Alice’s Attic: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Today I unearthed A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
“There is such a thing as a tesseract.”
This sentence has freaky superpowers. Much like a tesseract (the titular “wrinkle in time”) it has the ability to transport me back through time and space to the 4thgrade desk where I sat, wearing the same glasses and braces that vex Meg Murry, devouring her adventures with oddball companions including Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which; Charles Wallace, her supergenius brother; and Calvin, her cute and popular friend; as they try to save her physicist father from evil forces worlds away.
Why this book rocks: Meg Murry is a geeky rebel with a big mouth and big heart that girls can identify with, and it is refreshing to see her flaws turn into strengths. Her stubbornness and inability to conform become the saving grace of the rescue mission on the dark planet Camazotz, where her father is being held. The disembodied brain that controls the planet can’t hold her down – she questions everything and isn’t afraid to stick out and be disliked. Also, the book has been on several banned books lists, and forbidden fruit is oh so sweet.
Who should read this book: dystopian junkies (Camazotz is a total Orwellian nightmare), closet science geeks (time travel heavy-lifting galore), quote-a-holics (Mrs. Who prefers to express herself via literature and philosophy quotations), and romance lovers (Calvin loves the eyes behind Meg’s glasses, and isn’t afraid to sweetly mention it).
Life lessons handed down: Love is the strongest weapon of all. And embrace your individuality. And hey, don’t stress about those braces – they have to come off eventually.
About Alice’s Attic
Rickety floorboards, killer sprickets (uh, they’re real, and they’re deadly), and dust avalanches won’t stop us from heading down memory lane.
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