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Reading Group Guide

Discussion Questions

A Light So Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L'Engle, Author of A Wrinkle in Time

1. What's your favorite Madeleine L'Engle book, if any? Why?

2. How does A LIGHT SO LOVELY define the idea of a paradox? In what ways did Madeleine embody a both/and approach to life?

3. Madeleine and her lifelong friend, Luci Shaw, often disagreed sharply but still remained friends. What does it take to maintain that sort of bond, particularly in today's polarizing cultural discourse?

4. In Chapter 3, what are the four different approaches to myth? What are some examples of each category?

5. What is something that surprises or intrigues you about Madeleine's spiritual journey, particularly as it's described in Chapter 4?

6. What are some examples from Chapter 5 of Madeleine's influence on writers and artists?

7. How did Madeleine change the conversation among people of faith about the role of art in their lives and congregations?

8. How does Chapter 6 describe the challenges Madeleine's family faced regarding her handling of facts versus fiction?

9. What does it look like for Madeleine's family to "give her the dignity of being human," as her granddaughter Charlotte put it? How might that translate to other relationships in our lives?

10. In Chapter 7, what are some of the spiritual habits Madeleine practiced, even when she was struggling? Why were those practices important?

11. What does Madeleine's quote "Believing takes practice" mean?

12. If Madeleine were still alive and you could ask her one question, what would it be?

A Light So Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L'Engle, Author of A Wrinkle in Time
by Sarah Arthur