And Both Were Young

When young Philippa (Flip) is forced to leave her father, and her home in Connecticut, and begin attending a Swiss boarding school, she couldn't be more heartbroken. She knows instantly that she isn't like the other girls at school. She isn't sophisticated, or knowledgeable about boys. In fact, even the thought of boys leaves her tongue tied. The only time Flip really feels good, is when she's by herself, wandering in the mountains, or sketching. But when she meets a French boy named Paul during one of her walks, everything changes. As their friendship (and relationship) grows, Flip's self-confidence grows with it. If only they didn't have to hide their romance. After all, only seniors were allowed to date, so Flip and Paul's romance is forbidden. With new obstacles being faced everyday, Flip now has to help Paul confront his past, if she hopes to one day have a future with him.L'Engle has done it again. AND BOTH WERE YOUNG is an amazing book written with characters who are poised, confident, intelligent, exciting, and intriguing. Flip is a female character who any teenage girl can relate to. What with her spunky, and spirited personality. Paul is the guy whom every girl will fall in love with, and feel sorry for, as they continue reading. This is a must-have book for all L'Engle fans. Especially those who loved CAMILLA.Erika Sorocco

I started AND BOTH WERE YOUNG because I knew it was about a girl who leaves for school. Since I am about to leave as well(except for college) I thought it would be an interesting read. I was not disappointed.Flip and Paul are beautiful characters, full of doubts and pain. However, in each other they find answers to their doubts and a balm for their pain. Watching their relationship unfold is sweet in every way first loves should be.L'Engle's writing is beautiful and captivating. My mind had little room to wonder. Although the book is classified as young adult, I feel like any age will find it as a great read that can transport them out of their surroundings into the snow-covered country of Switzerland.

Phillippa (Flip) Hunter has to go to boarding school in Switzerland. It's not as if she wants to, she's being forced to go because her father will be away on trips in China all year with the awful Eunice (who consequently is not that awful.)Flip believes that Eunice is trying to replace her mother, who died the previous year in a car crash, and as such completely dislikes her. Since Flip is being sent to boarding school without her own consent, it is quite normal that she despises it. She never knows how to reply to the girls, she can barely participate in gym due to her stiff knee, and some of the girls find her quite strange. One thing that consoles her is a French boy named Paul who has seemed to have an awful past that he can't remember. (Paul was in concentration camps when he was younger; the book takes place a few years after World War 2.) Flip helps Paul overcome his past, and learn to live in the present. Another person who really helped Flip in the beginning of the book was Madame Perceval, the art teacher. Madame Perceval was quite understanding of Flip. Flip was an excelling student in art, and as such she was planning to become an artist like her father. Throughout the book, Flip grew and matured while helping everyone around her, and realized that she didn't need somebody else to instill faith into her, as she could find it on her own.

Before I read this book, I was already a great fan of Madeline L'Engle's work. However, And Both Were Young confirmed my admiration for her as a person and left me once again in awe at her amazing abilities as a writer! Though the book was originally written quite some time ago in L'Engle's youth, it holds more feelings and displays more emotion and wit than thousands of novels that have been written later in the author's life. First introduced is Phillipa Hunter, or Flip, a teenage girl who is struggling with life after the death of her mother and the new lady friend of her father, Eunice. Wishing to follow in the steps of her father to become an artist, Flip is devastated when she learns that her father is going to China to sketch without her. Eunice then sends Flip to boarding school in Switzerland while she and Flip's father tour China. Recognizably different from the other students at the school, she is automatically excluded and spends most of her time in solitude, until she happens to stumble upon an ancient chateau. Inside the chateau she meets Paul, a young boy, not unlike herself, searching for answers amidst a past of brokenness and carefully shrouded mystery. As their friendship grows into love, each learns from the other, and Flip's heart finally begins to heal after a year of loneliness and mourning for her mother. However, Paul's wound is not so easily healed. As Flip finds her niche in the school's society and some friends of her own, she now has to help Paul recover his past and face the many fears it encompasses. As new acquaintances come into Flip's life, she learns how to be true to herself and to others. The journey of this girl into womanhood is heartfelt and well written in my opinion. I have read this book nearly three times now, and I know I will read its pages many more times still. Flip is a character we can all relate to, and many of her insecurities are our insecurities. This is an excellent book for teenagers who are thirsting for romance, struggling to find themselves, or simply avid book readers, such as myself. Once again, Madeline L'Engle displays her magnificent ability to reach into the hearts of all of us and put down into words what the rest of us are struggling to comprehend. I guarantee this book will move your heart and enlighten your mind!