Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle

3/5 stars

What's it about? The fourth book of the Time Quintet focuses on twins Sandy and Dennys Murray, who accidentally transport themselves to a remote desert civilization where they meet Noah, a man they recognize might one day build a boat.

How’d I find it? An English teacher took me to meet L’Engle when I was in sixth grade. L’Engle’s inscription in my copy of A Ring of Endless Light reads “Be a Light Bearer.”

Who will enjoy this book? Like I’ve mentioned in prior reviews, the Time Quintet offers wholesome fantasy for young readers. Many Waters nods to the Old Testament while maintaining the universality of the book’s themes.

What stood out? As in all her fiction, L’Engle dispenses with the rules of the universe as we know them and creates her own realities. In Many Waters this takes the form of the seraphim and nephilim, angels that move among the humans and shape their destinies. Don’t worry, there are also unicorns.

Which line made me feel something? L’Engle’s vision of a higher power is certainly romantic: “All the raging of creation, the continuing hydrogen explosions on the countless suns, the heaving of planetary bodies, all was enfolded in a patient, waiting love.”

A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle

4/5 stars

What's it about? In the third installment of L’Engle’s Time Quintet, the Murry family gathers for Thanksgiving, joined by an adult Meg, pregnant with her and Calvin’s first child, and her withdrawn mother-in-law Mrs. O’Keefe. Nuclear war threatens, and a teenage Charles Wallace and the unicorn Gaudior are enlisted to ride the wind through time to undo the history that will lead a South American dictator to end the world. Mrs. O’Keefe may just be the key.

How’d I find it? I’ve already reread A Wrinkle in Time and A Wind in the Door, and both brought me much joy. It’s been a special endeavor to collect books that I adored in childhood and admire the excellent writing out there for young people.

Who will enjoy this book? The Time Quintet centers on the power of love to overcome evil, so if you want a well-written, feel-good story with a speculative twist, you can’t go wrong with these books. Think David Mitchell’s The Bone Clocks for kids.

What stood out? The cozy nature of this family, with their Bunsen burner meals and shabby quilts, always invites in the reader. I relish their quick embrace of oddities, such as personal calls from the President and animals that appear in the middle of the night. Beyond the usual fun of spending time with the Murrys, L’Engle outdoes herself in the chapters in which Charles Wallace goes “Within” Brandon Llawcae and Matthew Maddox. She handles descriptions of interactions between indigenous Americans and colonizers gracefully, though her Christian bias sometimes reveals itself.

Which line made me feel something? I loved the thinking of the People of the Wind, who know only good: “When was always Now, for there was little looking either backward or forward in this young world. If Now was good, yesterday, though a pleasurable dream, was not necessary. If Now was good, tomorrow would likely continue to be so.”

A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle

5/5 stars

What's it about? In the second installment of the Time Quintet, Meg Murry must team up with Calvin, her nemesis/old principal Mr. Jenkins, and some mysterious new partners to pass a series of tests that determine the fate of a rapidly ailing Charles Wallace. A perfect little book that explores the miracle of being with whimsy and wisdom.

How’d I find it? Since rereading A Wrinkle in Time, I’ve been excited to see what the Murrys get into next.

Who will enjoy this book? Reading Madeleine L’Engle is like being in front of a cozy fire on a drizzly winter day, all warmth and weight. If you relish such a tone (for me, it’s like an injection of Christmas spirit), this book is for you. Think Everything Everywhere All at Once.

What stood out? L’Engle pitches out the rules of reality as we know it and writes a more daring, imaginative possibility. The mysterious farandolae, the mattered form of a cherubim, the song of the universe—delights for the mind. The fascinating cast, including the terrifying and annihilating Echthroi, propels with velocity this quest that is just as much physical as spiritual. Meg is a Namer!

Which line made me feel something? Mr. Murry makes a brief cameo to deliver this whopper on hope: “There are still stars which move in ordered and beautiful rhythm. There are still people in this world who keep promises.”

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

3/5 stars

What's it about? Thirteen-year-old Meg Murry and her savant baby brother Charles Wallace embark on a mission to find their long-missing father, with the guidance of the enigmatic Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit and the support of smart, athletic Calvin. The quest has a far more complicated objective: to save the world from Evil.

How’d I find it? Though I rarely reread anything, I’ve recently had a hankering to revisit books I loved as a child. I met Madeleine L’Engle when I was eleven and was in awe of her. A Wrinkle in Time was the first of her books I encountered.

Who will enjoy this book? This book is perfect for young readers interested in probing bigger questions about purpose and goodness.

What stood out? The eerie monotony of the planet Camazotz and the healing love of Aunt Beast hold special places in my literary education; the story abounds with similar treasures. A Christian undercurrent that was invisible to me as a child runs through A Wrinkle in Time, and it admittedly smacked of another agenda that I found less savory in this reread. I wish the rescue of Charles Wallace was less rushed after such a paced build to the climax, but this is a small gripe in a story that sparkles with ingenuity.

Which line made me feel something? This conversation between Meg and her mother: “‘Do you think things always have an explanation?’ ‘Yes. I believe that they do. But I think that with our human limitations we’re not always able to understand the explanations. But you see, Meg, just because we don’t understand doesn’t mean that the explanation doesn’t exist.’”