LDS Ladies Book Club discussion

For the month of March, we will read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. This was one of the first science fiction books written for kids, and with a girl as the protagonist. It may be outside many of your comfort zones, but give it a try, I think you'll like it! It can also count for many different challenge prompts, including part of a series!

One of my favorites as a kid!

I fell in love with reading because of this book. I can't wait to read it agin.

This book almost didn't make it to print! It was rejected more than 25 times and the reasons were all over the board: the main character was a girl, the book was too much science for Christians, the book was too much Christianity for standard fiction, the book was anti-American, the book was anti-Feminist, and ever so many more issues! There are a few interesting articles at Mental Floss and NPR.

I first read this book as part of a class in 4th grade, and loved it so much! I asked my parents to buy the rest of the series and while the next two (A Wind in the Door and A Swiftly Tilting Planet) were over my head; I LOVED the twins' adventure in Many Waters (although many like this one the least)! It wasn't until much later that I read the last book in the series, An Acceptable Time, and I don't remember specifically loving or hating it. But I do love to return to Wrinkle over and over again. Also, I can't wait until my 7 year old gets a bit older so I can share this beloved story with her!

This month, we're only going to have one thread for questions. Feel free to answer what you want and skip others. Please leave a question for the person below you and answer the question left above!
Questions
1. Meg learns so many lessons over the course of this book! What is your favorite? (or one that you can relate to)?

2. A Wrinkle in Time is often criticized for being a Christian book. Do you feel that it is one? Why or why not?

3. How are Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which distinguished from one another? Do you have a favorite?

4. Why do you think IT is depicted as a disembodied brain?

5. Answer the question left above you.

6. Leave a question for the person below you.

1. Meg learns so many lessons over the course of this book! What is your favorite? (or one that you can relate to)?
I could definitely relate to Meg learning that it's okay to be who you are. Watching Meg being so unhappy with herself - looks and personality - really resonated with me on a personal level because I've felt like that a lot during my own life! I really appreciated how she learned that our faults help make up who we are, but that isn't a bad thing because they can actually be blessings.

2. A Wrinkle in Time is often criticized for being a Christian book. Do you feel that it is one? Why or why not?
Personally, I thought that this book was a fantastic balance between science and Christianity. I love how this book really marries the two subjects. We live in a world where people say science and Christianity can't exist side-by-side, but in actuality they compliment each other.

3. How are Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which distinguished from one another? Do you have a favorite?
These three characters kind of confused me. What are they? Are all three of them really stars? Angels? Are angels stars? I could only tell the difference between them by the way they speak.

4. Why do you think IT is depicted as a disembodied brain?
This was a really interesting concept. The human brain is amazing and it symbolizes knowledge/wisdom, which is important to have. But on the other hand, relying solely on our own intellect and not trusting in God is harmful to our spiritual development. So I guess I like that the controlling evil was coming from/represented by a brain.

5. Answer the question left above you.
N/A

6. Leave a question for the person below you.
Which planet that the children visit was your favorite? Why?

1. Meg learns so many lessons over the course of this book! What is your favorite? (or one that you can relate to)?
Meg is one of my all-time favorite characters! She struggles with understanding and accepting herself, and she tends to rush head-long into things without thinking them through. However, she loves her family and, once she makes friends, is fiercely loyal to them. Also, it takes her years to accept her physical appearance. I feel like I can relate to Meg in pretty much every way. (Seriously, it took me 28 years to finally learn how to do my hair, and I was always wishing that I was fair, tall, slender, and popular like my younger sister).

2. A Wrinkle in Time is often criticized for being a Christian book. Do you feel that it is one? Why or why not?
I agree with Kimberly that this is a great balance between science and Christianity. I love the way L'Engle proves in this book that you can easily have both, since they sometimes seem to be presented as polar opposites.

3. How are Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which distinguished from one another? Do you have a favorite?
They all seem to have different speech patterns, and are described as different physically as well. However, in my mind, they are still very interchangeable. They seemed to be former stars that fought against the darkness and lost, but were rewarded with the ability to help others in their fight (maybe like the 3 Nephites?).

4. Why do you think IT is depicted as a disembodied brain?
I know that when the book was written, the same-ness in the town was meant to be a warning of and/or resemble the way Communism worked. But I agree with Kimberly that the brain is great, but you have to rely on more than just your mind, as it can be easily fooled. I have a good friend who used a strict, black and white approach to the gospel and ended up talking herself out of it, because she disregarded the moral, ethical, and spiritual sides of the religion. You can easily get caught in the trap of thinking you know more than others, or more than God, and lose yourself in the process.

5. Answer the question left above you: Which planet tha tthe children visit was your favorite? Why?
I loved the planet with "Aunt Beast." I felt like this was a beautiful place for Meg to rest and learn the things she would need to know in order to return and save her brother. It reminds me a little of the peace you can find when you are searching for an answer and attend the temple towards that purpose.

6. Leave a question for the person below you.
Do you think you are going to read any more of the series?