Madeleine L’Engle Reading Order

9 books (1988–2026)

Madeleine L'Engle edited eight anthologies between 1988 and 2021, presenting a diverse collection of stories and essays across fantasy, science fiction, and non-fiction genres. The series spans thematic compilations ranging from unicorn tales and women's writing to advent readings and Christian living, with contributions from various authors. These books are best read in publication order, beginning with The Unicorn Treasury. The series appears to be complete as of 2021.

Start with The Unicorn Treasury, the first of 8 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	The Unicorn Treasury 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Writing Women's Lives 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Second Sight 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Home for Christmas: Stories for Young and Old 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Wand in the Word 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Way More than Luck 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Following the Call: Living the Sermon on the Mount Together 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	A Radiant Resurrection: Lent and Easter Readings from Ash Wednesday to Pentecost 2026Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

8 books (1960–2000)

The Austin Family Chronicles is a complete eight-book series by Madeleine L'Engle published between 1960 and 2000. These fantasy and science fiction novels follow the interconnected adventures of the Austin family across multiple generations and time periods. Readers should start with Meet the Austins and proceed in publication order to experience the full arc of the family's evolving stories.

Start with Meet the Austins, the first of 8 books in the Austin Family Chronicles series.

#	Title
1	Meet the Austins 1960Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Moon by Night 1963Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Twenty-Four Days Before Christmas 1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Young Unicorns 1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	A Ring of Endless Light 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Anti-Muffins 1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Troubling a Star 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	A Full House 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (1951–1962)

This two-book series by Madeleine L'Engle spans over a decade, with the first installment published in 1951 and the sequel arriving in 1962. The series is complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with Camilla Dickinson and followed by Camilla, A Live Coal in the Sea. L'Engle's work in this series reflects her characteristic blend of literary fiction with deeper philosophical themes.

Start with Camilla Dickinson / Camilla and read in order.

#	Title
1	Camilla Dickinson / Camilla 1951Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	A Live Coal in the Sea 1962Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

4 books (1971–1988)

Madeleine L'Engle's Crosswicks Journals is a complete four-book series of personal essays and reflections published between 1971 and 1988. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with A Circle of Quiet, followed by The Summer of the Great-Grandmother, The Irrational Season, and Two Part Invention: The Story of a Marriage. L'Engle blends memoir, philosophy, and spiritual meditation across these volumes, offering readers intimate glimpses into her creative life and personal journey.

Start with A Circle of Quiet, the first of 4 books in the Crosswicks Journals series.

#	Title
1	A Circle of Quiet 1971Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Summer of the Great-Grandmother 1974Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Irrational Season 1976Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Two Part Invention: The Story of a Marriage 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1983–1989)

Madeleine L'Engle's Genesis series comprises three complete books published between 1983 and 1989, blending fantasy, science fiction, and non-fiction elements. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with And It Was Good: Reflections on Beginnings, followed by A Stone for a Pillow: Journeys with Jacob, and concluding with Sold into Egypt: Joseph's Journey into Human Being. Each book explores biblical narratives through L'Engle's imaginative lens, combining reflection and storytelling.

Start with And It Was Good: Reflections on Beginnings and read in order.

#	Title
1	And It Was Good: Reflections on Beginnings 1983Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	A Stone for a Pillow: Journeys with Jacob 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Sold into Egypt: Joseph's Journey into Human Being 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1945–1982)

This complete fantasy and science fiction trilogy by Madeleine L'Engle follows Katherine Forrester Vigneras across three novels published between 1945 and 1982. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with The Small Rain, followed by Prelude, and concluding with A Severed Wasp. These interconnected books trace the life and experiences of their protagonist through different periods and perspectives.

Start with The Small Rain and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Small Rain 1945Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Prelude 1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	A Severed Wasp 1982Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (1996–1996)

#	Title
1	WinterSong 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

19 books (1974–2012)

Madeleine L'Engle's non-fiction collection spans 19 books published between 1974 and 2012, exploring themes of spirituality, faith, creativity, and personal reflection. The series is complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with Everyday Prayers. Titles include works on prayer, spiritual values in literature, the writing life, and meditations on Christian faith and human experience, with several co-authored volumes written alongside contributors like Avery Brooke and Luci Shaw.

Start with Everyday Prayers, the first of 19 books in the Madeleine L’Engle Non-Fiction series.

#	Title
1	Everyday Prayers 1974Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Prayers for Sunday 1974Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Walking on Water: Personal Reflections 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Trailing Clouds of Glory: Spiritual Values in Children's Literature(With: Avery Brooke) 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	From This Day Forward 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Glorious Impossible 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Rock That is Higher: Story as Truth 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Anytime Prayers 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Glimpses of Grace: Daily Thoughts and Reflections 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Penguins and Golden Calves: Icons and Idols in Antarctica and Other Spiritual Places 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Bright Evening Star: Mystery of the Incarnation 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Friends for the Journey(With: Luci Shaw) 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Mothers & Daughters 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	A Prayerbook for Spiritual Friends: Partners in Prayer 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	My Own Small Place: Developing the Writing Life 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Mothers and Sons 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Madeleine L'Engle Herself: Reflections on a Writing Life 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	The Joys of Love 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Do I Dare Disturb the Universe? 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (1999–2001)

This two-book picture book series by acclaimed fantasy and science fiction author Madeleine L'Engle was published between 1999 and 2001 and is now complete. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with Moses, Prince of Egypt followed by The Other Dog. These illustrated works represent L'Engle's ventures into picture book storytelling during the final years of her prolific career.

Start with Moses, Prince of Egypt and read in order.

#	Title
1	Moses, Prince of Egypt 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Other Dog 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

9 books (1969–2020)

This complete series comprises nine collections of short stories and poems by Madeleine L'Engle, spanning from 1969 to 2020 and blending fantasy, science fiction, and non-fiction elements. The collections should be read in publication order, beginning with Lines Scribbled on an Envelope and Other Poems and concluding with The Moment of Tenderness. Each volume showcases L'Engle's shorter works, including pieces written solo and collaborative efforts such as WinterSong co-authored with Luci Shaw. These collections offer readers access to the author's varied creative output beyond her celebrated novels.

Start with Lines Scribbled on an Envelope and Other Poems, the first of 9 books in the Madeleine L’Engle Short Story Collections series.

#	Title
1	Lines Scribbled on an Envelope and Other Poems 1969Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Ladder of Angels 1979Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	A Cry Like a Bell 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Sphinx at Dawn: Two Stories 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	WinterSong(With: Luci Shaw) 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Miracle on 10th Street and Other Christmas Writings 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	101st Miracle: Early Short Stories 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	The Ordering of Love: The New and Collected Poems of Madeleine L'Engle 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The Moment of Tenderness 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (1967–1967)

#	Title
1	The Journey with Jonah 1967Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1965–1984)

Madeleine L'Engle's O'Keefe Family series spans three complete novels published between 1965 and 1984, following the interconnected lives of family members across fantasy and science fiction adventures. The three books should be read in publication order: The Arm of the Starfish, Dragons in the Waters, and A House Like a Lotus. This finished series blends L'Engle's signature imaginative storytelling with explorations of family bonds and extraordinary circumstances.

Start with The Arm of the Starfish and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Arm of the Starfish 1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Dragons in the Waters 1976Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	A House Like a Lotus 1984Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2020–2020)

8 books (1946–1992)

Madeleine L'Engle wrote eight standalone novels across fantasy, science fiction, and nonfiction between 1946 and 1992, now complete as a collection. Though each novel stands independently, readers typically approach them in publication order, beginning with Ilsa and continuing through Certain Women. The series encompasses diverse storytelling from L'Engle's full career, offering distinct narratives unconnected to her other well-known works.

Start with Ilsa, the first of 8 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	Ilsa 1946Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	And Both Were Young 1949Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	A Winter's Love 1957Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Love Letters 1966Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Dance in the Desert 1969Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Other Side of the Sun 1971Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Weather of the Heart 1978Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Certain Women 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

6 books (1962–2018)

Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quintet comprises six books of fantasy and science fiction published between 1962 and 2018. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with A Wrinkle in Time. Though the series title references five books, a sixth entry, Intergalactic P.S. 3, was added decades after the original quintet was completed, making this a finished series that spans generations of readers.

Start with A Wrinkle in Time, the first of 6 books in the Time Quintet series.

#	Title
1	A Wrinkle in Time 1962Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	A Wind in the Door 1973Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	A Swiftly Tilting Planet 1978Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Many Waters 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	An Acceptable Time 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Intergalactic P.S. 3 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2012–2012)

#	Title
1	A Wrinkle in Time 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible