticipation of the holiday. It's a great tool for slowing down thecomercialized pace of the season.I'd reccomend the illustrated hardback,but I'm afraid it's out of print!

Decent children's book with Christian slant
This book is not by David Brin at all.I have no idea why it is still listed this way, since it is wholly authored by Madeleine L'Engle. The book is a little heavy-handed in extolling the Christian virtues of the protagonist.However, if you are looking for a gift for a child who anticipating the arrival of a new sibling, this would not be a bad choice. ... Read more

Product Description
A deftly woven drama that brings together elements of the theater, biblical narrative and the goings-on in unconventional families. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Bright spots, but not perfect...
I'm not sure it counts as quality literature, and the editing could have been a little better. I actually noticed a couple of places where the wrong name was used. Maybe this was corrected in later editions. Nevertheless, this was an enjoyable read for me, and actually tossed up some new ideas for me about God and the evolution of his role in ancient Israel. The thing is, I appreciate the book for this, but I don't think that's what it was really meant to be about, and it certainly isn't the whole point of the novel. As a result, for the average reader, who probably won't appreciate the ideas in the same way I did, "Certain Women" would probably not be as enjoying or rewarding to read. It is heartwarming, to a certain extent, and touching in its way, but there's not really anything particularly new or revelatory about the story itself.

The Worst book by the Greatest Writer
C. S. Lewis and Tolkien would have loved to argue over this book. I will start by saying that I believe L'Engle to be the greatest female author of the 20th century in any language. That said, this is her worst book. So why am I reviewing it? I put the lack of quality in the writing...or more accurately in the plot...to the immense pressure put on L'Engle by the Spiritual/Christian community. This is not unlike what writers such as Anne Rice and Annie Lamott are facing these days. Once people discover that you share some of their belief system, they want to claim the rest of your writing as their own. So where do Lewis and Tolkien come into this? Lewis felt that a spiritual writer should be open about their beliefs in composing fiction. Tolkien felt that all beliefs should be underpinnings and never completely emerge into the story or affect the plot. They should always be able to be traced, but never delineated. I suspect that this book by L'Engle was her homage to the people who had heard she believed in God and wanted her to "out" herself. If you read the entire oeuvre of her work, you'll see her beliefs everywhere

Exploring the Gift
Madeleine L'Engle was a remarkably gifted writer, having written novels for both adults and children that explored serious issues with intelligence and fearlessness."Certain Women" is one of her novels for adults, and it is full of L'Engle's trademark ponderings on love and faith, and how our actions shape our existence.While it can be tedious at parts, it is overall a rich and fulfilling story.

Emma Wheaton is a successful and talented stage actress, who inherited her acting skills from her father, the great actor David Wheaton.In the last summer of his life, Emma has taken time off from her career to be with him as he tries to make ammends with his past offenses and pass peacefully from this life.For David Wheaton was a vastly complicated man, who married and divorced ofen, spawning a brood of children as varied as they are talented.One of David's main regrets is that he never got to perform as the biblical King David upon the stage in a play that was never finished by Emma's husband.As father and daughter spend their summer together, they reread and rehash the play and the past, the father finally coming to understanding and forgiveness, and Emma finally coming to terms with the direction her life must take.

At times, L'Engle seems to stretch too much to make the stories of the two Davids intersect, and sections of the novel that focus on the unfinished play can be a trifle tedious.However, when the similarities work between the two stories, they unfold and intertwine flawlessly and effortlessly.Although the novel is set between th 1930s and the 1960s, one of the beauties of L'Engle's prose is a sense of timelessness.The trials of the Wheaton clan are real and still exist in the world today.As always, the questions that are raised about love and faith apply to all time, especially the questions regarding warfare, whether it be biblical or WWII or the present day."Certain Women" is a richly rewarding read and a true testament to the artistry that Madeleine L'Engle wove every time her pen touched paper.

"Certain Women" made me astonished
The author Madeleine L'Engle is probably most familiar to readers for her acclaimed Time Quartet of science fiction books for children, including the Newbery award-winning A Wrinkle in Time.However, if you haven't picked up a L'Engle novel since you had your braces removed, you're missing out. Her books for adults, including 1992's Certain Women, contain the same lyrical prose and incisive characterization, combined with mature spiritual sensitivity, and have the same ability to transport the reader into her imagined world.
In this case, that world isn't a far-off planet, but the insular sphere of a dying man and his wives, children and friends. While L'Engle delves into this extended family's rich, tragic and messy history, she also sheds new light on another complex man and his "messy" family, this one familiar to readers of the Old Testament.
The aging actor David Wheaton, spending his last days on his beloved boat the Portia with his ninth wife and Emma, his grown daughter, wishes to gather his far-flung family, including his five surviving children and a couple of his former wives, before he takes his final curtain call. While those on the Portia wait for the others' arrival, David and Emma discuss the one stage role he always coveted and never got to play: the Biblical King David. The parallels between the two Davids' lives and families are striking, and in some instances the Biblical story hits painfully close to home for Emma and her father.
As Anita Diamant did in The Red Tent, in Certain Women L'Engle imagines the lives and personalities of characters barely mentioned in Scriptural accounts. Through Emma and David's discussions, as well as in the pages of an unfinished play based on King David's story, the children and especially the wives of the king spring vividly to life.
The title is an allusion to Luke 24:22, "Certain women made us astonished," and the insights L'Engle provides both into the fictional Wheaton family and the David saga are at times astonishing indeed. What is perhaps more astonishing are L'Engle's observations on the nature of sin, redemption, and the way God often chooses faulty, flawed and complicated human beings to do His greatest work. As L'Engle's characters put it, King David saw himself as an ordinary man who had sinned, and that's when he truly began to love God. Perhaps, they suggest, we have to sin, to know ourselves human, before there is any possibility of greatness.
I recommend Certain Women for its compelling family drama as well as for its thought-provoking discussions of spirituality and the human condition, but don't be surprised if these faulty, flawed and astonishing characters--both Davids and their loved ones--linger in your mind for years afterward. They certainly have in mine.

not her best work...
if i had to choose my least favorite madeleine l'engle book, certain women would merit that title.neither the plot nor the characters connect with the reader the same way in which most of ms. l'engle's books have the power to do.nor does the book move the reader to any deeper questionings as her other books often do.if you're like me and want to read any madeleine l'engle you can get your hands on, this book, of course, will not be a waste of your time.however, i suggest that others become more familiar with some of ms l'engle's other and, in my opinion, better work before reading certain women. ... Read more