Meet the Austins
For a family with four kids, two dogs, assorted cats, and a constant stream of family and friends dropping by, life in the Austin family home has always been remarkably steady and contented. When a family friend suddenly dies in a plane crash, the Austins open their home to an orphaned girl, Maggy Hamilton. The Austin children—Vicky, John, Suzy, and Rob—do their best to be generous and welcoming to Maggy.
Vicky knows she should feel sorry for Maggy, but having sympathy for Maggy is no easy thing. Maggy is moody and spoiled; she breaks toys, wakes people in the middle of the night screaming, discourages homework, and generally causes chaos in the Austin household. How can one small child disrupt a family of six? Will life ever return to normal?
With an introduction by Madeleine’s granddaughters, Charlotte Jones Voiklis and Lena Roy
Originally published in 1960
Other Books in the Series
Reviews
“Yes, by all means ‘meet the Austins,’ for a nicer family would be hard to find. The book is beautifully written, with integrity and warmth, and young people are bound to identify with the characters, each a person in his own right, and to read absorbed from first page to last. Thoroughly recommended.”
―Chicago Tribune
“An unusual book. . . . There are intimate details of home life that everyone will recognize with pleasure; there is great warmth in the family relationship, and it is movingly communicated.”
―The New York Times
“Told with warmth and humor, this is a perceptive, forthright story of a loving and likeable family.”
―Booklist
Articles
“Meeting the Austins Again”
Sara Zarr, 2013 / LA Review of Books
“Wrinkles in Time: Rereading Madeleine L’Engle”
Meghan O’Rourke, 2007 / Slate
“What Children’s Literature Teaches Us About Money: Madeleine L’Engle’s ‘Meet the Austins’”
Nicole Dieker, 2016 / Billfold
“Explorations of Family: Meet the Austins”
Mari Ness, 201 / TOR