A review by pturnbull
Listening for Madeleine: A Portrait of Madeleine L'Engle in Many Voices by Leonard S. Marcus

3.0

Listening for Madeleine is a collection of interviews with persons who knew Madeleine L'Engle thematically arranged: Madeleine In the Making, Writer, Matriarch, Mentor, Friend, Icon. L'Engle emerges as an enormously self-confident, privileged woman. She was deeply engaged in Christian spiritual exploration, an excellent speaker with a demanding book tour schedule, strongly opinionated, and eager to befriend and mentor the young. Towards the end of the book we also hear from those less inclined to adulate her. I found these interviews particularly insightful. L'Engle was such a powerful presence that you can feel her through the pages of the book--she practically leaps out from them. Any fan of L'Engle's will appreciate the breadth of these points of view.