A Wrinkle in Time (novel)

Before you open my cover, you might feel a little shiver of curiosity. What secrets do I hold? I am not just paper and ink. I am a doorway to other worlds, a whisper of starlight and shadow. I am the story of a dark and stormy night, of a girl who felt like she didn't fit in, and of a universe far bigger and more wonderful than she could ever imagine. Inside my pages, you can travel across galaxies in the blink of an eye, not in a spaceship, but by folding time and space itself. Can you imagine bending the universe like a piece of fabric to get from one point to another in an instant? That’s the kind of journey I offer, a puzzle of cosmic proportions and an adventure for the heart. I am the book, 'A Wrinkle in Time'.

My storyteller was a woman named Madeleine L'Engle. She was full of questions about the universe, just like you might be. She loved her family, but she also loved science—things like quantum physics and Einstein's theories. She saw no difference between the wonder of faith and the wonder of a star exploding millions of light-years away. One day, while on a cross-country camping trip with her family, she read a book about Einstein and started wondering, 'What if you could travel through space by taking a shortcut?'. That idea, a 'wrinkle' in time, sparked my whole story. But when Madeleine finished writing me, not everyone understood. Many publishers, more than two dozen of them, said 'no thank you'. They thought I was too different, too strange. Was I a book for kids or for grown-ups? Was I science fiction or fantasy? They couldn't decide where I belonged. But Madeleine believed in me, and finally, on January 1st, 1962, a publisher named John C. Farrar said yes. He saw the magic in my pages, and I was finally able to find my way into the hands of readers.

My story is about a girl named Meg Murry. She has messy hair, wears glasses, and often feels like an oddball at school and even at home. But she is also brave, smart, and has a heart full of fierce love for her family. She especially loves her little brother, Charles Wallace, who is a quiet genius, and her scientist father, who has mysteriously disappeared while working on a top-secret project. One dark and stormy night, Meg, Charles Wallace, and their new friend, Calvin O'Keefe, are visited by three strange and wonderful celestial beings: Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which. These guides are ancient and wise, and they show the children how to 'tesser,' or wrinkle time and space, to travel across the universe in an instant. Their mission is to rescue Mr. Murry from a dark planet called Camazotz, which is controlled by a giant, pulsing brain called IT. On Camazotz, everyone is forced to be exactly the same. Children bounce their balls in perfect, terrifying rhythm, and no one dares to be different. There is no love or individuality, only cold, empty order. Meg has to learn that her faults—her impatience, her stubbornness, her deep feelings—are actually her greatest strengths. It’s her powerful love for her family that gives her the courage to face the darkness when no one else can.

When I was first shared with the world, I showed readers that a hero could be an ordinary girl who felt out of place. My story was a new kind of adventure. A year after I was published, in 1963, I was given a very special award called the Newbery Medal, which meant that many people saw the importance of my story about light, darkness, and love. For decades, I have sat on shelves in libraries and bedrooms, reminding people that it's okay to be different. I taught them that science and faith can ask the same big questions, and that the most powerful force in the entire universe isn't a weapon or a giant brain, but love. Today, I hope I still inspire you to look up at the night sky and wonder. I want you to know that your own unique quirks are your superpowers, and that you have the strength inside you to fight any darkness, just by being yourself and loving fiercely. I am more than a book; I am a reminder that you, too, can wrinkle time and make a difference in the universe.