This is a fantastic book, full of much of the same ideas about story and myth and faith that J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis speak of. And while it's similar in thought and premise, it is still fresh and interesting; a delving into the different faucets of what story can be to us rather than a reiteration of things that have been said before. The simplest lesson I draw from this book is about Christian myth. That sometimes the stories we tell are not in Scripture, may not be factual, but like other myths they can contain what J.R.R. Tolkien calls a "splintered fragment of the true light".

Oh, love, love, love Madeleine L'Engle! She writes about how God gives authors inspiration, structure and abilities...so intelligent AND faithful. My favorite writer, by far!

This book was delightful. It wasn’t my favorite Madeline L’Engle book as it was a bit all over the place, but it was actually the all over the placeness which I loved. It felt like I was sitting across from her, sipping tea, and listening to her tell stories about life. Her wisdom is always wonderful even if it’s a bit more scattered and tangential than normal.

Though I do not agree with all of L'Engle's theology, her expression of poetry and thoughts on writing inspire and prompt my own reflection.

4.5 stars. She lost me in a couple areas but most was great!

Read this one slowly and sooo good. Madeleine wrote this book almost 30 years ago but still so pertinent. I experience the world as story so this book speaks to me. Lots of things I am going to have to spend some time thinking about.

L'Engle. What more to say. So much good in her writing

Profound yet accessible.

“But who wants a comprehensible God in the aftermath of an incomprehensible accident?”

I came to this book while grappling with a tough season and it met me where I was. Written in a season of recovery, after a devastating car crash, Madeleine L’Engle writes a contemplative book on theological topics. It is neither a memoir nor a theology book but feels like having a long chat with a good friend of faith.

At times the book felt a bit rambly but that felt fitting for the season she was writing in (and to), and when thoughts felt incomplete in the moment most of them (I think maybe all) came full circle by the book’s closing. I will say, in the first chapter her train of thought was hard to follow, but overall I found that the rambling, softer tone of the book actually welcomes the reader in. When she poses theories I didn’t, at first, agree with I felt comfortable disagreeing with her and leaning deeper into the read. Madeleine L’Engle is a careful thinker and even in times when something didn’t align with my own thinking, I respected her opinion constantly because this book (if not each one she has written) is proof that she never thinks about things merely at surface level.

I’d recommend this book to anyone wanting to read about and/or seek truth in a soft way. Plus, extra extra emphasis on the recommendation if they love books and story. I especially loved the section where she discussed fairytales and how they impact and shed truth into our lives; it made me reconsider so much I learned in college as an English major about fairytales and their place in literature.

There’s so much wisdom in this volume—I underlined so much! She has clearly read her Bible very deeply and has so many insights to share but gives them all with the utmost humility. I surely will be re-reading in the years to come and returning to it before then to flip through and read what was underlined.

Not much different from L'Engle's other non-fiction works on writing/literature (such as "Walking on Water"). But I love her passion for truth being told through story!

I liked some chapters better than others.
One favorite quote, "If we do not allow ourselves to grieve, we cannot allow God to grieve...oh surely god grieves."

This book is all L’Engle in style. It is insightful and rambling all at the same time. In it the author gives us a great deal of auto-biographical insight into her life and her thinking. She relates her own story to her process of storytelling. This is not a “how to” book for writers. This work is not so much about the process of creating a story as it is the process of how she lived her own story and the impact that had upon her work.

The only reason I gave this book three stars is because it seemed to lack a certain fundamental organizational quality. However, L'Engle incorporates some profound insights into life through this somewhat autobiographical piece.