pharmdad2007's review against another edition
2.0
This really seemed more like half a book to me. I don't know if the intent was to narrow the scope of the work, or keep it simpler for younger readers, but it was kind of jarring the way it abruptly ended right at the moment of publication of the author's best-known work. Really more like a collection of journal entries and remembrances from part of a life. Not bad, just not complete enough to be good either.
jbojkov's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting look at Madeline L’Engle’s life by her two granddaughters. It includes many photos and excerpts from her journals. This one only goes up until the publication of A Wrinkle in Time. I wish it had been longer, but it was intended as a juvenile biography. I enjoyed it.
ajacks's review against another edition
4.0
I support independent bookstores. You can use this link to find one near you: http://www.indiebound.org
ralovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Recommended!
Becoming Madeleine is a biography aimed toward middle grade readers, or between the ages of 8-12, written by Madeleine's granddaughters, Charlotte and Léna. The "action" of the book starts with background information on Madeleine's parents and concludes at the publication of A Wrinkle in Time; the authors also include more personal notes at the beginning and end of the book. I thought they did a great job setting the context of the United States at war and how disorienting it was for Madeleine to move around so much as a child. The best parts of this book are the many photos, scanned letters, and excerpts from Madeleine's journals. I have read so many of Madeleine's memoirs that none of the events in this book were new to me. I actually found it comforting when the authors quoted her and I saw the familiar turns of phrase. The most delightful parts for me were the snippets from her journals, like when she writes as a child, "I have made a sort of promise to myself saying that I will not read trash books." HA! I really hope young readers read this book, develop deep affection for childhood/adolescent Madeleine, and then go on to read and love her work.
Becoming Madeleine is a biography aimed toward middle grade readers, or between the ages of 8-12, written by Madeleine's granddaughters, Charlotte and Léna. The "action" of the book starts with background information on Madeleine's parents and concludes at the publication of A Wrinkle in Time; the authors also include more personal notes at the beginning and end of the book. I thought they did a great job setting the context of the United States at war and how disorienting it was for Madeleine to move around so much as a child. The best parts of this book are the many photos, scanned letters, and excerpts from Madeleine's journals. I have read so many of Madeleine's memoirs that none of the events in this book were new to me. I actually found it comforting when the authors quoted her and I saw the familiar turns of phrase. The most delightful parts for me were the snippets from her journals, like when she writes as a child, "I have made a sort of promise to myself saying that I will not read trash books." HA! I really hope young readers read this book, develop deep affection for childhood/adolescent Madeleine, and then go on to read and love her work.
urmomsfavauthor's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
thislibrarylife's review against another edition
5.0
So good! Quick read, and perfect if you love L'Engle like I do.
amdame1's review against another edition
3.0
The biography of Madeleine L'Engle written by two of her granddaughters who actually lived with her for some time. They used her journals extensively throughout to supplement the text. Black and white photographs of L'Engle's life as well. Biography stops with publication of Wrinkle in Time. I enjoyed reading about Madeleine L'Engle's early life. I knew nothing about her before reading this. It is interesting. Loved the early family photos as well. There are *lots* of journal excerpts, so it seems very authentic. So many excerpts that there is very little writing from the granddaughters, however; might as well just read the journals. Timing is good with movie release of Wrinkle in Time.
beautifullybookishbethany's review against another edition
4.0
I saw this on a display at my library and had to grab it! As a teen I went through a big Madeleine L'Engle phase and, with the release of the Wrinkle in Time film, I was really curious to know more about her life. This is a short biography written by her grand-daughters and the target audience is definitely on the younger side. I flew through it in a few hours and really enjoyed my time getting to know this iconic author better.
Full of photos and documents, Becoming Madeleine documents her life up through Wrinkle in Time being published. She had teenage children at that point. Her background is interesting and at times tragic (particularly in the early years), but it's amazing to see her path to becoming the fantastic writer that many of us have known and loved. I definitely recommend this for anyone who is a fan of her books or who dreams of writing. She was unconventional and ahead of her time, but also forgetful, a middling students, and sometimes oblivious to the feelings of others. This was a very thoughtful, human portrayal.
Full of photos and documents, Becoming Madeleine documents her life up through Wrinkle in Time being published. She had teenage children at that point. Her background is interesting and at times tragic (particularly in the early years), but it's amazing to see her path to becoming the fantastic writer that many of us have known and loved. I definitely recommend this for anyone who is a fan of her books or who dreams of writing. She was unconventional and ahead of her time, but also forgetful, a middling students, and sometimes oblivious to the feelings of others. This was a very thoughtful, human portrayal.
amplenert's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed reading Madeleine L’Engle’s journal entries and learning about her early life. But the memoir was very... careful. It’s written for kids so I guess that makes sense but I would have liked more detail.