The Young Unicorns
OCLC 37826409 | | |
Preceded by | The Moon by Night | |
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Followed by | A Ring of Endless Light |
The Young Unicorns (1968),
Plot summary
As the story opens, the Austin family has settled in a
Dave is skeptical of the Genie, as is Suzy Austin, but the others are not sure. Centralized, single-minded activity on the part of the criminal Alphabats excites the suspicion of Canon Tallis, who interrogates Dave and Dr. Wallace Austin. Dr. Austin has been working on the creation and perfection of a laser-based Micro-Ray, which is so unerringly precise that it may do more than simply penetrate the corporeal. Dave was once a member of the Alphabats, but has turned from their ways. He is in denial of his past, not even talking about it. Tension builds as the 'Bats try to draw Dave into their new mischief, whose mastermind is none other than the Bishop himself. The Genie appears to be the bishop's servant, and also appears to possess a Micro-Ray.
It is revealed that the bishop has given up
Eventually, Rob Austin is captured. Vicky and Emily track him to the Cathedral, where they are joined by Vicky's family, Canon Tallis, and Mr. Theotocopulous. The united group expose the bishop as an imposter, being the original bishop's brother, actor Henry Grandcourt; break apart his plans to seize power; and unmask Hythloday as the dishonest scientist Dr. Hyde. The Micro-Ray is seized. Dave makes his peace with both his past and future, coming eventually to look upon those who have been with him as his family.
Major characters
- Josiah "Dave" Davidson — A somewhat troubled teenager at the time of The Young Unicorns, Dave is a carpenter's son, a former gang member and choir boy, and the friend and sometime protector of the Austin children.
- Emily Gregory — The only child of widowed Dr. Gregory, Emily was blinded under mysterious circumstances. Although she is learning to adjust, the danger to her is not over.
- Vicky Austin — The protagonist of the other Austin family novels, Vicky is a budding poet and writer, the second eldest of four children. (Her elder brother John is away at college.) Often at odds with her younger sister, Suzy. Vicky has a mentor and kindred spirit in her maternal grandfather, retired minister Grandfather Eaton. At the time of The Young Unicorns, Vicky is fifteen years old, and feeling out of place and isolated in the big city, after a summer in which two boys competed for her attention. Nevertheless, she considers Emily her first real "best friend."
- Suzy Austin — Generally considered the beauty of the family, Suzy "has wanted to be a doctor ever since she could talk," and prefers science and rational explanations to fantasy and philosophizing. Being the closest to Emily in age, Suzy resents the fact that Vicky is Emily's best friend among the Austins.
- Rob Austin — The youngest of the Austin children, seven-year-old Robert Austin is curious and loving, with a penchant for insightful questions. Madeleine L'Engle has acknowledged that Rob is based on her own youngest child, Bion Franklin. In The Young Unicorns, Rob's trusting nature gets him into trouble.
- Canon. Tallis, a brusque, incisive man who is surprisingly adept at dealing with dangerous situations, appears in four novels. The character is based on L'Engle's spiritual advisor at St. John the Divine, Canon Edward Nason West.[1]
- Emmanuele Theotocopoulos (nickname Mr. Theo) — Elderly and excitable, Mr. Theo is Emily's piano teacher, an old friend of Canon Tallis, and the cathedral's semi-retired organist. Fiercely protective of Emily and to a lesser extent the Austins, he frequently has temper tantrums which mask his love for the objects of his anger.
Locations and sources
The primary setting of the book is the
Reception
At the time of the book's publication,
Series notes
The Young Unicorns is unusual among the Austin family series of books in that it is written from a
Footnotes
- ^ About the Author - Madeleine L'Engle
- ISBN 1-880913-31-3.
- ISBN 0-374-12374-8.
- ^ "THE YOUNG UNICORNS by Madeleine L'Engle". Kirkus Reviews. May 1, 1968. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
- Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact. Vol. LXXXII, no. 5. pp. 161–167. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.