A Swiftly Tilting Planet facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | Madeleine L'Engle |
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| Cover artist | Diane Dillon (first ed.) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Time Quintet |
| Genre | Young adult, Science fiction |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
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Publication date
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July 1, 1978 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 304 pp |
| ISBN | 0-374-37362-0 |
| OCLC | 167766231 |
| Preceded by | A Wind in the Door |
| Followed by | Many Waters |
A Swiftly Tilting Planet is an exciting science fiction novel by Madeleine L'Engle. It's the third book in her popular Time Quintet series. The book first came out in 1978. The cover art was created by Diane Dillon. The title of the book comes from a poem called "Morning Song of Senlin" by Conrad Aiken.
Contents
Plot Summary
This story begins on Thanksgiving evening. It's 10 years after the events of the previous book, A Wind in the Door. Meg is now married to Calvin. They are expecting their first baby. Calvin is a scientist and is away at a conference in Britain. Calvin's mother, Branwen Maddox O’Keefe, is having dinner with Meg's family.
Suddenly, they hear terrible news. A dictator named "Mad Dog Branzillo" might start a nuclear war. To help, Mrs. O'Keefe gives Charles a special prayer. This prayer is called Patrick's Rune. It's a rhyming prayer for protection.
Charles Wallace's Mission
Charles Wallace goes to the star-watching rock. This is a special place for his family. There, his prayer calls a winged unicorn named Gaudior. Gaudior tells Charles Wallace that he must stop the nuclear war. He needs to do this by traveling through time. He will also telepathically merge with people. This means he will share their thoughts and feelings. These people lived near the star-watching rock in the past.
Facing the Echthroi
During their journey, Charles Wallace and Gaudior face danger. The Echthroi are evil creatures. They were first seen in A Wind in the Door. Now, they want to change history. They try to make things go their way.
Charles Wallace and Gaudior travel to many different times. They meet Harcels, a Native American boy from over 1,000 years ago. They also meet Madoc of Wales. He was a traveler who came to America long before Columbus. Then there's Brandon Llawcae, a Welsh settler from Puritan times. Charles also visits his aunt's brother, Chuck Maddox, when they were children. Finally, he meets Matthew Maddox, a writer during the American Civil War.
Meg's Connection
While Charles Wallace is traveling, Meg helps him from home. She uses "kything". This is a special telepathic communication. She learned it in A Wind in the Door. Through kything, Meg connects with Charles Wallace.
Slowly, they discover something important. Branzillo, the dictator, is a descendant of Madoc. He is also related to Madoc's tricky brother, Gwydyr. Charles Wallace changes things in the past. He helps Madoc's family line come back together. This changes Branzillo in the present. He becomes a person who wants peace. This prevents the war from happening.
The Rune's Power
Throughout the story, Charles Wallace uses a special poem. It's called the Rune. He says it to help good win. The poem appears a few times in the book. Each time, it's slightly different.
With Ananda** in this fateful hour,
I place all Heaven with its power,
And the sun with its brightness,
And the snow with its whiteness,
And the fire with all the strength it hath,
And the lightning with its rapid wrath,
And the wind with its swiftness along its path,
And the sea with its deepness,
And the rocks with their steepness,
And the Earth with its starkness
All these I place
By God's almighty help and grace
Between myself and the powers of darkness
This poem is very similar to a part of a poem by James Clarence Mangan. It's called "St. Patrick’s Hymn before Tarah." That poem is based on Saint Patrick's Breastplate.
The Rune in L'Engle's book has one big difference. Instead of "At Tara," it says "With Ananda." "Tara" refers to a hill in Ireland. But in L'Engle's story, "Ananda" means something else. It's the name of the Murry family dog. It's also a Sanskrit word for "bliss." This means a feeling of deep happiness from inside. This change is important to the story's meaning.
Audio Adaptation
In January 2012, an audio version of the book was released. Actress Jennifer Ehle read the story.
Awards and Honors
A Swiftly Tilting Planet won a special award. It won a National Book Award for Children's Books (paperback edition).
