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    Ilsa: A Novel
    Ilsa: A Novel
    Ilsa: A Novel
    Audiobook11 hours

    Ilsa: A Novel

    Written by Madeleine L'Engle

    Narrated by Graham Halstead

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    A novel about the darker side of love by the bestselling author of A Wrinkle in Time and the Crosswicks Journals.

    From the moment Henry Porcher first sees Ilsa Brandes, he worships her. Despite controversy surrounding the young girl, Henry is drawn to her, a fascination that turns into a lifelong infatuation.

    As the years pass, Ilsa’s memory never leaves him, not until the day he returns to their sleepy Southern hometown and renews their childhood friendship. Henry watches as she becomes a wife, then a mother, then a widow, irrevocably changed by tragedy.

    This rare and sought-after novel is a portrait of a remarkable woman bound by both the stifling conventions of her time and place, and her own sense of honor and purpose.

    A departure from L’Engle’s later works, Ilsa is a dark, intriguing novel about passion, fixation, and the real price of unrequited love by an author renowned for her children’s classics as well as her candid personal memoirs.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateMay 15, 2018
    ISBN9781543629958
    Author

    Madeleine L'Engle

    Madeleine L'Engle (1918-2007) was the Newbery Medal-winning author of more than 60 books, including the much-loved A Wrinkle in Time. Born in 1918, L'Engle grew up in New York City, Switzerland, South Carolina and Massachusetts. Her father was a reporter and her mother had studied to be a pianist, and their house was always full of musicians and theater people. L'Engle graduated cum laude from Smith College, then returned to New York to work in the theater. While touring with a play, she wrote her first book, The Small Rain, originally published in 1945. She met her future husband, Hugh Franklin, when they both appeared in The Cherry Orchard. Upon becoming Mrs. Franklin, L'Engle gave up the stage in favor of the typewriter. In the years her three children were growing up, she wrote four more novels. Hugh Franklin temporarily retired from the theater, and the family moved to western Connecticut and for ten years ran a general store. Her book Meet the Austins, an American Library Association Notable Children's Book of 1960, was based on this experience. Her science fantasy classic A Wrinkle in Time was awarded the 1963 Newbery Medal. Two companion novels, A Wind in the Door and A Swiftly Tilting Planet (a Newbery Honor book), complete what has come to be known as The Time Trilogy, a series that continues to grow in popularity with a new generation of readers. Her 1980 book A Ring of Endless Light won the Newbery Honor. L'Engle passed away in 2007 in Litchfield, Connecticut.

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    Reviews for Ilsa

    3.5/5

    22 ratings1 review

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    • 4/5
      This was my first novel by Madeleine L’Engle and for the most part, I found it an engaging and enjoyable read. I definitely was more interested in the first half of the novel, but found last half a bit disappointing.The disappointment is mainly due to the character of Henry. We meet Henry as a young boy when he discovers a new friend, Ilsa, who is a few years older. He becomes fascinated by Ilsa. As the years pass, Henry never grows out of this fascination, even though he spends several years away from her. In the novel, we never see Henry in any setting that does not involve Ilsa, so it seems we are only privy to one aspect of his character.When Henry decides to go home, he naturally gravitates to Ilsa again. I felt like at this point the novel lost it’s steam due to the fact that Henry never seems to grow (or grow up). He has no drive or ambition and seems to follow Ilsa much as a loyal dog follows its master. Henry became quite pathetic to me. As an adult, he had opportunities to try and take his relationship with Ilsa to the next level, but never acted upon them. By the time he did, Ilsa did not see him as a romantic partner and certainly she may never have seen him in that role.There are several themes running throughout the novel that would make for great discussion. L’Engle presents the subjects of dysfunctional families, marital abuse, alcoholism and bigotry, among other things. She also presents some eccentric Southern characters who are able to demonstrate love and acceptance, a sense of responsibility towards others and the value of close family ties.Overall, I enjoyed reading Ilsa and look forward to reading more from L’Engle in the future. I think any reader who likes Ann Patchett will enjoy this novel as well. There are a few typos in the kindle edition I read that need correcting, but this did not affect the content in any way.Many thanks to NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media for allowing me to read a copy in exchange for an honest review.