Meet The Austins by Madeleine L'Engle was written back in 1960. Oh, how I wish I had read this book while growing up. I would have loved it. I still loved it as an adult. While the name Madeleine L'Engle brings to mind A Wrinkle in Time and the other books featuring Charles Wallace, Meg and their twin brothers on some fantastic fantasy, the Austins are just a regular family. Vicky, who is twelve in this first book, narrates the day to day goings on at their home. She has an older brother, John, younger sister, Suzy, and younger brother Rob. At book's beginning their family increases by one as they take in newly orphaned, Maggie, who has just lost her father in a plane crash. Maggie is used to being spoiled and her arrival at the Austins changes things in their family for a time as Maggie adjusts to living by rules in a large family. While nothing earth shattering happens in this novel, I enjoyed the story of the Austins daily life: an ice storm that knocks the power out, a trip to visit their grandfather, the decision of if Maggie gets to remain with their family. This was a fantastic novel. The copy I picked up from the library looks old and the cover is not enticing at all, but there is a gem of a story inside. Already I have placed all the Austin novels in my Amazon cart, hopeful that this will be a series my oldest daughter enjoys and that we may read aloud together.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Meet The Austins
Meet The Austins by Madeleine L'Engle was written back in 1960. Oh, how I wish I had read this book while growing up. I would have loved it. I still loved it as an adult. While the name Madeleine L'Engle brings to mind A Wrinkle in Time and the other books featuring Charles Wallace, Meg and their twin brothers on some fantastic fantasy, the Austins are just a regular family. Vicky, who is twelve in this first book, narrates the day to day goings on at their home. She has an older brother, John, younger sister, Suzy, and younger brother Rob. At book's beginning their family increases by one as they take in newly orphaned, Maggie, who has just lost her father in a plane crash. Maggie is used to being spoiled and her arrival at the Austins changes things in their family for a time as Maggie adjusts to living by rules in a large family. While nothing earth shattering happens in this novel, I enjoyed the story of the Austins daily life: an ice storm that knocks the power out, a trip to visit their grandfather, the decision of if Maggie gets to remain with their family. This was a fantastic novel. The copy I picked up from the library looks old and the cover is not enticing at all, but there is a gem of a story inside. Already I have placed all the Austin novels in my Amazon cart, hopeful that this will be a series my oldest daughter enjoys and that we may read aloud together.
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3 comments:
I've never heard of these and they look like something I would have enjoyed or would enjoy now. Thanks for sharing about them!
I loved these books growing up. (I still love them.) And I could so identify with Meg because her personality was like mine, her sibling line-up was like mine, she was dealing with the same issues I was.
All of the books in the series are great. I wish you joy in your discovery of them.
Sorry, I've got Meg on the brain; I meant Vicky, of course.
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