Author MADELEINE L’ENGLE
Publisher DELL PUBLISHING
ISBN 0-440-48761-7
This twentieth century author wrote prolifically. She was an American; an Episcopalian (Anglican) by church affiliation and her books became a cause of some contention because of the fact that she was a universalist (one who believes that in the
end all people will be saved), in fact, for a while her books were not available from many Christian bookstores. This particular book is one of a series, the first of which won the Newbury Book Medal; its title was “A Wrinkle in Time.” It is not easy to
classify these books because she mixes futuristic science fiction, theology and contemporary family life all together in what becomes a fast moving story and you have to keep your wits about you to follow what is taking place. These stories
involve a family of children; the Murry’s while a second series carries things forward to when the young girl Meg marries her childhood sweetheart Calvin O’Keefe.
Around these children grown up and married this particular genre of her writing develops her themes much more. These are not children’s books; perhaps they could be defined as young peoples and adult writings. This particular story contains a good
deal of theological truth presented in a tale that involves death and life, the powers of darkness and light and what she calls ‘naming’ and ‘un-naming.’ The theme of victorious love runs through the whole and the unity of all things and the way that
unity is threatened by echthroi powers. Even in this book her Universalist viewpoint emerges and there are elements that will disturb some readers seeking a more mainstream Christian emphasis. Some will also be disturbed by a what she
calls ‘kything,’ a way in which communion can be enjoyed between creatures through which they are able to enter into each other. By the admission in the book this is not dissimilar to a deepened form of extra sensory perception. So, it is quite easy to
understand why some stores would not stock her books and also understandable why they became very much loved, read and re read by some, including committed Christians.
