Tolog Review: And Both Were Young

And Both Were Young
by Madeleine L'Engle
reviewed by Darcy Michero

And Both Were Young, written by Madeleine L’Engle, is a coming of age novel about a teenage girl named Phillipa. The book takes place at an all girls boarding school on a mountain in Switzerland. Because of her father’s job, Flip, short for Phillipa, must leave her familiar surroundings to go to the new school. She is an insecure, clumsy girl who doesn’t fit in to her new environment. Soon after arriving in Switzerland, she falls into a mild depression and is worried about her lack of a social life. Flip is constantly bullied and cannot make any friends until she meets a boy named Paul, with whom she has an instant connection. Paul has some social issues as well, so the two new friends help each other conquer their fears and depression. Over winter break, Flip stays with Paul and his aunt, Madame Perceval, who also happens to be Flip’s art teacher. Together, they do the “impossible” and teach Flip how to ski. With the support of her close friend, Paul, and favorite teacher and role model, Madame Perceval, Flip overcomes her awkwardness, makes many friends, and, ultimately, becomes happy at school.

An obvious symbol for Flip’s maturation and journey is skiing. In the beginning of the novel, the gym teacher tries to teach Flip how to ski, but quits because she claims that Flip is impossible to teach. Skiing had defeated Flip at the start of school, just like her sadness and shyness. However, she doesn’t give up and tries to teach herself how to ski. This boosts her confidence and she matures as a person a little bit more. After Paul and Madame Perceval help her further, she becomes an intermediate skier and can take on any obstacle. This mirrors her social and mental journey as she outgrows her depression and matures as a young woman.

Overall, I enjoyed reading about Flip’s maturation. The characters that author Madeleine L’Engle developed are believable and relatable. However, I strongly disliked the ending of the novel. It ends with Flip becoming a fantastic skier and making many friends, but there were some unexplained details in the story line. For example, the romantic relationship between Flip’s father and Madame Perceval is extremely unrealistic, surprising, and out of the blue. I wish the author had integrated the relationship into the plot a little bit more. Other than that, I believe And Both Were Young is a fairly decent coming of age story.