A Wrinkle in Time

Can you imagine me, voracious reader since I was 6 years old, never having read this book? And a librarian as one of my careers, to boot! For shame. But retirement is an opportunity to right the wrongs and gaping holes of my childhood, so at the suggestion of my sister-in-law, I read this Newbery-winning classic by Madeleine L'Engle. This re-issue, published in 2007 (originally published in 1962) has a lovely introduction, "An Appreciation," by Anna Quindlen that says in part, " On its surface this is a book about three children who fight an evil force threatening their planet. But it is really about a more primal battle all human beings face, to respect, defend, and love themselves" (p. 4). Since I have also been reading Florida Scott-Maxwell's book, The Measure of My Days, which  talks quite a lot about the tremendous effort required to be true to ourselves, this really smacked me in the face. Wow, this is a lot to pack into a book for youngsters! But L'Engle did not underestimate her young readers in any way--neither in what they must experience growing up, nor in their ability to think seriously about the related issues.  Meg Murry learns that what sets her apart from her fellow students, and even to some extent her own siblings, can be her strengths, even if the world at large does not necessarily endorse being different. In the battle for the mind and heart of her younger brother, Meg finds that her love and loyalty can beat back the darkest evil.  Definitely worth a read or a re-read. And since this was the first of the "Time Quintet" there is more to come when you're done.