The Moment of Tenderness

Quotes

"[These stories] appear to the reader like stars . . . The Moment of Tenderness reflects not only L'Engle's growth as a writer but her search for her own personal philosophy, one that ultimately recognized opportunity and authenticity in nonconformity . . . L'Engle shared with her readers her great capacity for wonder, and her refreshingly earnest desire to tunnel deep inside the human heart and expose its power to generate and regenerate hope and love -- even in the face of eviscerating darkness."—New York Times

"Unique and powerful . . . these stories are lovely in their own right. There is beauty in their simplicity and intrigue in the depth of the characters' pain."—Associated Press

"Likable, unassuming pieces . . . [hope] animates even the most bittersweet stories."—Wall Street Journal

"Gemlike . . . A luminous collection that mines the mundane as cannily as the fantastic and extraterrestrial."—Kirkus, Starred Review

"An elegant curio-cabinet of a collection."—Vanity Fair

"L'Engle was a true New Yorker in the best sense: intrepid, dynamic, daring, resolute . . . If you're a close L'Engle follower -- and there are legions of them -- you'll appreciate this chance to chart the evolution of a fine thinker/writer, chronologically, story by story. Otherwise, you can admire each story separately, in its own right."—Providence Journal

"Whether you're a L'Engle super-fan or simply a lover of science fiction and fantasy, there's something here for any reader."—Esquire

"L'Engle's stories are softly tragic with sparkles of hope and a sincere faith, told in a simple and earnest voice . . . [these stories] will spark the interest of the approximately one bazillion fans of L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time."—Booklist

"Few fantasy writers had as indelible an influence on a certain tribe of bookish, introverted, curious children during the 20th century as the great L'Engle . . . for fans of L'Engle, [these stories] allow us a window into her process of writing fantasy, which she called the 'one and only language in the world that cuts across all barriers of time, place, race, and culture.'"
—The Millions

"Unswerving throughout is L'Engle's mastery of mood-setting language and her depiction of the complexity of human relationships. Voiklis's illuminating introduction places many of the stories in the context of L'Engle's life and points out those that were reworked and integrated into her later novels. The book will obviously attract L'Engle aficionados, but the thoughtful selection and organization recommends the volume to anyone curious about a writer's evolution."—Publishers Weekly