Madeleine L’Engle has died

The Wikipedia biography gives a nice overview.

One of the things that stands out for me about A Wrinkle in Time was its unashamed, unusually explicit depiction of love. It was one of the first books I read in which a mother’s love for her husband was portrayed as passionate. Wow! The idea that Mrs. Murry could miss her husband as more than just a co-parent. There was also Meg’s love for Charles Wallace, a sibling love that wasn’t just described as powerful but actually had the power to change the course of events. And Calvin’s love for Meg, the seeds of which are taken seriously even amidst the joking affection of their interactions.

One of the obituaries I read said that L’Engle disliked being referred to as a “children’s author.” For me, what was revolutionary about her was the dignity with which she wrote about children’s lives. Children in her books were not short adults or cutesy role models. They were independent actors.

Adults too, flawed as they often were. I have given her non-fiction work Two-Part Invention: The Story of a Marriage as a wedding gift. Maybe an odd choice, given that the book deals with the death of L’Engle’s husband. But beginning with the title, it does a superb job of pushing one to think about the frightening grandeur and loving pain of committing yourself to another person.

Her papers are at Wheaton College.

posted by Sra. Bibliotecaria ⋅ tagged Uncategorized

Comments are closed.