Mom collected a lot more than books. She collected friends. We moved around a lot in the 1960s and ’70s, and she stayed in touch with each group of friends and neighbors. This was pre-email, of course. Dad used to tease that Mom kept the post office solvent.

One friend was Newbery-winning author Madeleine L’Engle.

In a future post, I’ll share some of their correspondence. In the meantime, I read L’Engle’s most famous book (finally!) this month.

Week 1: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

It’s with more than a little bit of a blush that I admit this is the first time I’ve picked up a book by Madeleine L’Engle.

Especially since many of them include a note personally signed by Ms. L’Engle.

Yesterday was her birthday; she was born 102 years ago. I can imagine how faithful Mom was in sending a card to mark the occasion each year until Ms. L’Engle’s passing in 2007.

If it’s been a while since you’ve read her work, here’s a reminder: the underlying message of Madeleine L’Engle’s writing is that God and science can peacefully coexist. In this year of the Covid pandemic, this seems especially important to remember.

Week 2: Memories of a Retired Cop by Robert Meyerholz

This second book is also a nod to Mom (it’s been a tough month, as November 24 was the first anniversary of her passing) in that it was written by one of New Haven’s finest.

I “met” Robert Meyerholz through one of the Facebook groups set up for folks who grew up in New Haven to swap memories. Mr. Meyerholz posted occasional stories about his 17 years as a police officer, starting in 1961.

After enjoying several of his recollections, I posted a comment suggesting that these stories would make a great blog. Well, he was one step ahead of me – he’d published them in a book five years ago! (We sent a copy to Mom’s sister, Bunny, and she polished it off in a day.)

Mr. Meyerholz’s years on the force didn’t coincide with Grandpa‘s, but the stories are warmly reminiscent of the times when police officers got to know the families and business owners on their beat.

Week 3: Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

This book has had a place on my bookshelves since the early ’70s. My middle-school friend Jenny gave me a copy as our family prepared to move 1,000 miles away.

This morality tale took the nation by storm, as a young seagull learns to soar, despite what the rest of the flock thinks of him.

Jonathan’s determination to succeed in finding a life outside of bickering over food with other seagulls is an uplifting fable well suited to modern times.

Week 4: Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene

Another winner from Mr. Greene. This time we head to pre-Castro Cuba and meet a simple vacuum-cleaner salesman who gets pulled into a spy ring.

Mr. Wormold doesn’t really want to be a spy, but he can’t pass up the chance to earn more money to spend on his teenage daughter. He’s not exactly Inspector Clouseau (in fact, he’s the opposite), but he manages to get himself into quite a pickle.

Our Man in Havana wasn’t only published as a book. It was made into a movie, a play, and even an opera. My favorite moment is the checker game toward the end as all the pieces finally start to fit together.

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