Meet the Austins: Book One of The Austin Family Chronicles Audiobook

" This is the book I've always wanted to read about ordinary family life. Madeleine L'Engle is able to see the beauty in the subtle plot lines of the everyday. I wish I had read this book when I was twelve. I'm already excited to share it with my (yet unborn) twelve year old daughter. "

" wholesome "

" Very nice portrait of a wonderful family. Makes you want to strive to be like them. "

" Meet the Austin's is a sweet, old-fashioned read about a kind and quirky family whose lives are disrupted when they take in a spoiled orphan girl. "

" L'Engle's book about this delightful family follows several key events in their life over the course of about a year or so. Each of these events serves as a lens into the character and spirit of this family, showing them to be people of a rich a vibrant faith, culture, and love for one another. The stories of this family--all from the perspective of the second child, Vicky--are enjoyable to read and offer the young reader (and the old, for that matter) helpful ways to think about and process the trials and travails of life. That said, the book feels more like a collection of short stories than as a single unified work. This is due in large part to the episodic nature of the chapters, with very little in the way of an overarching story to serve as a through-line. "

" I loved the Austins and wanted to be Suzy but knew I was more like Vicky (sans the whole math thing). (If your Jan pined over Marcia's good fortune, this will resonate.) "

" Used to love the Austins. Now, I am not sure what was so special about them. The main girl was a little whiny, but I liked the part when the power went out and they had to fill the bathtubs and drink that water. It's now kind of gross looking back on it....and the mom was awesome. It made up for the whiny oldest sister. "

" In considering how sad I was to hear of Ms. L'Engle's death this year, I decided to go back and try the books I hadn't already read. This one was great. So much better than the sarcastic, insulting stuff written for kids today. "

" This is the first in a series about the Austin family. They're a fun family that are very close and happy together. It's a good series that talks about what it's like to grow up in a good family. "

" Loved it as a kid, re-reading to see if it is appropriate for my 9 year old. It is still great, I think I'll pass it on. "

" Though I'm not a *gasp* A Wrinkle in Time fan, I do remember reading two of L'Engle's other Austin family books and enjoying them. I decided to read this one as it is the genesis of the Austin family stories. It's a relatively quiet book about a family being a family. Solidly written and enjoyable. "

" What a sweet little book! This was just charming, even though I'm like 25 years older than the target age :) "

" cute. very realistic. "

" This was the first Madeleine L'Engle book I ever read and I loved it - I wished for a family like the Austins. I wept the first time I read it and still tear up a bit during the climax. Beautifully written. "

" An enjoyable read, but I prefer the Wrinkle In Time series so far. Still, I'll definitely pick up the next one with these characters. "

" I loved reading L'Engle's Wrinkle in time series that I thought it was about time to start this series on the Austins. I loved this book and can't wait to read the second book in the series. Thanks Betsy for the recommendation! "

" This is the story of a family with five kids. One girl is taken in to the Austin household after the death of her parents. Perhaps a little biographical of L'Engle taking in her third child Maria after the death of Maria's parents. A very good book-teenage book. "

" it was a cute book but it was so unlike the time books. "

" I think this is a rather light weight book, for L'Engle. But it was still an easy read and enjoyable enough. "

" It could be that I'm just burned out on L'Engle since I just read the Murry series, but this seemed not only incohesive, but also just pretty boring. "

" It's alright. It's like the opposite of the Time series. An average family dealing with average things. Kind of interesting. "

" This is one of those books that gives you that warm feeling when you read it. I really liked the main character and Mrs. L'Engle is a great author "

" Love L'Engle - especially sci-fi/fantasy stuff - this is a bit of a departure - but sweet and thought provoking and a glimpse into the '50's family sensibility (Father doesn't like when women wear pants!) "

" A nice flashback to adolescence. This book is a pre-prequel to one of my favorite books - A Ring of Endless Light by L'Engle. I had never read this one before so it is nice to get more of the background story. "

" Delightful! This family saga offered many surprises. Will give to some kids I know and will read more in the series! "

" I love Madeleine L'Engle's frank analysis of how people work. "

" You will fall in love with this family as I did! "