Madeleine L’Engle’s first memoir, A Circle of Quiet, is a different kind of book. The back cover of my copy calls it “Spirituality/Autobiography,” but this isn’t your typical spiritual tome or autobiography. For me, it was a subtle encouragement to write, because I can and I want to.

This memoir is the first in a series of memoirs called “The Crosswicks Journal.” She approaches it as a journal of one summer living in her country house, called Crosswicks. But her journal doesn’t follow a chronological review of her summer; rather, she explores who she is as a woman, a writer, and an individual in the community.

I found this book to be a relaxing, slow read. I would read a few pages, pencil in hand to mark passages that stood out to me. Then I’d read another book or go care for my son. The next day, I’d reread a few of the marked passages and read a few more pages. I don’t think I read more than 50 pages a week. As such, I was reading this for about a month and a half. But I didn’t find this a problem. In fact, I’m glad I own a copy of it so I can review the passages I enjoyed.
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First in a series of four books. Journalistic in writing style. About writing, artistry, ontology, Life, and mid-life. ( )

From Amazon.com:
By R. Chaffey "beckahi" (Chicago)
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.

random thoughts of a 1970's grandmother, January 24, 2001
I could hardly finish this book full of random, obvious, disconnected thoughts, writing lessons (even, believe it or not, a lesson on punctuation), boring events, and thinly veiled bragging. To make it worse, it's full of references to life in the 70's, which make it hopelessly dated. ( )

Memoir of M L'Engle. Really enjoyed it. ( )

A series of short essays/thoughts/jouranl entries. Madeleine talks about her life as a wife, mother and writer. Very inspiring to me as a teen. ( )