The Arm of the Starfish, Madeleine L'Engle, Farrar Strasus and Giroux, 1965, 243 pp
I have been following the books of Madeleine L'Engle all through My Big Fat Reading Project. This one is a great tale. Set in the "near future" as of 1965, filed at my library as "children's literature" because as of 1965 there was no such genre as Young Adult. However, Adam is a 17-year-old heading off for a summer job in Portugal before his freshman year at Harvard.
He intends to become a marine biologist himself. Dr O'Keefe, his prospective employer, is doing groundbreaking research on the regenerative tissues found in the arms of starfish. Adam finds himself in the middle of a battle between pharmaceutical companies for possession of O'Keefe's research.
This is YA like one rarely finds these days. No drugs, no swearing, no sex. There is a sexy girl, the daughter of one of the men who wants to steal the research for his own profit.
Was this eerie to read during the weeks different drug companies were racing to get their COVID vaccines approved? You bet it was.
I love how Madeleine L'Engle always grants her young protagonists so much intelligence and independence. In this one, Adam has to decide all on his own who to trust as well as who to kiss.
This was one of my favorites growing up! I love the concept, as always, and also the great cast of characters--I think this is where we meet Calvin and Meg's daughter Polyhymnia for the first time, if I'm not mistaken.
ReplyDeleteYes! Poly they called her. She could communicate with dolphins. I did not even realize that Meg was from A Wrinkle in Time until I read some reviews on Goodreads.
DeleteThis sounds interesting. It would have been something that I was like when you younger but I missed this one.Young Adult has Come a long was over the gays a
ReplyDeleteBrian, I think your comment got garbled somehow in the transition but I get your meaning.
DeleteI've never read a "YA book" from back then! It sounds interesting. I'm a little scared to because I didn't like Dragonriders of Pern, but maybe this will be a hit for me!
ReplyDeleteHm. I can see your point. Much as I used to love the Dragonriders of Pern series, I admit that L'Engle is a much better writer.
DeleteSounds like FUN. I must have read LOTS of books like this back in my own youth. It's always good to see, especially young, characters given so much agency in their decision making. It helps the readership grow and grow up. Nice.
ReplyDeleteIt was surprising how much fun it was. I read all the Nancy Drew books and this had some of those elements but with a deeper story.
DeleteI probably liked the YA from an earlier era better ... not the totally wholesome stuff ... but somewhere in between that & today's (which I don't read much of) ... I like the idea of the starfish ... research.
ReplyDeleteI am with you on the earlier YA. The starfish research info was so interesting!
DeleteIt's always refreshing to encounter a book directed toward young people that actually celebrates intelligence and agency as L'Engle undoubtedly did.
ReplyDeleteI think that is what I love most about her.
DeleteThere is a lot to be said about the days profanity wasn't tool used by authors. It's so overdone these days and often spoils my enjoyment of a book.
ReplyDeleteI never thought of it as a tool, but you are right. I tend to spew streams of profanity myself when I'm in a mood, but it truly does impede my enjoyment of books at times.
DeleteI have not heard of this novel by Madeleine L'Engle. It sounds like a fabulous read.
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