This powerful collection of short stories from the beloved author of A Wrinkle in Time--curated by one of L'Engle's granddaughters--traces an emotional arc inspired by Madeleine L'Engle's early life and career. From her lonely childhood in New York to her life as a mother in small-town Connecticut, each story illustrates how L'Engle's personal experiences and stormy faith informed the creation of her many cherished works. A child learns, for the first time, that there are more important thongs than the immediate fulfillment of desires; a young man returns to his childhood home, aggrieved to find his parents' health deteriorating; a cryptologist searches for habitable planets after nuclear devastation on Earth. In L'Engle's beautifully distilled world, characters young and old navigate the highs and lows of life, experiencing the agonizing beauty of the everyday. Some of these stories have never been published; others were refashioned into scenes for her novels and memoirs. Almost all were written in the 1940s and '50s, from L'Engle's college years until just before the publication of A Wrinkle in Time.

"Originally published in hardcover in April 2020"--Title page verso. "Exclusive to the paperback--a never-before-published story"--Cover. Includes reading group guide.

Introduction /Charlotte Jones Voiklis -- The birthday -- Gilberte must play Bach -- The mountains shall stand forever -- Summer camp -- White in the moon the long road lies -- Madame, or ... -- One day in spring -- Prelude to the first night alone -- Please wear your rubbers -- A room in Baltimore -- Julio at the party -- The foreign agent -- The moment of tenderness -- The foreigners -- The fact of the matter -- Poor little Saturday -- That which is left -- A sign for a sparrow -- The story of the figurehead.