Madeleine L’Engle’s Books Were Never Meant to Be “Safe” | Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice.

An outstretched hand holds an open paperback book with a black and red cover. Flames and sparks come from the pages of the book and smoke fills the night sky around it.

Madeleine L’Engle’s Books Were Never Meant to Be “Safe”

By Charlotte Jones Voiklis

May 16, 2025

The granddaughter of beloved writer Madeleine L’Engle, author of one of the most banned books of the last 60 years, advocates that books should build courage, not keep us “safe.”