Reviews

I enjoyed this collection of stories by Madeleine L'Engle. They are arranged chronologically, with many of them being written early in her life prior to her success with A Wrinkle In Time, and therefore lacking some of the polish and substance that I think her later writing achieved. You can definitely see the influence of her own life as she writes of loneliness and being on the outskirts, as well as her time working in theatre, and her home in New England. The last story, "A Sign for a Sparrow" was the one that most reminded me of "Wrinkle" as it dives into familiar themes of space exploration and the intersection of science and faith.

If you're not already a L'Engle fan you can probably skip this book but if you ARE a fan then I think you will appreciate this collection.

ssaurer's review

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emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

caitlinjadams's review

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reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Experiencing the growth of L'Engle's writing through the chronological order of the short stories is interesting wonderful.

A visceral series of meditations on being a girl being a woman and what it's like when you can't be what's expected of you.

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