Thank you @grandcentralpub for my gifted copy of “The Moment of Tenderness” by Madeleine L’Engle! (pub date 4/21)
From the beloved author of “A Wrinkle in Time” comes a deeply personal, genre-bending short story collection that transcends generational divides & reminds readers that hope, above all, can transform suffering into the promise of joy.
This powerful collection of short stories traces an emotional arc inspired by Madeleine L’Engle’s early life & career, from her lonely childhood in NY to her life as a mother in small-town Connecticut. In a selection of eighteen stories discovered by one of L’Engle’s granddaughters, we see how L’Engle’s personal experiences & abiding faith informed the creation of her many cherished works.
A child learns, for the first time, that there are more important things in life than the immediate fulfillment of her desires. A young woman grapples with societal expectations regarding motherhood & self-determination. A young man returns to his childhood home, aggrieved to find his parents’ health deteriorating before his eyes. A mother & daughter confront their changing relationship when a suitor comes calling. A cryptologist searches for habitable planets after nuclear devastation on Earth. In L’Engle’s beautifully distilled world, characters young & old navigate the highs & lows of life, experiencing the agonizing beauty of the everyday.
Some of these stories have never been published; others were refashioned into scenes for her novels & memoirs. Almost all were written in the 1940s & ’50s, from Madeleine’s college years until just before the publication of “A Wrinkle in Time”. From realism to science-fiction to fantasy, there is something for everyone in this magical collection.
First off, that cover! So gorgeous! Madeleine was born in 1918 & died in 2007, having lived through the 20th century & into the 21st. She wrote over 60 books before her passing. The tone of this book is mostly bittersweet, fraught w/sadness, loneliness, & emotional suffering. This won’t be for everyone, but it’s the kind of book where you can read a chapter here & there since they are short stories.
Engaging, provocative, touching & emotional, “The Moment of Tenderness” is a deep look into the complexity of human relationships of all kinds.
******Also, don’t forget to enter my current giveaway to win (5) thrillers (2 winners, 5 books each) on my Instagram. Click HERE to go to that post now. Giveaway ends tomorrow night, 5/27/20. Hope everyone is having a good week so far! We have had some super hot, sunny days here in N Ohio. Not complaining, especially since we have A/C. I sure don’t need hot, sweaty, stinky teenage boys running around my house all cranky from the heat. 😉
*Mom Loves Reading* 