A Swiftly Tilting Planet

Having read this book as a young-is child (probably in the 10-12yo range), I had nothing but fond memories of Madeleine L'Engle's Wrinkle in Time series (then a trilogy). But re-reading these in the last year, AWiT held up well and was even better than remembered, A Wind in the Door was pretty good and definitely gave me that “feel of wonder” that I remember from so long ago. But A Swiftly Tilting Planet was entirely, well, ugh. I just didn't enjoy it at all.

The story opens in familiar territory: the Murry family is gathered together for Thanksgiving dinner, along with Calvin's mother, Mrs. O'Keefe (now Meg's mother-in-law). The phone rings and it's the president, calling Mr. Murry with a huge dilemma... they have reports that a South American dictator plans to nuke the U.S.A. the next day. Perhaps Mr. Murry will be able to help them figure out how to change. Suddenly Mrs. O'Keefe comes alive with something of a chant, and charges Charles Wallace to find a solution. He meets up with a unicorn and goes back in time, kything into other people at different points in history. I can't say much more about it without spoilers.

The thing about this book is that one has to keep in mind that it was written at the height of the cold war during a time of extreme international tension with the specter of nuclear war that permeated everything in society. That angst comes through loud and clear in ASTP. With the political climate the way it currently exists here in the states, I don't think I was in the mood for political undertones. And the plot is extremely slow-developing. And it has alternate history aspects (which is not something which I've ever enjoyed much). So maybe it's just a “not the right book for me at this moment” kind of thing, but I just didn't dig it all that much this time.