In 1960, Madeleine L’Engle published Meet the Austins, the first book in a series she would continue to write for 34 years. Largely centered on the insecurities and uncertainties of its protagonist, Vicky Austin, the warm, loving family series would take her from age twelve to her late teens. According to L’Engle’s family, the books contained several autobiographical elements, and L’Engle herself identified with Vicky in several interviews, making these books among her most personal works.
[Let’s go ahead and meet the Austins, since we’ll be seeing a lot more of them.]