Satisfying! A novel of unceremonious surprises, saying what it needs to say without saying every little thing. I should have figured it would be about so much more than Madame Vigneras's "retirement." I'd been waiting to read it ever since I read The Small Rain, and it was quite worth the wait. It hit me as a lover of literature, an artist, and a writer.

A mystery with no murder

The characters were well drawn, both the likable and the unlike able. The story had so much mystery it was impossible to out guess “who done it “. I am happy I read the prequel first. (The Small Rain ). That book tells story of wHen Kathryn was a young girl and her early studies that led into her life as a concert pianist.

Wonderful

Madeleine L’Engle can create the most amazing and complex set of characters and weave them all together in a spell- binding story! Her use of language and turn of phrase are extraordinary.

Rather silly novel overflowing with more tragedies than a year's worth of soap opera scripts. All the characters speak in lengthy paragraphs and can divine a person's level of musical talent by looking into his or her eyes.

Wisdom, happiness, freedom and lots of other things are so desirable that we pursue them purely for themselves, though they are only attainable as means or by-products of our other, less tempting goals. They are like unexpected guests who come and go and never stay for long. The more one is trying to take hold of them, the more elusive and annoyed they become. So, when wisdom is the main goal in the story (or life) and everything else is subdued to it, there is a chance of converting a novel into sermon and excitement into dullness, by leaving out the alluring fuel that is made of inner conflicts, trials, transforming dialogue between the characters and their circumstances. To a moderate degree this happened to A Severed Wasp.

A retired piano virtuoso returns to her birthplace to find solace, but bumps into an old acquaintance that needs her help. Between warm baths, herbal tea rituals and neck massages she finds the time to heat up her experience-made pot and pour the wisdom among the thirsty gathering that loiters around. She becomes a sage for the church congregation, a mentor to their prodigal children and a prosecutor of the mischief among them. Former pop star, reminiscences of Nazism and homophobic calls mingle in.

What makes the plot bizarre is the fact that it is a sequel to Little rain, a simple novel written around fifty years earlier, that resembles any other coming-of-age book. The author and protagonist surely have matured; the youthful determination and sincerity that made the prequel somewhat bearable have been replaced with stiffness and versatile plot twists that the protagonist, like god, straightens out with her magical touch. The old age seems to smooth the strains and edges like rivers do with pebbles. Unfortunately, the fun is not so much in the final result as it is in transformation.

I didn't care for Katharine Forrester in The Small Rain and my opinion isn't much improved here. As a character, Katharine is better this time around, though the story is a mess. The mystery is a bit ridiculous, some of the motivations are hard to believe, and most of the plot is talking.

This was a very thought provoking and introspective novel. I don't agree with all of the authors decisions about right vs wrong. But, it caused me to think. If you have only read Madeleine L'engles children's books you have missed much of what she has to offer.

Extremely well written but surprisingly woke for its time and author.

Two of the major themes in this offering from Madeline L’Engle are music and church; both elements I’m intimately familiar with. Much of the music minutiae was engrossing and relatable to my experiences. Many of the scenes around the cathedral and Close are much more formal than my own church but similar to others at which I’ve performed.

Actual discussion of religion isn’t a primary motivation in the story but forgiveness is. That theme effects every character thru their whole storyline. L’Engle tells the story in the present with flashbacks to provide details needed about people in both current day and to flesh out mysteries abounding. Lead character, Katherine, becomes a bit of a Miss Marple by the end of this tome!

While I found much of the story delightful and all of it is well written, constructed and delivered with finesse, I am surprised at some of the morality choices or lack of them, might be a better description. Without creating spoilers, the main character turns her eye from child abuse, sexual abuse, verbal abuse and potential psychological issues that would benefit from professional intervention. These are serious issues I would have expected L’Engle to treat with greater care. I objected to a few lesser issues that most won’t even notice in 2022 but they are not in keeping with her typical style.

A most unusual wrinkle in L’Engle’s collection of writings

The book drew me in immediately because of the setting: The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. It is a beautiful and wonderful sanctuary. The characters were also very good people: doctors, priests, musicians, but of course, there is evil all around the cathedral. While the main character, Katherine, has worked through her past and then starts her retirement in NYC as a famed concert pianist. It seems that everyone in this book is somehow connected to the Cathedral or the Arts. Katherine is the great counselor who helps her neighbors and the people connected with the Cathedral to come to peace and heal through her and her music. Too many coincidence's in the novel, but who knew that Madeleine L'Engel also wrote for adults? She has many novels out there from which to choose.

A SEVERED WASP is a sequel to THE SMALL RAIN, L'Engle's first published book written 40 years earlier. It is fascinating to see how the characters grow, change, live, die, relate, evolve, interact, and make new acquaintances and relationships. It is equally fascinating to see and enjoy how L'Engle's style has also changed, evolved, matured, and improved. In A SEVERED WASP, Katherine Vigneras is older, now a retired celebrated concert pianist. She has been married, widowed, suffered under Nazi brutality, and yet her calling and drive has remained music and performance. There are liberal doses of theology, music history and composers, psychology, and large themes of family, aging, fidelity, forgiveness, and complex human relationships shared through music, religion, and art. It is best to read both novels in sequence. Both are highly enjoyable, complementary, sequential, yet each is a different experience. Highly recommended.

Um, WTF ML'E? This has a bizarre soap opera storyline. So much craziness without a real purpose for it. She clearly has all kinds of things to work out with homosexuality...and race. And these to Katherine Forrester Vigneras books are none too feminist-friendly. Yikes and yikes.

Here's a quote that reflects a major theme (unhappy jealous women) in the book: "Unhappy women often want to make their sons hate their fathers, in order to keep on possessing them, even beyond the grave. You have just seen what an unhappy, jealous woman can be driven to do."

Also, spoiler alert, the only people of color in the book are the villains.

There's lots of creepy older man/younger women stuff, as usual.

I love ML'E on the whole, but I really, really don't like her beauty obsession. Any woman of value must be or become beautiful (Meg, Polly, Flip, Katherine, etc.) and ugliness usually is equated with bad temperment.

So, majorly disappointed in this one and makes me dislike more The Small Rain in retrospect.

This is, by far, my very favorite L'Engle piece. Since she was a family friend, I grew up reading all of her books since they were what I always got for birthdays, Christmas and anniversaries of baptism. As I grew older, I was given books like this one, or A Live Coal in the Sea, and I fell in love all over again. This, more than the others, has been a staple in the readings of my life. I read it over and over again, perpetually amazed at the magic that comes from her words. I feel so at home in this book, surrounded by music and God. Once, I used this novel as a devotional to try to mix-up my Bible Study routine, and tried to find the workings of God in every character in every page. It was one of the greatest things I've ever done for myself, because I find that I relate so well to the characters, and can find new ways to relate to God through them.

If you're not sure that you want to read this book, remember that action comes before faith. Read the book, and you won't be able to put it down.