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Madeleine L'Engle

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Moon by Night Mass Market Paperback – March 15 1981

by Madeleine L'Engle (Author)

4.5 193 ratings

Book 2 of 5: Austin Family Series

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Vicky Austin is filled with uncertainties about  everything. Her parents call it Vicky's  "difficult year." But fourteen-year-old Vicky is  not so consumed with her problems that she can't  enjoy the exciting adventures of her family's  summer cross-country camping trip.

In  the course of their travels Vicky meets Zachary,  an intriguing but troubled boy who latches on to  Vicky. And still another boy, Andy, altogether  different from Zachary, soon becomes his  rival.

Far from the comfort and security that the  family has always known, and in spite of the trials  they encounter on the road, the Austins enjoy each  other and the sights from the Atlantic to the  Pacific and back again. And for the first time Vicky  feels the mixed emotions of friendship and love.

Book 2 of 5

Austin Family Series
Print length

256 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Laurel Leaf
Publication date

March 15 1981
Dimensions

10.72 x 1.09 x 17.4 cm
ISBN-10

0440957761
ISBN-13

978-0440957768
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Product description

From the Publisher

Vicky Austin is filled with uncertainties about everything. Her parents call it Vicky's "difficult year." But fourteen-year-old Vicky is not so consumed with her problems that she can't enjoy the exciting adventures of her family's summer cross-country camping trip.

In the course of their travels Vicky meets Zachary, an intriguing but troubled boy who latches on to Vicky. And still another boy, Andy, altogether different from Zachary, soon becomes his rival.

Far from the comfort and security that the family has always known, and in spite of the trials they encounter on the road, the Austins enjoy each other and the sights from the Atlantic to the Pacific and back again. And for the first time Vicky feels the mixed emotions of friendship and love.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Laurel Leaf; Reissue edition (March 15 1981)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0440957761
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0440957768
Item weight ‏ : ‎ 136 g
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.72 x 1.09 x 17.4 cm

Customer Reviews:
4.5 193 ratings

About the author

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Madeleine L'Engle

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Madeleine was born on November 29th, 1918, and spent her formative years in New York City. Instead of her school work, she found that she would much rather be writing stories, poems and journals for herself, which was reflected in her grades (not the best). However, she was not discouraged.

At age 12, she moved to the French Alps with her parents and went to an English boarding school where, thankfully, her passion for writing continued to grow. She flourished during her high school years back in the United States at Ashley Hall in Charleston, South Carolina, vacationing with her mother in a rambling old beach cottage on a beautiful stretch of Florida Beach.

She went to Smith College and studied English with some wonderful teachers as she read the classics and continued her own creative writing. She graduated with honors and moved into a Greenwich Village apartment in New York. She worked in the theater, where Equity union pay and a flexible schedule afforded her the time to write! She published her first two novels during these years—A Small Rain and Ilsa—before meeting Hugh Franklin, her future husband, when she was an understudy in Anton Chekov’s The Cherry Orchard. They married during The Joyous Season.

She had a baby girl and kept on writing, eventually moving to Connecticut to raise the family away from the city in a small dairy farm village with more cows than people. They bought a dead general store, and brought it to life for 9 years. They moved back to the city with three children, and Hugh revitalized his professional acting career.

As the years passed and the children grew, Madeleine continued to write and Hugh to act, and they to enjoy each other and life. Madeleine began her association with the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, where she was the librarian and maintained an office for more than thirty years. After Hugh’s death in 1986, it was her writing and lecturing that kept her going. She lived through the 20th century and into the 21st and wrote over 60 books. She enjoyed being with her friends, her children, her grandchildren, and her great grandchildren.

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Nina M. Osier

More than typical teen-aged angst

Reviewed in Canada on November 15, 2003

Every adult-in-the-making goes through at least one "difficult year." For Vicky Austin, that year comes when she's 14. She hasn't been able to do anything right (or it seems that way to her, at least!) for months, and now her parents have decided to tear her previously secure world apart. Dr. Austin is taking a temporary research and teaching position in New York City, leaving his small-town medical practice in another doctor's hands. The Austin family's home in Thornhill, Connecticut will be occupied by that other doctor's family, and that's where their pets will remain, too. But before they move into a New York apartment, the Austins embark on a cross-country camping trip - from Atlantic (Grandfather Eaton's home on Seven Bay Island) to Pacific (Laguna Beach, California, where they visit Uncle Douglas and Aunt Elena) and back.
It's an eventful trip during which Vicky has her first taste of romance, as she meets and is followed all the way across the country by a troubled and sometimes frightening rich boy named Zachary Grey. Zach's angry, hopeless response to life (which he fears losing at any moment, thanks to a rheumatic fever damaged heart) forces Vicky to confront twin demons that are making her own life miserable, in what L'Engle sensitively yet unsentimentally presents as something more than typical teen-aged angst. Vicky is part of the first generation to grow up under the shadow of the atom bomb, becoming aware of world events and their significance at the Cold War and nuclear arms race's height (this book's copyright date is 1963). She's become old enough, during her "difficult year" of being 14, to realize that she and everyone she loves can die at any moment; and she's also become old enough to ask herself whether or not God is really there. The love and respect she has for her grandfather, a minister and former missionary, can't save her from wondering if Zachary and others like him may not be right.
Although I didn't find THE MOON BY NIGHT as enjoyable a read as other L'Engle books because it was a bit too introspective for me (I'm used to more action and dialog, and missed it sorely as I ploughed through page after page of interior monologue), it is nevertheless the one I would most recommend to today's young readers. I was just a little bit younger in 1963 than Vicky Austin, and I remember only too well how it felt to know that my generation might not live to grow up - much less middle-aged or old - thanks to a world suddenly grown far smaller and more dangerous than the one in which our parents came of age. The children of post-911 should find plenty to identify with in Vicky's crisis of hope and faith, and much encouragement in its resolution.

Reviewed in Canada on December 6, 2002

This story is about the thoughts of a young girl as she goes through life, finding who she truly is.
What's happening? Where are you, God? Why me? ... Ever thought this before? Vicky Austin has. Being 14 isn't easy, and that's why I liked this book. Beautifully written, explaining a teen girl's life through this young girl's emotions. "The Moon By Night" deals with many situations that a young woman may come across, particularly the choice between boys. A romance written for teen girls seeking understandment, this book is a best.
Thinking of what I didn't like about this book, I can't. I guess what annoyed me was that throughout the whole book, the Austin family is moving from one place to the next, which gets kind of old. Also, Vicky seems to just go off with any guy, not knowing what exactly they are like. This is seen through my eyes, since I would not just let any boy kiss me. So it isn't very fair, since that is just me and everyone is different. I enjoy romance with heart, that make me think. In the end, my resolution is, "Read the book!"

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Lia H

My favorite book from my favorite author!

Reviewed in Canada on August 23, 2000

I read The Moon By Night back when I was in Junior High, after reading the Wrinkle in Time series. L'Engle quickly became my favorite author and I read all her books. This one still held a special place in my heart. I absolutely fell in love with Zachary Grey (in love with a character in a book!) and he became the archetype for the kind of men I am fascinated by. My husband is somewhat like him. =)
And Psalm 121 became my favorite biblical passage because of its use in this book. The Moon By Night was very influential in my life. I also recommend _An Acceptable Time_, a very magical book, as Zachary crosses over to the Murray family story. (A Wrinkle in Time, etc.) That is my other favorite.
Excellent book! I still call it my favorite after all these years. Let it take you on the journey, you won't soon forget it.

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Amber

Oh MY gosh What A BOOK!!!

Reviewed in Canada on September 17, 2002

I loved the book I read it over the weekend after I read A Ring of Endless Light. I wish I read it first it answered all my questions about A Ring of Endless Light. I really related to Vicky and Zachary reminded me of people I had known. I think it is a great book in the series.

Reviewed in Canada on June 3, 2000

This is another great book from Madeline L'Engle. It is again told through the eyes of Vicky Austin. She is 14 now, and her life's changing forever. Maggy has been living with the Austins for two years, and is going to live with Uncle Douglas and Aunt Elena, recently married. The Austins will then go on a cross country camping trip, and return to not their safe haven of Thornhill, but New York City where Mr. Austin will do research. On the trip Vicky meets Zachary, who exposes her to life's sorrows. She also meets Andy, who becomes his rival. This is another classic from Ms. L'Engle!

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Lisa

My all-time favorite book.

Reviewed in Canada on June 26, 1999

I first read this book when I was twelve. I had never read a book I enjoyed more or met a character with whom I identified more. I borrowed this book from the library at least once a year and enjoyed it every time. I bought a hardcover copy as an adult, and still re-read it often. The Austins are, to me, the perfect family: intelligent, thoughtful, loving, and living in a world filled with books and music. (I told my husband he had to read this book to know how I wanted to raise our children.) When "A Ring of Endless Light" came out, I couldn't imagine that it could come close to the quality of "The Moon By Night," but it did. But that's another review.

Reviewed in Canada on January 9, 2000

The Moon by Night, written by Madeleinel L' Engle was one of the best books that I have read in a long time. This is a story of a troubled boy (Zachary) who has found interest in a very simple girl (Vicky), and both are trying to distinguish themselves. Vicky has always been overshadowed by her younger sister and older brother, and is now being followed by Zachary, who which none of her family appears to like. The Moon by Night is a lovely book about a girl growing up, and a boy trying to find himself.

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Top reviews from other countries

Michael Kelley

Wonderful travel story

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2023

Verified Purchase

This is a wonderful travel story across the United States and Canada that teaches children (and adults) both the beauty of the world and the beauty of people in different places, reminding the reader through the story that there are bad people everywhere and they should not be how one views any place or group of people. I especially liked the portion that took place in Tennessee since I was born, raised, and have lived in that great State my whole life.

J. Sexton

Excellent Young Adult Fiction

Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2018

Verified Purchase

This gentle book is an excellent one, provided you understand it is rooted in its time period. There are certainly cultural things (the father being in charge, the fears of a nuclear war) that make it clear when it was written. That said, it still speaks to me now.

Young Vicky Austin is now 14, and learning just who she is. She discovers, "You have to go off by yourself or you just stop being you, and after all I was just beginning to be me." And that in some ways is the theme of the book. Who are you and how do you know? And what happens when you meet someone different, not the same ethically as you?

I enjoyed the tour across the country, especially the descriptions of the Palo Duro Canyon, not far from where I live now. I also enjoyed the philosophical passages in the book. It was exactly what I needed to take a break from my hectic real-world life.

Thoughtful young teens would enjoy this book. Adults who still remember what it was like to be 14 and who enjoy philosophy would like it, too.

One person found this helpful

Safety First

Brilliantly wholesome

Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2021

Verified Purchase

A beautiful story about Vicky and her growth over a summer of adventure. Vicky’s self reflection and authenticity is relatable to both teens and adults. It’s not saccharine sweet but a perfect blend of the worldly and the spiritual.

Deborah J. Thomas

The Moon by Night by L'Engle

Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2018

Verified Purchase

Am looking forward to reading this book as I disliked immensely L'Engles A Wrinkle in Time.
This one looks far more appealing.

D. CLIFF

Good Book

Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2020

Verified Purchase

I bought this used. It is in great shape and is a lovely story.

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Moon by Night Mass Market Paperback – March 15 1981

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