To call Madeleine L'Engle my favorite author might be overstating things a bit. But not so much as to consider the statement untrue. It was only last year that I truly grasped the grandeur of her writing. Yet in that year I read almost every novel the woman wrote, and gave a speech about her in my speech class, while also writing a paper on her poetry. Other authors have probably had a great influence on me, yet few have engaged me the way L'Engle has.

She is best known for her novel, A Wrinkle In Time, which is usually considered a children's science fiction novel despite her protests. Yet she has written so much more than that. My personal favorites are The Small Rain and A Severed Wasp, the first dealing with the main character as a child, the other as an elderly woman. Camilla is another one I highly treasure.

Even though she hasn't released a novel for a while, I kept holding on to a hope that we would get a follow up to Charles from The Time Quartet. His tale demanded a follow up. But it was, apparently, not meant to be.

My thoughts and prayers go out to her family, friends, and fellow fans. Thank you for the great stories that transported us into your world, making us feel like we were getting to know you through your characters.

(For more information about L'Engle's life and death, check out the New York Times article about L'Engle's passing.)