Despite protests and warnings from friends and family, author Madeleine L'Engle, at the age of seventy-four, embarked on a rafting trip to Antarctica. Her journey through the startling beauty of the continent led her to write Penguins and Golden Calves, a captivating discussion of how opening oneself up to icons, or everyday "windows to God," leads to the development of a rich and deeply spiritual faith.
Here, L'Engle explains how ordinary things such as family, words, the Bible, heaven, and even penguins can become such windows. She also shows how such a window becomes an idol-a penguin becomes a "golden calf"-when we see it as a reflection of itself instead of God.
With delightful language, insightful metaphor, and personal stories, L'Engle brings readers to a deeper understanding of themselves, their faith, and the presence of God in their daily lives.

Portrait

Madeleine L'Engle (1918-2007) was an American author of more than sixty books, including novels for children and adults, poetry, and religious meditations. Her best-known work, A Wrinkle in Time, one of the most beloved young adult books of the twentieth century and a Newbery Medal winner, has sold more than fourteen million copies since its publication in 1962. Her other novels include A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and A Ring of Endless Light. Born in New York City, L'Engle graduated from Smith College and worked in theater, where she met her husband, actor Hugh Franklin. L'Engle documented her marriage and family life in the four-book autobiographical series, the Crosswicks Journals. She also served as librarian and writer-in-residence at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in Manhattan for more than thirty years.