A Live Coal in the Sea - by Madeleine L'Engle (Paperback)

About the Book

A woman must look after her mother's son when the mother is killed. The child is the product of an extramarital affair, something no one tells him and complications arise when he finds out. A family drama by the author of Certain Women.

Book Synopsis

A family's deepest secrets are exposed in this "haunting domestic drama" from the award-winning author of A Wrinkle in Time (Publishers Weekly).

When her teenage granddaughter comes to her with a troubling question, Camilla Dickinson must confront the painful history she's long kept hidden. Forced to relive her past, she relates a complex saga involving her beautiful, adulterous mother, her troubled son, and the difficult choices that have affected three generations of her family.

As she goes through the difficult process of revealing her secrets, Camilla also lets go of the burden of lies she's told. A testament to the power of acceptance and forgiveness, A Live Coal in the Sea is ultimately an exploration of the lengths to which people will go for love--and the things they'll do to protect family.

Review Quotes

Praise for A Live Coal in the Sea
"Infused with the warmth of love and mercy. A complex, modern saga that is most of all genteel." --Booklist

"Explosive family secrets are defused by love, wisdom, and a foreshadowed revelation, in this . . . intricately plotted adult novel." --Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Madeleine L'Engle
"[L'Engle] demonstrates a sure touch with her theme of redemption." --Publishers Weekly

"Infused with the warmth of love and mercy. A complex, modern saga that is most of all genteel." --Booklist

About the Author

Madeleine L'Engle (1918-2007) was an American author of more than sixty books, including novels for children and adults, poetry, and religious meditations. Her best-known work, A Wrinkle in Time, one of the most beloved young adult books of the twentieth century and a Newbery Medal winner, has sold more than fourteen million copies since its publication in 1962. Her other novels include A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and A Ring of Endless Light. Born in New York City, L'Engle graduated from Smith College and worked in theater, where she met her husband, actor Hugh Franklin. L'Engle documented her marriage and family life in the four-book autobiographical series, the Crosswicks Journals. She also served as librarian and writer-in-residence at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in Manhattan for more than thirty years.