Penguins and Golden Calves: Icons and Idols in Antarctica and Other Unexpected Places

Written by Madeleine L'Engle and Charlotte Jones Voiklis

Narrated by Pamela Almand

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Sep 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543629866

Madeleine L'Engle

Madeleine L'Engle (1918-2007) was the Newbery Medal-winning author of more than 60 books, including the much-loved A Wrinkle in Time. Born in 1918, L'Engle grew up in New York City, Switzerland, South Carolina and Massachusetts. Her father was a reporter and her mother had studied to be a pianist, and their house was always full of musicians and theater people. L'Engle graduated cum laude from Smith College, then returned to New York to work in the theater. While touring with a play, she wrote her first book, The Small Rain, originally published in 1945. She met her future husband, Hugh Franklin, when they both appeared in The Cherry Orchard. Upon becoming Mrs. Franklin, L'Engle gave up the stage in favor of the typewriter. In the years her three children were growing up, she wrote four more novels. Hugh Franklin temporarily retired from the theater, and the family moved to western Connecticut and for ten years ran a general store. Her book Meet the Austins, an American Library Association Notable Children's Book of 1960, was based on this experience. Her science fantasy classic A Wrinkle in Time was awarded the 1963 Newbery Medal. Two companion novels, A Wind in the Door and A Swiftly Tilting Planet (a Newbery Honor book), complete what has come to be known as The Time Trilogy, a series that continues to grow in popularity with a new generation of readers. Her 1980 book A Ring of Endless Light won the Newbery Honor. L'Engle passed away in 2007 in Litchfield, Connecticut.

Reviews for Penguins and Golden Calves

[reannon_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The marvelous Madeleine L'Engle died in Sept. 2007 at the age of 88. Always one of my favorite authors, the news of her death spurred me to look at some of the books of hers I have not read.Penguins and Golden Calves is one of her Christian-oriented non-fiction books, none of which I'd read before, in part because I'm not Christian. But I have always found her so wise that I wanted more of her perspective. To her penguins are icons, and icons are something that open a person to the experience of God, while golden calves represent idols, or things which people worship in place of God. Needless to say, she is all for the first and not for the second.It is a beautiful book, as I expected. To her God is Love, and she deplores any Christianity that doesn't share that message and instead concentrates on who is going to hell.I would love to share some quotes, but turned the book back into the library without copying any down. Just know that there are some wonderful passages.Blessed peace, Madeleine L'Engle, and thank you for all the wonder, they mystery, the and the love your words brought into my life.

[jd234512 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Madeleine strikes again. I cherish any words that she has ever written and this is no exception. She has an amazing ability to touch on tough matters with such tenderness and humility which is very foreign. She does all this with such respect for words quite unmatched. This book makes the distinction between icons and idols as well as some other subjects while always coming back to the ideas of what icons are.