Madeleine L'Engle: Author of "A Wrinkle in Time"

People in Focus

by Doreen Gonzales

Gonzales addresses her audience in a style and tone that are easily accessible and clearly up to the job of presenting a well-known author who has some fairly complex philosophical ideas and an unusual, although not iconoclastic, lifestyle. L'Engle comes across as a woman with an abiding commitment to her family as well as a lifelong lust for learning and the more spiritual aspects of existence. There are a couple of awkward phrasings and a few places where unexplained questions persist. Some of the book's success is due to the author's direct contact with her subject; Gonzales has obviously interviewed her extensively. The bibliography is modest enough to entice rather than threaten reluctant younger readers and yet comprehensive enough to suggest to more scholarly readers that Gonzales has done her homework. While she is admiring and discreet, she has not sheltered or distorted the facts; even L'Engle's irritability in the morning hours comes through. The one shortfall of the book is the poor quality of some of the black-and-white photographs. Still, their informality and their unique, if somewhat second-rate photographic technique, give a sense of history to one of the great women in children's literature. --Ruth K. MacDonald, Purdue University Calumet, Hammond, IN

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

112 pages, Library Binding

First published November 1, 1991

About the author

Doreen Gonzales is an elementary school teacher who enjoys writing in her free time. She has written several nonfiction books for young readers. Gonzales lives in Colorado and likes to hike, ski, garden, and read.

Reviews

[Tiffani · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written on a middle school level. . .but gave good insight into what shaped L'Engle as a writer.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for a basic overview of Madeleine L'Engle's life. It is quick read for an adult, and a great choice for grades 6 - 12, or an advanced elementary school reader, who are fans of the A Wrinkle in Time series and would like to find out more about the author. This book presents Madeleine L'Engle in a very favorable light. It also tells many interesting stories about her childhood, which I think kids reading the book would enjoy. She really had some terrible experiences, but managed to overcome most of them. Upon reading this book you also realize how her personal experiences heavily influenced A Wrinkle in Time. This really surprised me because the book is science fiction and was very ahead of it's time when it was published. I was expecting this all to be a product of her imagination or at the very least an outside influence. I didn't expect her "real life" to be the source of her ideas!

[Natalie Steed · Rating 4 out of 5]

In many ways I wish I would've read this biography before reading her novel, "A Wrinkle in Time". I think I would have enjoyed the book even more. I like the idea of understanding the author's personality and story in getting their story on to paper. Was impressed with her perseverance and her viewpoint on children and how their imagination doesn't block out options like adults do.

[Johanne]

This book was a fun children's science fiction book. I recommend it for all ages!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing like reading this for a homework assignment at the eleventh hour (literally) to solidify my appreciation for one of the greatest-- and oddest-- authors who ever lived.