Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Meet the Austins


This past month has been dark, wet, and a grumpy kind of month that caused me to be out of a reading mood. This is why I have been so long in getting this post in. Finally, someone suggested I read Meet the Austins by Madeleine L'engle, and I am glad I picked it up.

Maggy's mother died, and then just a few months later her dad dies. Maggy was supposed to go to Elena and Hal, but Hal died in the same plane crash Maggy's father died in; so she can’t go there. One of Elena's good friends and old collage roommates takes on the responsibility with her husband, Dr. Austin, and their four children, John, Victoria, Suzy, and Rob. Now, they all have to cope with another child, Maggy.

It takes all five children a long time to get used to each other, the Austins coming from 'a different world' than Maggy, but through the many struggles and problems they finally begin to understand each other in new ways.

My favorite character was hard to decide. It was between the oldest, John, and the youngest and most innocent, Rob. In the end I chose John because he was the oldest, and went through the most, and had to take and keep charge and order, and keep everyone safe. It seems to me he was the big brother that everyone looked up to.

I laughed along with all the characters, was upset when they got into trouble, and when frantic as they faced with many different problems.

(I have decided I am not going to 'rate' books anymore, it’s too hard for me to decide what number it should get, when I like almost any book I read.)

2 comments:

Me said...

Oh yay, you read it. I was hoping you would! I really enjoyed this book. Our family read it together in the evenings last fall. For the second time. :) I have to agree with you about Rob. He's such a darling! I love reading all his 'God blesses.' I stole part of L'Engle's format for my own story!
Bree

Nicole said...

This book defiantly brightened up the month for me; as I already said, February is such a dreary month for me, but books like this change that incredibly!