Meet the Austins
Meet the Austins by Madeleine L’Engle is a captivating entry in the Austin Family Chronicles, published by Macmillan on September 2, 2008. This edition, written in English and spanning 240 pages, introduces readers to the Austin family, who navigate the complexities of life when they welcome an orphaned girl, Maggy Hamilton, into their home. The story explores the dynamics of a large family and the challenges that arise when a new member disrupts their established routine.
In this narrative, Vicky, John, Suzy, and Rob Austin strive to be supportive and accommodating to Maggy, despite her difficult behavior. The book delves into themes of family, grief, and the impact of new experiences, as the Austins confront the chaos that Maggy brings into their lives. Readers will find a rich portrayal of family life, highlighting both the joys and struggles that come with welcoming someone new into a close-knit household.
Official synopsis Publisher
Book one of the Austin Family Chronicles, an award-winning young adult series from Madeleine L’Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time, about a girl who experiences the difficulties and joys of growing up.
“Beautifully written, with integrity and warmth, and young people are bound to identify with the characters, each a person in his own right, and to read absorbed from first page to last. Thoroughly recommended.” —Chicago Tribune
For a family with four kids, two dogs, assorted cats, and a constant stream of family and friends dropping by, life in the Austin family home has always been remarkably steady and contented. When a family friend suddenly dies in a plane crash, the Austins open their home to an orphaned girl, Maggy Hamilton. The Austin children—Vicky, John, Suzy, and Rob—do their best to be generous and welcoming to Maggy.
Vicky knows she should feel sorry for Maggy, but having sympathy for Maggy is no easy thing. Maggy is moody and spoiled; she breaks toys, wakes people in the middle of the night screaming, discourages homework, and generally causes chaos in the Austin household. How can one small child disrupt a family of six? Will life ever return to normal?
Praise for Meet the Austins:
“A family story that simply doesn’t date, characters ring as true now as I’m sure they ever did.” —Charlotte Jones Voiklis, Granddaughter of Madeleine L’Engle
“Yes, by all means ‘meet the Austins,’ for a nicer family would be hard to find. The book is beautifully written, with integrity and warmth, and young people are bound to identify with the characters, each a person in his own right, and to read absorbed from first page to last. Thoroughly recommended.” —Chicago Tribune
“An unusual book. . . . There are intimate details of home life that everyone will recognize with pleasure; there is great warmth in the family relationship, and it is movingly communicated.” —The New York Times
“Told with warmth and humor, this is a perceptive, forthright story of a loving and likeable family.” —Booklist
“Her books . . . tend to be about the intersection of some fantastic unearthly world and the ordinary world in which we live.” —Daniel Handler (a.k.a. Lemony Snicket)
“. . . [an] ode to faith and family . . .” —Quin Hillyer, American Spectator
Books by Madeleine L’Engle
A Wrinkle in Time Quintet
A Wrinkle in Time
A Wind in the Door
A Swiftly Tilting Planet
Many Waters
An Acceptable Time
A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel by Madeleine L’Engle; adapted & illustrated by Hope Larson
Intergalactic P.S. 3 by Madeleine L’Engle; illustrated by Hope Larson: A standalone story set in the world of A Wrinkle in Time.
The Austin Family Chronicles
Meet the Austins (Volume 1)
The Moon by Night (Volume 2)
The Young Unicorns (Volume 3)
A Ring of Endless Light (Volume 4) A Newbery Honor book!
Troubling a Star (Volume 5)
The Polly O’Keefe books
The Arm of the Starfish
Dragons in the Waters
A House Like a Lotus
And Both Were Young
Camilla
The Joys of Love
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