Maroon Weekly

Some might have read this story before and think that it is a little childish, but that is the very reason I love the book. Although an easy read, Madeleine L’Engle’s “A Wrinkle in Time” is a story that will take you away from your small, smelly dorm, or your loud, video-game-playing boyfriend, and into a whole other world.

With descriptive character development throughout this adventure and the endearing battle to save not only a loved one, but the world as well, this book is one that you cannot put down. L’Engle’s idea of time travel, creation of another world, character development, and use of children as heroes create not only a magical masterpiece but also a pivotal turning point in literature for children.

The story begins with Meg and Charles Wallace Murry, brother and sister, sitting in the kitchen on the night of a bad storm, a first glance at the wonders of Charles Wallace who seems to be able to read the minds of his mother and his sister. Brought up with parents of great academic achievement, Meg and Charles Wallace are seemingly different from the children in school.

Meg, a very intelligent youth, refuses to listen to authority; she starts the novel as an insecure bitter young woman, suffering from the unexplained disappearance of her beloved father. Her brother, five- year-old Charles Wallace, is quite the opposite. He speaks very little to others and most think that he is slow, but there is something very special about him. From the get-go it is clear that he is a child with a mind above his peers and also above most adults; he has a perspective on life that is almost impossible to imagine in a child of his age.

We soon learn that Charles Wallace has met three women, one of whom visits the Murry’s one stormy night. Her name is Mrs. Whatsit and she has two friends that have grown very fond of Charles Wallace. The “women” who are squatting in the haunted house near the Murry’s have come to know Charles Wallace for a very specific reason.

The three “women” are creatures from another world who have intentions, good or perhaps, bad, for the children. While on his way to show Meg where the ladies live, Charles Wallace runs into a boy named Calvin, who attends Meg’s school. Calvin is invited to join an adventure, along with Meg, of which only Charles Wallace and the women know.

Although many stories have been written about children who have had to overcome obstacles, those children never came close to the perils faced in “A Wrinkle in Time.” These three young children, whose ages range from 5 to 14, are guided by the three women but are ultimately left to fight a grand battle all on their own. To learn about the ensuing battle for good over evil, the women, and Charles Wallace’s magnificent abilities, you have to read the book. A great, fun way to spend a lazy day or escape the daily grind, this truly is a book that you cannot put down!