Customer Reviews

A Circle of Quiet the Crosswicks Journal - Book 1

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When I first read this, I was a young mother, working full time and trying to get a master's degree! This book became my "Circle of Quiet" where I could slow down and remember what was important to me. When it came out in paperback, I dipped into the grocery money and bought 10 copies and gave it to every friend, saying "You've got to read this." Madeline L'Engle's way of sharing the magic and mystery of everyday life probably saved my sanity. It was like having an older "wise woman" friend to go to. I've always been grateful she was there when I needed her

Madeleine L'Engles wonderful book A Circle of Quiet was full of many "a-ha" moments - moments where I thought, "I know exactly what she means," or, "I've thought that too." As a writer, I find her discussion of rejection to be empowering. As a Christian, I find her doubts to be reassuring because I have them too. L'Engle is frank and critical without stooping to meanness. She is often as critical of herself as she is of others or of society. Her writing is clear and vivid. I can see her surroundings and hear her family's voices as I read her words. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys memoirs.

This book (and the rest of her Crosswick Journals) have been a source of great comfort and inspiration for me. Her search for "being" and meaning provide support as I struggle with the same questions about life and faith. Her writings provide much food for thought and this book is beautifully written. Definitely a book to digest slowly. This book and her other journals have formed a good part of my spiritual reading this summer.

Perhaps because I'm a writer myself I particularly enjoyed this book. It came at a moment when I too, was struggling with manuscript rejection. It was a comfort to find that the grande dame of literature also struggled for the publishing world to accept her work. L'Engle's lucid language, her honesty, faith-doubts, glimpses into a fully-lived life I found refreshing. As far as Crosswicks, I felt like each time I sat down to read this book as though I was being invited into the L'Engle fold for a cup of tea, a walk alongside the property's creek or to sit down next to the nib of her fountain pen as Ms. L'Engle birthed her memoirs. For the writing community, this is a must-read book, for comfort, for encouragement, for the pure essence of seeing how the writing gets done around real-time life. For others, sit back and be swept into a lovely autobiographical account of a matriarch model for women.

Madeleine L'Engle has the great and wise gift of addressing the questions of life in a way that makes everyone who reads her feel welcome in the conversation. Whether she discusses ontology or marriage or writing, she brings deep humility and the evidence of ordinary life to bear.

This first journal of the series she wrote at Crosswicks was very comforting. Like millions of people, Madeleine L'Engle became a childhood fixture of mine with the Wrinkle in Time series. Reading this book was like tea with an old friend, when perhaps the conversation goes a little slow, but you know you don't have to say anything to be understood.

I bought A Circle of Quiet for $2 AUD at a local library and it's blessed me beyond all thinking. I agree with the reviewer below; what makes this book so tremblingly wonderful is what Madeleine L'Engle doesn't say as much as what she does. Written only a few years after the 'summer of love' COQ is both counter-cultural and counter-counter-cultural, which is to say old-fashioned. ML was about 50 when she wrote the book and the text sparkles with hard won wisdom and subversive insights but again, its what ML refuses to say that makes this work so powerful and ever-ripe. I can't believe COQ came into my hands so... providentially but it did. Beautifully written it's a work that covers a whole lot of territory: Domestic (un)bliss, raising children, being an agnostic Christian, food, sex, the counter-culture, art, education vs propaganda, creativity, friendship, the self, God, death, writing, solitude, listening, talking, reading, music, love (there's no mention of cricket, but that's OK), small town life, nature, big city life, when not to answer someone elses Big Question (always refuse) - you get the picture. Even if you have to steal a copy, get a hold of this tome and eat it!

A long time fan of Madeleine L'Engle, I have only recently taken to reading her autobiographical works. "A Circle of Quiet" may have been written in the 1970s, but it is every bit as relevant today as it was when L'Engle first recorded her thoughts and questions. Reading her reminiscenses and insights is almost just as good as having a one-on-one conversation with the author.

In "A Circle of Quiet", L'Engle traverses vast territory including the inspiration and necessity of writing, to questions that have plagued her about faith and God. She is intelligent in her answers and able to recognize her own failings. For such a talented writer, it is amazing that L'Engle endured years of rejection. No one wanted to take a chance on stories that couldn't be categorized. While some may see L'Engle as only a children's author, she is dead-on in her insistence that there is no separation between what makes a book a good children's or adult's book. The fictional stories of imagination should appeal to all ages if they are open to discover the truths that they seek.

L'Engle smartly covers so-called taboo issues and the effect that the changing nature of education and language has played on America's youth. "A Circle of Quiet" is truly a wonderful conversation with a cherished friend. Peppered with analogies of her own life and those of her friends and community, she tries to find a light in the darkness that surrounds all of us. In the end, she succeeds.

After the first 1/4 of the book, I was unsure of where it was going. Then, after entering into "kairos" (as Madeleine refers to it as..the Greek work for time which means time not being confined) with the book, I found myself getting deeper and deeper into it.

The first time Madeleine really goes off and tells a story of her small town and the new couple that came in and "changed" things up a bit, I started to smile. I could relate...ever so much and this made me play out my own story as I read hers. I became so involved that I forgot the time, forget what page I was on and almost forgot that I was reading. That is where I first experienced kairos with "A Circle of Quiet" and thankfully, it was a transcendent moment at that.

I still am thinking of the title and wondering if that is wholly appropriate for a book like this. I'm not sure. I think it means something a little different to me....but again, this is subjective stuff and extremely personal. Anyone with an imagination alive enough will experience something deep and profound and beautiful and wonderful from this book. Anyone who lacks this, I would suggest rediscovering your imaginiation before entering into this book: truth is overflowing here, but when you don't believe in imagination, mystery and myth, it will be very hard to read this book and get anything out of it. :)

Thanks again Madeleine for a wonderful read; although it took me for a loop, I'm glad where I ended up by the last page.

After attending Lenten sessions with Madeleine at the Cathedral, I began reading her four-part autobiography. What a pleasure! What an inspiration! Being a struggling NYC actor, I am often looking for inspiration to go on after all the rejections, and here it is! Her stories of rejection and dealing with it are so honest and heartfelt, one cannot help but identify. You will not find a more straightforward approach to life than the one presented in the pages of this book. I highly recommend it for anyone with questions about purpose or meaning in life.

A wonderful piece of art that should be read by all of humanity. This book displays many truths of life and I am bound to read it many times again. It has become my favorite book not just because of what it says but also because of what it doesn't say, which is the trust that one has towards family. She talks about her husband being in the theater and you never catch a glimpse of her fearing he'll walk away with someone and leave her one day. It is this omission in her novel that still rings deep in my soul. I had to find mine from an out of print bookstore online, yet it was well worth the effort.