A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Posted byRebecca BuddPosted inA Wrinkle in Time, I'm Reading a Book, Madeleine L'EngleTags:, , ,

Any story that begins with “it was a dark and stormy night” promises to be a page-turner!

Today on November 29, 1918, Madeleine L’Engle was born. I first met her the day I picked up her book, “A Wrinkle in Time.” I was eight years old. This book changed the way I viewed our planet and the universe. We were not alone. There was a possibility that life came in many forms.

In my first reading of “A Wrinkle in TIme”, I was unaware of the controversary that surrounded the themes of religion and science. Some thought it was too religious and others thought it promoted new ageism. Both sides missed the point of the narrative that spoke of the universal truths of courage, hope, endurance, faith and love.

A Wrinkle in Time is now a beloved favorite. It confirms the important truths that love, hope, and faith are enduring. The story follows young Meg Murry, her brother Charles Wallace, and friend, Calvin O’Keefe, when they embark on a perilous mission to save Meg and Charles’s father. The danger is real, one that threatens their lives and the entire universe. 

They travel through time and space with the help of three supernatural beings:  Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit.

Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin face grave dangers and encounter the forces of darkness which call upon them to find an inner courage. They learn to believe in themselves and each other.  Ultimately, their friendship is their greatest strength. Together, they overcome even the most difficult obstacles and learn to never give up. In the end, they triumph over their adversaries and save the day, reaffirming their belief that the power of love, hope, and faith is stronger than any evil.

A Wrinkle in Time, which received 30 rejections before it was published in 1962, would go on to win the Newbery Medal.

Happy Birthday Madeleine L’Engle

“The book now holds the distinction of being one of the most frequently banned novels in American literature. With that, Madeleine L’Engle became one of few authors to experience enduring literary superstardom during their lifetime, and one of even fewer to live long enough—another 44 years—to see their book take root in the culture, changing the lives of generations of readers and transforming the landscape of possibility for women writers of science fiction and female protagonists. Meg Murry would become an enduring and universal symbol of adolescent angst and girl power—one of the most cherished and iconic characters in American fiction. Millions of lonely young people have felt empowered. I can fight the darkness. I am not alone.” Madeleine L’Engle Biography

Published by Rebecca Budd

Blogger, Visual Storyteller, Podcaster, Traveler and Life-long Learner

21 thoughts on “A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle”

    1. I know that you will enjoy “A Wrinkle in Time” Robbie. In many respects it was a story before its time, which is why it was rejected 26 times. I believe that it was a strong encouragement for women to consider science as an area of study and future career. There were themes of diversity, friendship, women empowerment and exploration.

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  2. A Wrinkle in Time was a favorite of mine the first time I read it! I am actually surprised that there has been so much negativity surrounding it. It was an exciting story when I was young and, if I were to read it again, I would find it as exciting as I did when I was young. I am going to find it again and read it in my senior years. It was a banned book at one time, I was never able to see the reason. As I read it now, I will try to find out the reason for that. Tolkien and she wrote many sentences very much alike!

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  4. My children introduced me to this novel, and we went on to read the entire series. It was so much fun discussing literature with them throughout the years. We still do this day! This book launched it all. 🙂

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    1. I remember finding out there were two more books in the series! What a exciting day that was, Mary Jo! It was fun to relive the story again when my son and I took turns reading the book when he turned eight. When Meg had to return to face her most dangerous task, we were were on the edge of our seats. “Hhee iss beehindd thee ddarrkness, sso thatt eevenn wee cannott seee himmm.”

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    1. You will enjoy A Wrinkle in Time, Liz. Madeleine L’Engle had similar thoughts about mythology to J.R.R. Tolkien when she said, “When we lose our myths we lose our place in the universe.”

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    1. Thank you Dave! Books have an amazing magic. I was amazed to find that “A Wrinkle in Time” was a banned book, given that C.S.Lewis’s Narnia series has great acceptance. I have a feeling that Madeleine L’Engle’s belief system was out of step. My sister, Sarah, met Madeleine L’Engle when she was teaching a summer course many years ago at Regent College, University of British Columbia. Sarah said what came through was her kindness.

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    1. You will enjoy this story, Margaret! Even as an adult, I find the narrative compelling. Here is one of my favourite quotes from a Wrinkle in Time:

      “Life, with its rules, its obligations, and its freedoms, is like a sonnet: You’re given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself. – Mrs. Whatsit”

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  9. My God Rebecca! This is truely Synchronistic. I read this book in summer school between 2nd and 3rd grade. It is the most personally influential book I have ever read. Why am I not surprised it changed your life and mine. And that we read it so early on.

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    1. Cindy – I had goosebumps reading your comments. That is exactly when I read this book. I remember my mother explaining what a “wrinkle” meant. She took a napkin and brought to ends together and showed me how there could be two time pathways. I looked up the definition of a “tesseract from a science website: , a tesseract is a cube in 4-dimensional space. So it is real.

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