Customer Reviews
a romance that goes beyond formula - By: , 18 May 1999 
I am not a romance reader, but I am a fan of L'Engle. "And Both Were Young" is a well-written romance for teens that touches on darker issues. The novel deals realistically with death & with a daughter's feelings of betrayal when her father, a widower, dates another woman. The horror of World War II & its affects on the characters, especially Paul, is realistic, but still leaves hope for the future.
Enjoyable - By: , 04 May 1999 
I enjoyed this book very much, but I liked "Island of the Blue Dolphins" & "Zia" more. I think those are L'Engle's best books (she did write them, didn't she??) Unlike the other reader, I found the beginning to be slow, actually, the whole book. But it was good nonetheless. Now I have to go write a report on it! :0) I just came here for an idea of the theme. I think that knowing you're not alone can help a great deal.
This is one of the best books I've ever read! - By: , 28 Dec 1998 
I first read this book about a year ago, & I loved it from the first chapter. Since then I've read it several times, & loved it even though I know what's coming next. It is absolutly worth buying.
I do not regret buying this book - By: , 10 Dec 1998 This book is about a girl named Philippa who goes to a Swiss boarding school where she is sort of a loner. Then, she meets a boy named Paul at the Chateau, & they become good friends. This book was kind of slow, & not L'Engle's best, though I did enjoy it. You're much better off reading 'The Small Rain,' which is similar to 'And Both Were Young' but has more plot, classic '40's style, & is an Adult book. Anyone who can handle 'And Both Were Young' is ready for 'The Small Rain.'
You learn some valuable lessons. - By: , 23 Oct 1998 I personally would recommend this book to not everyone. Madeline L'Engle has a good writing fashion that not most writers use. She doesn't use any fancy language or some poetic style. She writes so you only have to read one pagein order to get into the book. However this particular story is kind of a "chick-flick." Girls especially would like it if they arein their teens. In this book she relates to the kind of life that a kind of outcast would live & how you would feel about moving to a different school & feeling like no one wants to be your friend & that dream of meeting the perfect boyfriend. well it turns out that she's not really living an outcast life & that no one ever lives an outcast life & she meets that special boy. Madeline L'Engle uses good examples. Eunice, Flip's father's girlfriend arranges plans to put Flip into an all girls boarding school. You see Flip's father travels a lot & does a lot of painting. Flip never liked the idea of going to a school much less than beingt away from her father. When Flip arrives she only has a few hours of freedom left so she decides to take a walk. She meets Paul & now she has another person to miss. Flip gets to school, gets checked in, says good-bye to her father, & goes to the orientation meeting. It's really hard for Flip to adapt. She is tall & considers herselfto be somewhat clumsy. She has a bad knee that will sometimes lock up on her. most of the girls thinks she stays to herself because she feels sorry for herself. Well, after she sneaks out to see Paul they compare their problems, they help each other overcome their greatest fears & problems. I know that was writtenin the "olden" days but if you look behind the surface you discover L'Engle's valuable lesson. just remember you can't judge a book by it's cover. So just read the book.
