Quick book thoughts before going out and about this Friday night!

54. Two-Part Invention – The Story of a Marriage by Madeleine L’Engle. I greatly enjoyed this one. It’s a memoir of sorts and it’s by one of my favourite authors and so the odds were in its favour, I’ll admit. And sure enough, a winner! This nonfiction by L’Engle focuses on her marriage to Hugh Franklin, who I’ll confess I knew very little about going into this one! If you know me at all, you know that I’m already a huge fan of L’Engle’s writing and so of course reading this one felt just like snuggling into a warm blanket and drinking a hot cup of cocoa. That’s not to say this story is all sunshine and roses. There are some very dark and depressing parts of this book, to be sure. But L’Engle is frank and honest as she describes her feelings even in these dark moments. You get a very good idea of what she believes and the nature of her faith in Christ in this book, which I found greatly fascinating and encouraging. You also get many of her musings on marriage and life and death. Of course all of this is intertwined with the narrative that L’Engle unfurls so brilliantly. Her prose is as simple and beautiful as always and the core themes of this book sing true. Oh and also? As someone who loves reading about artsy and literary subjects, I delighted in reading about L’Engle’s growing up and living in a very culturally rich and diverse environment. I most certainly felt some twinges of jealousy at times. All that being said? This was a beautiful read and heartily recommended for anyone who wants to know a bit more about one of the best American authors of the 20th century. I look forward to re-reading at a later date, especially when I’m a bit further along in my own marriage!