If you are a character in a L'Engle novel, do not be a young girl named Emily. At least, not unless you want to be a gifted artist whose life is changed by a criminal attack that leaves you differently abled.

And yes, I am (almost) serious.

I actually liked this book better on second reading, though I do get why some readers are uncomfortable with it. It really can seem both sexist and racist. Though Dave Davidson is actually a person of color, and so, therefore, are his children.

Those children, especially the two little girls, Tory and Emily, are well characterized. In fact, I found all the characters vivid and believable while I was reading.

However, in spite of the presence of young teenagers as supporting characters, this book is emphatically not YA. It deals primarily with adults and their traumas and how they do, or don't, overcome them. For example, I could not manage to read the wartime experiences of Katherine Forrester's friend Felix. They were utterly nightmarish. Further, I agree with reviewers who find Katherine's beloved Justin an abusive husband. The love between Justin and Katherine is real, but so is the toxicity.

The book does seem dated in some ways. The mean streets of New York are pretty clearly the streets of the 1970s, for example.

So, I wouldn't say it was my favorite L'Engle book. But it remains gripping and thought-provoking, and I was happy to have reread it. I was also really pleased to encounter Suzy and Dave as adults. I did wish young Tori's aunt Vicky would sweep in and offer the young girl some understanding and sympathy--the sort of support Vicky, at the same age, got from her uncle Douglas. But, alas, that never happened.

I listened to “A Severed Wasp” nights mostly when sleep was a rather pointless chase. The voice performance of the novel is superb; I didn’t need to work out how to say Bösendorfer in my headspace. Fluent in English, French and German, Kathleen Gati joined me for nearly 17 hours of reading.

The book itself was a mixture of events with which I am not familiar enough with a side of religious hierarchy, but neither were barriers to comprehension. The author made sure of that.

What if you came from a family rich in talent, and what if the talent came through you as a welcome expression, enriching alongside life, informed into retirement? With music still a personal joy, retirement naturally retains a certain eventfulness.

The primary character’s life and love are gouged by war as two steps forward and one back continually lead Katherine to fulfill roles for others while she resolves her own beliefs. It’s natural then to revisit one’s personal history, personal spaces and old friendships to settle into a certain place of of self in service to a new surrounding.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story which brought back my curiosity of life during and after World War II, and caught me up in the mystery of two kindred spirits. Sometimes relationships seem to fit neatly into either/or when they are anything but. We each experience complex love and caring, with hopes and horrors. I look forward to the next, “A Small Rain.” Can’t wait to start it with Kathleen Gati’s natural cadence.

We are, perhaps, our own crosses, but we will be given the strength to bear them.

I bought this copy from a used bookstore in New England, and so I had the joy of discovering inside it a folded-up copy of a 2001 interview L'Engle did with The Times! I'm sure it'd be simple to find the article archived online, but coming across the original in print was exciting.

I enjoyed reading this book, but didn't love it. I couldn't fully relate to a single one of the characters, but I appreciated the themes of reflection, contextual family (in this case, the people you are thrown together with in life rather than your blood relations), and some possible social and political situations I had never before imagined. Although I enjoyed spending time with Madame Vigneras, I hated how all of the other characters, especially Felix, just talked at her for ages while she never had a chance to speak much, and then spoke about how well she loved him as a friend. I would not enjoy that person as a friend, and I truly didn't think she would either! Also, there was a mention of sexual assault on children that was glossed over with rationale, which I felt was totally inappropriate, but I'm guessing not so outrageous for the time in which it was written. All of that said, L'Engle's words and storytelling kept me rapt and also offered some very beautiful turns of phrase, as expected. Themes are love, loss, friendships with people who work in churches, piano and organ playing, classical music, age, reflection, community, and New York. If any of that grabs you, pick up a severed wasp!

This was not my favorite Madeleine L’Engle book. I have a feeling I might like it better upon another reading of it, but I doubt I will do so.

I think she chose some hard topics that made me enjoy this book less than others. Things I would not normally want to read about. And I felt some dissonance with my belief system versus hers.

This book did not age well and I found it disturbing on many levels, but I finished it because it was Madeleine's. Once I got to the halfway point, I was engaged enough that the plot kept me turning pages, but I will agree with the reviewer who said there were an awful lot of dinners and hot baths. Overall, it gave me a new view of Madeleine, and of many of us in the 1980's. Madeleine was more progressive than I was then, and I will attribute her blind spots to the times. But it was a hard book for me to fully enjoy.

This is the second book featuring Katherine who has returned to the US from living in Europe. Katherine now in her seventies is now widowed and was married to her mentor and composer husband Justin for many years. In her past Katherine was put in prison and her husband sent to a prisoner of war camp. Justin was originally Katherine's piano teacher but after his hands were broken in the POW camp he became a composer and no longer was able to play but continued to push Katherine in her career. Katherine meets an old friend from the past and find out that he had become a priest but is now in retirement. Katherine owns an apartment house and becomes good friends with one of her tenants, a woman Dr. Katherine has many secrets in her life and because of circumstances that Justin suffered in the POW camp they were unable to have children but Katherine had two children by different fathers - this was known to Justin who wanted children in his life.
Katherine has started to get nasty phone calls and finds out that her priest friend also has some enemies. Even though Katherine has retired she is persuaded to give a benefit concert for the church and becomes involved in the community.

So many good reviews on this book and since it came so highly recommended from a good friend I thought I would love it but for me there was no clear plot and no character development. The protagonist confused me because everyone she met in the story just loved being around her, she was a huge encouragement to them and a confidant but she never really did or said anything worthy of having that distinction to the other characters.

a severed wasp

A book of life and forgiveness. I was captivated from the beginning and read it almost straight through. The Way Madeline L’Engle made me experience music as one of the people in the story ,how she wove religion, pain, music and forgiveness together kept my interest and I would recommend this book to all. She’s one of my favorite writers and this novel has given me much to ponder and reflect on.

The plot of the book seems relatively simplistic - a retired pianist comes home to NY after living abroad most of her adult life where she reconnects with an acquaintance from her youth and agrees to give a benefit concert to raise money for his church. But the prose and the craftmanship behind this relatively simple premise make it shine and create so many wonderful layers of story and character to explore.

A lovely experience!

So enjoyed this work! A great through line of a main character of integrity that is supported by the
device of music and life experience in retrospect. Such a worthwhile journey!

An absorbing read, with strongly drawn characters and a good ear for dialogue. A lot of elements of the plot don't really hang together, and when I think about the book I see problems with it, but during the reading experience I was engaged and not really bothered by them.