Madeleine L'Engle published her first novel, The Small Rain, in 1945. Four years later, she published her first children's book, And Both Were Young. Her Newbery-award winning novel A Wrinkle in Time, which was published in 1962, dealt with themes she toyed with in her diaries for years, from personal shortcomings to Einstein's Theory of Relativity. L'Engle wrote fiction and nonfiction for adults, as well as poetry. She died in 2007.
"The Moment of Tenderness, a collection of 18 of these works,
proves L'Engle's craftmanship as a writer. Her detailed images,
knowledge of human nature, and ability to imbue each character with
an intimate and vulnerable honesty combine to make each story
shine. These are not happy little stories. Yet amid the darkness of
human loneliness and even cruelty, they gleam with the promise of
the divine presence."--U.S. Catholic magazine
"[These stories] appear to the reader like stars . . . The Moment
of Tenderness reflects not only L'Engle's growth as a writer but
her search for her own personal philosophy, one that ultimately
recognized opportunity and authenticity in nonconformity . . .
L'Engle shared with her readers her great capacity for wonder, and
her refreshingly earnest desire to tunnel deep inside the human
heart and expose its power to generate and regenerate hope and love
-- even in the face of eviscerating darkness."--New York Times
"A timely dose of human connection . . . beautifully approachable .
. . The Moment of Tenderness immerses you in the realities of many
different lives, with their sorrows and pains, pleasures and
joys."--Hypable
"A wonderful collection. The stories, even those that represent
L'Engle's early career, are finely crafted and have a modernist
attention to the complexity and allusive nature of human feelings
coupled with a postmodern detachment. Many are sorrowful and
aching, even tragic. All are provocative and
remarkable."--Bookreporter
"An elegant curio-cabinet of a collection."--Vanity Fair
"Cause for celebration . . . The engaging stories in The Moment of
Tenderness collectively offer a different, fuller view of this
talented master."--BookPage
"Each of [L'Engle's] many books and stories is worth reading
because she put so much heart, soul, adventure, misadventure,
faith, fear, imagination, and wisdom into them. Her granddaughter's
contributions -- the biography Becoming Madeleine and now this
collection -- round out the portrait of a great writer who will
prove to be historically important in literature."--New York
Journal of Books
"Echoes the brilliant storytelling Madeleine L'Engle brought us
with A Wrinkle in Time, touching on friendship, faith, and
hope."--Serendipity magazine
"Enchanting."--The ARTery
"Few fantasy writers had as indelible an influence on a certain
tribe of bookish, introverted, curious children during the 20th
century as the great L'Engle . . . for fans of L'Engle, [these
stories] allow us a window into her process of writing fantasy,
which she called the 'one and only language in the world that cuts
across all barriers of time, place, race, and culture.'"
--The Millions
"Gemlike . . . A luminous collection that mines the mundane as
cannily as the fantastic and extraterrestrial."--Kirkus, Starred
Review
"L'Engle was a true New Yorker in the best sense: intrepid,
dynamic, daring, resolute . . . If you're a close L'Engle follower
-- and there are legions of them -- you'll appreciate this chance
to chart the evolution of a fine thinker/writer, chronologically,
story by story. Otherwise, you can admire each story separately, in
its own right."--Providence Journal
"L'Engle's stories are softly tragic with sparkles of hope and a
sincere faith, told in a simple and earnest voice . . . [these
stories] will spark the interest of the approximately one bazillion
fans of L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time."--Booklist
"Likable, unassuming pieces . . . [hope] animates even the most
bittersweet stories."--Wall Street Journal
"Positively joyful."--Tor
"These stories . . . embody the same soft-footed, timeless elegance
of L'Engle's emotional and aesthetic sensibility . . . [L'Engle]
cherishes the emotional joys and traumas of everyday existence."--
Shelf Awareness
"This collection is a must for fans of the iconic
author."--PopSugar
"Unique and powerful . . . these stories are lovely in their own
right. There is beauty in their simplicity and intrigue in the
depth of the characters' pain."--Associated Press
"Unswerving throughout is L'Engle's mastery of mood-setting
language and her depiction of the complexity of human
relationships. Voiklis's illuminating introduction places many of
the stories in the context of L'Engle's life and points out those
that were reworked and integrated into her later novels. The book
will obviously attract L'Engle aficionados, but the thoughtful
selection and organization recommends the volume to anyone curious
about a writer's evolution."--Publishers Weekly
"Whether you're a L'Engle super-fan or simply a lover of science
fiction and fantasy, there's something here for any
reader."--Esquire
[The Moment of Tenderness] attests to [L'Engle's] courage as a
writer and a person . . . a revelation."--The Christian Science
Monitor
"Fans of L'Engle's work will adore this collection . . . Her prose
is brilliant--straightforward, emotive, and lovely to the ear when
read aloud."--The Rumpus
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