Many Waters facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | Madeleine L'Engle |
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| Cover artist | Charles Mikolaycak |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Time Quintet |
| Genre | young adult, Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus & Giroux |
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Publication date
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September 1, 1986 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 351 pp |
| ISBN | 0-374-34796-4 |
| OCLC | 13823586 |
| [Fic] 19 | |
| LC Class | PZ7.L5385 Man 1986 |
| Preceded by | A Swiftly Tilting Planet |
| Followed by | An Acceptable Time |
Many Waters is an exciting fantasy novel written by Madeleine L'Engle in 1986. It's part of her famous Time Quintet series, which includes other popular books like A Wrinkle in Time. The book's title comes from an old saying about how strong love is.
This story is about Sandy and Dennys Murry, who are twin brothers. They are a bit different from the rest of their clever Murry family. The adventure in this book happens after A Wind in the Door but before a big event in A Swiftly Tilting Planet.
The Story of Many Waters
In the middle of a cold winter, twin brothers Sandy and Dennys are at home. They accidentally mess up an experiment in their parents' science lab. Suddenly, they are sent far away to a hot, sandy desert!
A man named Japheth finds Sandy and takes him to a green oasis. An oasis is a place in the desert where there is water and plants. Sandy gets very sick from the heat. Amazing beings called seraphim, who are like angels, help him get better. Sandy stays with Japheth and his old grandfather, Lamech.
Meanwhile, Dennys ends up in a different tent. He is thrown into a pile of trash! Luckily, a kind family takes him in. The head of this family is a strong but friendly man named Noah.
The twins soon realize they have traveled back in time. They are now in the story of Noah's Ark, just before the big flood. Both Noah and Lamech get secret messages from God, who they call El. These messages tell them how to build the Ark.
The boys also learn that special creatures called unicorns live in the oasis. These unicorns can travel through space and time! But not everyone is friendly. Scary supernatural beings called the nephilim don't trust the twins. Their human wives try to find out more about Sandy and Dennys.
For most of the book, the twins are separated. This helps them become more independent and grow up a lot during their year in the desert. Both brothers fall in love with Noah's beautiful daughter, Yalith. But they don't tell her how they feel until the very end.
Dennys helps Noah and his father, Lamech, become friends again. Both twins also take care of Lamech's gardens when he gets sick. After Lamech passes away, Sandy is kidnapped! But Japheth finds him.
As the time for the flood gets closer, a big problem comes up. There's no room on Noah's Ark for Sandy, Dennys, or Yalith. The twins help build the Ark. Then, Yalith is taken by the seraphim to be with El. Finally, the seraphim call the unicorns. The unicorns bring Sandy and Dennys back to their own time and home.
Main Ideas in the Book
This story is mostly about Sandy and Dennys growing up. They learn to be more independent and understand themselves better. Like other books about the Murry family, Many Waters mixes fantasy with ideas about faith.
For example, you'll meet the seraphim, who are heavenly angels. You'll also encounter the nephilim, who are giant, scary beings. They are the main bad guys in the story.
The world of Noah's oasis is very different from what the twins are used to. They are used to science and facts. But in this world, magical creatures like manticores and unicorns still exist. People can see angels and even talk to God!
It's hard for the twins to believe in things that don't fit their scientific way of thinking. But they have to learn to believe in the impossible. Only by believing in a "virtual unicorn" can they get back home. This shows that sometimes, believing in things you can't see is very important.
