A Wrinkle in Time

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle.
Youth Fiction – Lower Level – L’Engle

2012 year marks the 50th anniversary of one of my all-time favorite books. There was even a whole blog tour about it, to go along with the new 50th Anniversary Commemorative Edition. This has yummy extras, such as a brief bio and memories of L’Engle by her granddaughter Charlotte Voiklis, photos, a facsimile of the manuscript for the first chapter with corrections, and L’Engle’s Newbery acceptance speech.

When I was ten, I got into a fierce argument with my best friend about which was better, Wrinkle or A Wind in the Door and A Swiftly Tilting Planet. I had not read the second and third books yet, but loved Wrinkle so much that I wouldn’t believe her that the second two were as good or better. I saw her point when I finally did get around to reading them, though Mari Ness’s thoughts on A Swiftly Tilting Planet felt like unwelcome disillusion, with criticisms of the book that I couldn’t really disagree with, despite having loved it so hard since childhood. Though Robin McKinley’s Beauty still has to be my most re-read comfort book of all time, I am likely to pick up any of the first three time trilogy books during stressful times.

In case you haven’t read or don’t remember the book, here’s a brief summary of the plot: prickly teenager Meg Murry and her genius kid brother, Charles Wallace, meet up with the popular but surprisingly nice and very smart older boy Calvin in the woods near their property. They also meet with some strange old women who are clearly making a joke of pretending to be witches, but just as clearly really are much more than ordinary humans. These three – Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who, and Mrs Which (much to Microsoft Word’s chagrin, I am leaving the periods off of the “Mrs”, British-style, as L’Engle intended) – send the three children off to find Mr. Murry, a physicist who went missing while researching the tesseract some years ago. This journey that takes them to many other planets, including ones where the inhabitants are sightless but still have better knowledge of the universe than humans. They see a dark shadow of evil over earth and even more heavily over the planet of Camazotz, where Mr. Murry is being held captive by a disembodied brain called IT. In the end, it’s up to Meg to save the day, Meg who has been used to relying on Charles Wallace for comfort. There’s also a grand mix of theology (implicitly Christian) and science, both real and invented. I love the strong and memorable characters, Meg’s journey to independence and acceptance of herself, and the easy relationship between science and religion, increasingly rare these days. Some people may find the science of the tesseract a little fuzzy, and others say that Charles Wallace’s character could be a little more fleshed out. They may be right, but this is still a book that does so very much well, with a story and characters that stand on their own and give plenty to chew on afterward. L’Engle’s world is one where the Dark is real and ever-present, filled with the knowledge that fight will be hard and still worth fighting, that love (to say it tritely) makes the world go around. Perhaps most importantly to my adolescent self, it shows an unpopular girl (in other ways rather unlike me) turning out OK in not-miraculous fashion and learning to accept herself.

Hope Was Here

Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
Teen Zone Fiction - Main Level - Bauer
Youth Fiction - Lower Level - Bauer

Hope Was Here is a very touching book. If you like heartfelt fiction then this is the novel for you.

Young Hope Yancey is moving from New York City to Mulhoney, Wisconsin because an unscrupulous boss has cheated her and her Aunt Addie out of their jobs as a waitress and a cook. Now they are scheduled to work at a new restaurant named the Welcome Stairways in "dairy land" Wisconsin. Of course this is a frightening prospect for a 16-year-old. However, Hope is used to change and facing obstacles. She was born premature and abandoned by her mother to her aunt as an infant. Further, she has faced many moves in her life because of her aunt's job changes. Still this move is especially tough for Hope because she was happy in New York with good friends and a fun job. How will she deal with small town living?

When Hope arrives in Wisconsin, everything is so different. The town is small, there are dairy trucks everywhere, and she feels lost. Soon however, Hope becomes mired in a political campaign between the shady town mayor, Eli Millstone, and her new boss, caring G.T. Stoop. G.T. is the owner of the Welcome Stairways and is very ill with cancer. He decides that he must help his town overcome the underhanded dealings of the current mayor by running for office. The whole idea of a sick man running for office tests the town's beliefs in what is or isn't possible. Along the way, Hope learns that all things are possible if you have "hope" and "faith." She also reaffirms what she already knew about life, that it is messy and joyful all at the same time.

Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer won a Newbery Honor in 2001. While the novel definitely offers hope, it does not sugarcoat the highs and lows that come with living. It is a good read for those that enjoy facing life with a positive attitude.

The Coldest Winter

The Coldest Winter:A Stringer in Liberated Europe by Paula Fox
Adult Biography-Upper Level FOX


While the continent of Europe has an incredibly rich history, the Second World War era is one of the most prolifically written about in literature. The drama of the actual war and the immediate aftermath not only speaks to us on the horrific actions mankind is capable of, but also of the enduring hope and strength human beings have in the face of tragedy. In 1946, author Paula Fox visited various European countries and chronicled her experiences in The Coldest Winter: A Stringer in Liberated Europe. Her memoir glimpses into the lives of several ordinary people during her travels.

Paula Fox was only twenty-two years old when she visited Europe in 1946. Her diverse travels saw her visit London, Prague, Warsaw, Paris, and parts of Spain. This book is not for someone looking for in-depth political analysis or debate. While the political atmosphere of Europe was starting to heat up with the communists consolidating their control in several nations she visited, Fox’s comments deal more with the thoughts and outlook of the everyday people she interacted with during this period and her own struggle to understand the world. Many of the people she meets have hauntingly sad stories to tell. On the Polish border, Fox visits an orphanage which houses children who were born in the concentration camps. In Warsaw, she is told how dead bodies will continue to be discovered when the brutal winter season ends. Despite these terrible situations, there are some encounters that are more hopeful. An elderly man tells her how he made an effort to rescue a terrified stray dog stuck on a railroad track. An opera house in Yugoslavia plays a violin concerto so beautifully that the audience is completely enthralled. These kinds of anecdotes may rarely make the headlines or turn the course of human history on their own, but they are a reminder of how ordinary people can rediscover meaning and find hope in life despite catastrophic events. In the current era of uncertainty that is gripping Europe and the world, that is a message more people need to be reminded of.