A Swiftly Tilting Planet

In A Swiftly Tilting Planet, by Madeline L'Engle, Charles Wallace Murry, assisted by Guadior, a unicorn sent to help him along his journey, travel through space and time to try to right a wrong that transpired long ago, and an ancient rune with words of power. Mad Dog Branzillo, ruler of Vespugia in Patagonia, South America, is about to launch a nuclear attack that will wipe out civilization completely. Charles Wallace must alter the fabric of time and make sure that Branzillo was never born as a descendant of the evil Gwydyr but as a descendent of his brother, the peace-seeking Madoc. But for this to happen, he has to make it back alive.

The writers style is complicated, filled with metaphor and unconventional word structure. It is intriguing without being completely indecipherable. I love the way that the book centers around the rune- each chapter is entitled with one of the lines, and the climax of each chapter is based off the line. It is a more unique way of structuring the book, and keeps the reader constantly on the edge of their seat. The rune itself is very interesting, and carries on common themes in L'Engles books such as the power of Earth and space, especially the stars. Madeline L'Engle is a widely celebrated author who writes beautiful literature about thought-provoking subjects. This work of intertwined stories about past, present, and future and how each affects the other did not disappoint.