Some likened her to an ostrich and being somewhat ungainly because she stood tall on giraffe-like legs. Nevertheless, her accomplishments as an author were anything but awkward and she was rewarded time and again for a literary acumen that has captivated and beguiled readers for decades. Thus was the genius of author, Madeleine L’Engle! Born in New York in 1918, Madeleine was exposed to people in the arts at an early age due to the fact that her father was a writer, her mother a pianist. Apparently her parents placed social interactions in a prominent position in their lives, leaving Madeleine in the care of nannies and private schools. As a result, she found comfort and solace through the books she read and the stories she would eventually create. Her friends were few in number and she was considered to be socially inept. It seems so ironic that she would later become sought after, revered and accomplished due to her ability to communicate with people of all ages.
Leonard S. Marcus chose an innovative method to furnish a portrait of this amazing woman. Many of the people who played an important role in her life were interviewed and asked to bring her into focus through their eyes. You will learn of a woman who spent an enormous amount of time communicating with many of the youth she encountered, using letters she labeled “Dear Ones”, mentoring them and instilling a desire to persevere in their craft. For a time, Madeleine worked in the theatre but writing soon became her passion and she was visibly crafting themes during every waking moment. She was incredibly gracious and a rare friend. Her faith was an important part of her life, allowing her to become known as one who could deliver a sermon almost as well as an ordained minister. However, she also appeared to be enigmatic. She was generous to a fault with those outside her family and a stellar grandmother yet, seemingly, distant and unnecessarily critical as a mother. It has been theorized that she often would not relate to reality but chose to see things as she wanted them to be, thereby not acknowledging problems from within her family circle.
A Wrinkle in Time was Madeleine’s masterpiece and she traveled extensively all over the country promoting this fictional fantasy as well as her other extraordinary works. Imagine, if you would, watching this extremely tall creature glide across a stage, position herself then begin to take items out of a bag that appear to have no relevance to each other. As each one is removed, a story begins to evolve, and before long, her subjects are captivated by one of the greatest storytellers of that era. She enveloped audiences, mesmerizing all with her uncanny ability to create a rapturous daze while ‘listening for Madeleine’.