Madeleine L’Engle died last Thursday. She was eighty-eight. One of my favorite books of all time is her Circle of Quiet, a book I found in a book warehouse sale when we lived in Connecticut from 1987 to 1989. That book is one of the first books I ever read with a pencil in hand, underlining sentences and paragraphs, making little arrows and asterisks in the margins.
Madeleine L’Engle’s books, particularly her non-fiction books, made me feel less alone in the world.
She was a bright light, now shining in another place.
Rest in peace.
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I just read “A Wrinkle in Time” a few months ago, and I loved it. It was so beautifully written with such lovely sentiments behind it. Thanks for your post.
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WOW My favorite book of all time is her Wrinkle in Time. I am very rarely touched by the passing of someone I don’t know but reading this made me tear up.
Leigh anne
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Honestly, I didn’t know she was still alive! I read her books when I was a young girl and a younger woman and so many of them made such a big impact on me. This is inspiring me to re-read some of them now. She was married to the actor Hugh Franklin who played Dr. Charles Tyler on “All My Children” for many years. He died at least a few years back. I hope this post inspires others to read her books if they haven’t already. She was a wonderful, wonderful writer.
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wow. I hadn’t heard this! What a loss to the world of literature! She got me hooked with A wrinkle in Time, and I plowed my way through so many of her books after that.
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When my father was an editor living and working in Manhattan, and attending Christ Episcopal Church, he got to know some real characters: Matthew Broderick’s sister, and the woman who played the “Kiss my Grits!” lady on Mel’s Diner, among them. He also befriended Madeleine L’Engle. She used to hold brunches every Sunday afternoon for family and friends, and Dad took me and my brother to one of these brunches, once. It made such an impression on me. Fascinating, real, warm, and fancy people all around. I can probably trace my dream of being a writer to that time. She was an amazing woman. Thank God we still have her literature.
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Read some of her adult fiction, if you get a chance: A Severed Wasp, for example. It’s just as good as her children’s fiction.
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On Thursday, I held her book “A Severed Wasp” in my hand. The thought accured to me that I should read it. Later, I heard that she had died.
My favorite is “The Irrational Season”.
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My sister called me as soon as she heard. We don’t have much in common but we’ve both loved Madeleine L’Engle’s books above almost all others for most of our lives.
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“A Small Rain” and “A Severed Wasp” — two of my favorites. Amy, thanks for sharing your story.
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