I got halfway through this book and just couldn't make myself finish it. There seemed to be no point to the book. Many of the characters did a lot of whining, and I found very few of them to be likeable.

This was an uglier read than I remembered. Some plot points were horrifying. The writing was classic L'Engle, always a plus, but the darkness dragged this book down. This is a personal perception - others may not mind the darkness - but L'Engle, to me, was a writer who saw hope in everything, who stressed that cliche silver lining. That clear-eyed joy in all things was what drew me to her works.

Other negatives: the plot wrapped up too hastily and the plethora of immensely talented people became frustrating. So did the insinuation that a lack of such talent is a heartbreaking thing. Why not celebrate average people?

This will be one of her books (possibly the only one) I never revisit.

I wanted to love it because it was recommended to me but it just dragged for me. A renowned pianist retires to NYC and gets caught up in a mystery surrounding St John The Divine clergy when she is preparing for a benefit concert there. The best part for me were the neighborhood references both uptown and downtown as these are my favorite areas of NYC. I didn’t relate to any of the characters in the book so I didn’t love it.

I don't know why this says it's an Austin Family book; it isn't. It's a sequel to A Small Rain. Although this book, written much later in L'Engle's life, is more mature in style, I liked it less than A Small Rain, which was her first published book. The story moves from Europe to New York and centers around a church there, and I think that I'm just not that interested in the new setting. I read it because I really wanted to see Katherine, the main character, grown up. I still would recommend it if you like L'Engle. It didn't interest me as much personally, but the writing was quite good. Oh, and I should say that I was fascinated and also horrified to read the George Orwell quote from which the title comes: "I thought of a rather cruel trick I once played on a wasp. He was sucking jam on my plate, and I cut him in half. He paid no attention, merely went on with his meal, while a tiny stream of jam trickled out of his severed esophagus. Only when he tried to fly away did he grasp the dreadful thing that had happened to him. It is the same with modern man. The thing that has been cut away is his soul, and there was a period -- twenty years, perhaps -- when he did not notice it." t—"Notes On The Way", George Orwell: The Collected Essays, Journalism & Letters. Volume Two

I first encounetered this author as a young child and was enthralled by her powerfully written 'A Wrinkle in Time'. It was interesting and satisfying to discover where her mind had taken her while writing this considerably later book. I found it warm and companionable (a trait all her books seem to share), while being something more: a meditation on the roads along which healing may flow. What I gather from this book is that by behaving properly in the company of others and trusting to life as it unfolds, this can often be enough to foster whatever emotional or spiritual healing may be required; also, there will be times that can happen in our lives when the withholding of the knowledge of the truth can be the only possible kindness - a gift we can give to one another.

Not long ago I read an early Madeline L’Engle novel, and rated it poorly as being too much philosophizing, too much description of scenery, not enough plot and character. “A Severed Wasp”, written much later and for grownups, corrects all the above issues, and then some. If you crossed Jodi PIccoult, with all her use of the latest headlines in her fiction, with Kahlil Gibran and his philosophy of loving acceptance, you might come close to this book. This is a page-turner.

The lead character, Katherine Vigneras, is a celebrated concert pianist, recently returned to New York for retirement. As she reflects on her life, we learn that Katherine has been jailed and beaten by Nazis, her beloved husband was castrated at Auschwitz, and a beloved child died before her eyes in a horrific accident.

As Katherine settles into her apartnment in NYC, she encounters an old friend, now the former Episcopal Bishop of NYC, who confesses to her that he is gay. The current Bishop, who bears a startling resemblance to the Nazi Kommandant who imprisoned Katherine, is married to a former South American pop star (think Selena) His daughter lost a leg in a hit-and-run accident – or was it an accident? And someone is making threatening phone calls to both Katherine and the former Bishop.

So – no shortage of plot and character here! But through it all, Katheine exemplifies and draws others to a high standard of loving acceptance: as in Corinthians 13:7 - Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

[Note: I had no idea that this is a sequel to L'Engle's first adult novel "The Small Rain". I suspect this one is better.]

Superbly written

I so enjoyed this excellent book, this story was so well described I felt I was living among these people. Kathleen had been a world renowned pianist and upon retiring decided to move back to New York to an apartment she owed. Soon she becomes reacquainted with a good friend who is now a bishop of a large. Cathedral. He asks her to do a concert to raise money and she agrees. The story revolves around her getting ready for it and meeting many people along the way who share their joys and sorrows with her, so many secrets. In between we learn to know her children and late husband and her life. Come and learn how she manages it all.

This isn't my usual fare, but I'd read other L'Engle books previously and the blurb on the back cover sounded interesting--and goodness am I glad I picked this up. The depth and complexity of the characters are marvellous, and the way their personalities intertwine in the plot is superb. But more than the excellent writing and likeable, human, characters, the... mindset (if you will) or perhaps atmosphere of the book is what really drew me in. I loved the wisdom and compassion shown by the characters, the way they struggle and learn in and through the difficulties of life in order to find peace and resolution. This is the kind of book, I think, that leads one to do some soul examining and emerge therefrom healthier and richer of self, and therefore more compassionate and understanding of others.

This was a fairly quick read. It is a ton of dialogue. This is the sequel to A Small Rain, looking forward about 50 years in the life of the protagonist. I loved the conceit but not the execution. Lacked the same character development and reader sympathy to the story.

Acceptance and Forgiveness

This sequel to "A Small Rain" was published almost 40 years after the first and it it is very apparent. While the first book was a fine novel, it was a little difficult for me to get into; however, this book is far and away better and really brings out L'Engle's growth as a writer. This is a true page-turner that brings out the importance of accepting all parts of who we are, even the parts of our past that we don't like, whch helps us extend forgiveness to others as well.

Very disappointed. It seemed that each character made the worst decisions possible throughout their lives and was only redeemed or helped by the friendship of Katherine.

There is a character reveal at the end which just broke the novel for me. Ridiculous and better served in a Harlequin romance or an episode of the old Fantasy Island tv show.

Read it if you are a completist of L'Engle's books.

I don’t know how this ended up in my recommendations, but I’m glad that it is my introduction to L’Engle. The story is a calm—if occasionally melancholic—journey that was easy to settle into and even relate to despite being half Kathrine’s age. Tension and drama are handled with wonderful moderation, and the people around her naturally move in and out of focus. Overall I loved A Severed Wasp!