A Wrinkle in Time

For the film adaptations, see A Wrinkle in Time (2003 film) and A Wrinkle in Time (2018 film). For the book on cosmology, see Wrinkles in Time.

A Wrinkle in Time
First-edition dust jacket
AuthorMadeleine L'Engle
IllustratorEllen Raskin (1960s editions)
LanguageEnglish
GenreYoung adult, science fantasy
PublisherAriel Books
Publication date
January 1, 1962
Publication placeUnited States
OCLC22421788
LC ClassPZ7.L5385 Wr 1962[1]
Followed byA Wind in the Door 

A Wrinkle in Time is a young adult science fantasy novel written by American author Madeleine L'Engle. First published in 1962,[2] the book won the Newbery Medal, the Sequoyah Book Award and the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, and was runner-up for the Hans Christian Andersen Award.[3][a] The main characters – Meg Murry, Charles Wallace Murry, and Calvin O'Keefe – embark on a journey through space and time, from galaxy to galaxy, as they endeavor to rescue the Murrys' father and fight The Black Thing that has intruded into several worlds.

The novel offers a glimpse into the war between light and darkness, and good and evil, as the young characters mature into adolescents on their journey,[4] and wrestles with questions of spirituality and purpose, as the characters are often thrown into conflicts of love, divinity, and goodness.[4] It is the first book in L'Engle's Time Quintet, which follows the Murry family and O'Keefe.

L'Engle modeled the Murry family on her own. B. E. Cullinan noted that L'Engle created characters who "share common joy with a mixed fantasy and science fiction setting".[5] The novel's scientific and religious undertones are therefore highly reflective of the life of L'Engle.[6]

The book has inspired a 2003 television film directed by John Kent Harrison, and a 2018 theatrical film directed by Ava DuVernay, both produced by The Walt Disney Company.

  1. ^ A Wrinkle in Time. LC Online Catalog. U.S. Library of Congress. 1962. ISBN 9780374386139. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
  2. ^ L'Unji, Madeleine (2007). Go Fish: Questions for the Author. A Wrinkle in Time (Report). New York: Square Fish. p. 236. ISBN 978-0-312-36754-1.
  3. ^ Chase, Carole F. (1998). Suncatcher: A study of Madeleine L'Engle and her writing. Philadelphia: Innisfree Press. p. 170. ISBN 1-880913-31-3.
  4. ^ a b Thomas (2006). "L'Engle, Madeleine". In Dowling, E. M.; Scarlett, W. G. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Religious and Spiritual Development. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications – via Credo Reference.
  5. ^ Cullinan, Bernice E. (2005). "L'Engle, Madeleine". In Cullinan, B. E.; Person, D. G. (eds.). Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's Literature. London: Continuum – via Credo Reference.
  6. ^ Bailey, Sarah Pulliam (March 8, 2018). "Publishers rejected her, Christians attacked her: The deep faith of A Wrinkle in Time author Madeleine L'Engle". Biography in Context. The Washington Post. Retrieved November 29, 2018 – via Gale Group.


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