A Light So Lovely by Sarah Arthur

This year in our homeschooling, we are reading A Wrinkle in Time. Before we picked the book, I had no idea that Madeleine L'Engle wrote from the Christian perspective. When the opportunity to read A Light So Lovely, about her spiritual legacy, came along I gladly said yes.

The book starts off with a brief over view of the L'Engle's life, which was very helpful for someone like me who was starting at point zero. Though at times it felt more like a biography than the spiritual memoir the author was aiming for. In that regard, in some ways, this is a book about L'Engles affect on Sarah Arthur and how her legacy lives out in her personal life.

The chapters include topics such as Truth and Story, Faith and Science, Religion and Art. My favorite was probably the Fact and Fiction chapter. Sometimes when you live in the realm of your own creation the lines between what has happened to you and what has happened to them can be confused. The warning was to not let that line become so blurred that you no longer participate with those that are present in your life. It does not do your relationships any good to fictionalize them or turn your family into caricature. In fact, it can damage the relationship and ultimately your own well being.

There were lots of great touchstones in the book, quotes from L'Engle as well as stories about how her work changed lives. One of my favorites is about why we go to church. In short she said that it was an outward sign of an promise, much like we wear wedding bands to represent our promise to our spouse. There are things in life that are beyond our understanding and that doesn't make them false just because they are a mystery. In fact, that mystery is a great invitation to seek God and see the goodness that is prevalent in all of creation.

If you are interested in learning more about L'Engle the person with all her blessings and curses, this is a concise collection of not only her life, but her impact on society and the culture of writing as well.

I received a copy of this book for review purposes from Handlebar Publishing on behalf of Zondervan. I'm never required to give a positive review but I'm always thankful when I can.

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