by Madeleine L’Engle
Copyright (c) 1962
I have been hearing of this book for a long time. I did not read it as a child nor as a youth. Nonetheless, L’Engle’s name circulates in some of the literary circles in which I read (e.g., fans of C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkein). L’Engle’s work portrays a broadly Christian worldview with a tale of the triumph of love. In so doing, she spins Einstein’s description of the universe (especially the time-space continuum) into a fascinating narrative that is understandable by youth and young adults.
The main character Meg (a young adolescent) loses her father to an unknown pestilence only to rediscover and save him from another planet in another galaxy. Along the way, she grows up some and discovers what makes humans what they are, to L’Engle – the ability to love. This attribute can be shared with other species in other galaxies. It need not be exclusive to the human story. Nonetheless, love forms an anthropology above all else that saves us from mere repetition and a cold and numb sameness.
Indeed, this book functions on many levels – from a coming-of-age tale to love-conquers-all themes, from fiction inspired-by-science to literary allusions and religious quotations. That’s what makes it a classic. It touches the universal human experience tangentially with so much humanity that it reminds us all of what it means to be ourselves on this lonely journey with each other. In an era where political hope seems far away, this message is certainly timely. I’m glad I took some time to expose myself to L’Engle’s hard-wrought take on life’s journey.