The Young Unicorns – Madeleine L’Engle (1968)

The Young Unicorns by Madeleine L’Engle, first published in 1968, is a suspenseful and atmospheric entry in the Austin Family series, set against the dramatic backdrop of New York City’s Upper West Side. As part of a broader literary universe that includes Meet the Austins and A Ring of Endless Light, this novel shifts tone toward mystery and technological intrigue, incorporating elements of science fiction and philosophical speculation. Through a tightly woven narrative, L’Engle explores themes of trust, identity, and spiritual courage while introducing an unsettling conspiracy involving a mysterious cult and a dangerous scientific device.

Plot Summary

Winter came early to New York that year, and the Cathedral loomed over the Upper West Side like a sentinel, its stained-glass octagon lit like fire against the gray sky. Josiah “Dave” Davidson, once a gang member, now moved warily through these cold streets, always aware of the past breathing down his neck. He was no longer part of the Alphabats, but the shadows they cast still followed him. Every evening, he found refuge in the austere grandeur of the Cathedral and in the warmth of his new makeshift family – the Austins, and especially in Emily Gregory.

Emily, a gifted pianist and a fiercely independent girl, had lost her sight in a mysterious incident involving a set of stolen scientific papers. Once the cherished tenant of two foreign physicists, she now lived with her father, Dr. Gregory, and practiced tirelessly under the fiery guidance of Mr. Theotocopoulos, her eccentric music teacher. Despite her blindness, Emily’s world was not dark but filled with vivid sound, sensation, and an unflinching will.

The Austin family had only recently moved into the city, bringing with them their whirlwind of voices, opinions, and love. Rob, the youngest, possessed an almost mystical sensitivity. Suzy, rational and determined, clung to science even when the world turned inexplicable. Vicky, poetic and introspective, observed from the edges, deeply attuned to the shifting dynamics around her.

One day, Rob spotted an old, tarnished lamp outside a cluttered antique shop called Phooka’s Antiques. Its shape, like something out of a children’s tale, beckoned. With a child’s sincerity, he handed it to Emily and asked her to rub it. And she did.

A figure appeared – towering, draped in smoky green robes, crowned with a pale blue turban. He called himself Hythloday, slave of the lamp, ready to grant wishes. Rob asked about the traditional three, but Hythloday spoke of moderation and reason. Emily, half in disbelief, half in a hope too fragile to say aloud, asked to see again.

Then the lamp was knocked from her hands. The figure vanished. A man emerged from the shadows, carrying a large umbrella and lacking eyebrows, watching them with a strange serenity. The children were shaken, not sure if they had seen something magical, sinister, or both.

Later, at the Austins’ dinner table, the story spilled out. No one dismissed it as a child’s fancy. Least of all Mr. Theo, who muttered a name under his breath – Tallis – and looked deeply disturbed. A sense of unease settled over the household, like a tremor in the walls. Dave, vigilant and quietly protective of Emily, took special notice.

The Cathedral, usually a haven, began to feel unsettled. Whispers echoed through the Close. Dave noticed strange figures following the children. Something malevolent seemed to stir among the chapels and gardens. At the center of this growing mystery stood the mysterious Dr. Hyde, head of the lab where Dr. Austin now worked and a man who had taken particular interest in Emily’s recovery.

As autumn deepened, so too did the mystery. Dave caught glimpses of familiar black jackets lurking where they should not be. The Alphabats had not disbanded. Worse, someone seemed to be using them. The streets became more dangerous. The antique shop, seemingly innocuous, now glared from the corner with unreadable menace. And above all of it, something unseen pressed in – calculated, cold, and precise.

Then there was the Micro-Ray.

Dr. Austin, working in Dr. Hyde’s lab, had inherited the delicate and dangerous research once developed by the physicists who had lived in Emily’s apartment. The Micro-Ray, capable of directing powerful energy beams with surgical precision, had never been intended as a weapon. Yet someone wanted to use it as one. The theft of the papers had not been a random act – it was part of a larger plan, one that involved manipulation, coercion, and perhaps even mind control.

One by one, the children were drawn into the unraveling. Suzy, ever the scientist, began to ask the right questions. Vicky watched and listened, quietly connecting threads. Rob followed instincts sharper than logic, tugged by his bond with Emily and a curiosity that could not be dampened. And Dave – with eyes honed by danger and guilt – began to see a pattern, a presence behind the mask of normalcy.

At the heart of it all was a group known only as the Pentagram, led by the enigmatic man without eyebrows – the same man who had watched Emily and Rob that first evening. Using technology and ritual alike, the Pentagram sought to impose control over the Cathedral’s people, turning its spiritual power into something far more literal and far more dangerous. The Micro-Ray, modified and hidden within the Cathedral, was being used to manipulate minds.

Emily, unknowingly at the center of it all, became both a target and a key. Her loss of sight, perhaps not accidental after all, had left her immune to some effects of the Ray. And her musical sensitivity, her ability to perceive in ways others could not, made her uniquely equipped to sense the disturbance.

The children devised a plan. With Dave’s help, they infiltrated the Cathedral after hours, navigating hidden passageways and shadowed corners. They confronted the power source of the device, concealed in the choir loft, where the Pentagram had hoped no one would look. The confrontation was swift, tense, and decisive. Mr. Theo, aware all along of the greater threat but unsure how to fight it, arrived just in time to aid them.

The machine was disabled. The Pentagram’s leader, exposed and confronted, vanished into the city’s depths. Whatever power he wielded, it was broken, at least for now.

In the quiet that followed, the children gathered once more in the great stone house overlooking the Hudson. Emily played Bach with a calm, assured grace. Dave stood beside her, no longer just a boy with a past, but someone who had chosen to protect. Suzy and Rob quarreled as always, but with the warmth of safety restored. Vicky wrote quietly in her journal, her words full of the strange beauty and weight of what they had all seen.

Outside, the city went on, full of strange lights and stranger secrets. But inside the Austin home, there was music, laughter, and a rare kind of peace.

Main Characters

• Emily Gregory – A fiercely intelligent and musically gifted twelve-year-old girl who is blind following a traumatic head injury. Emily’s sharp wit, independence, and emotional resilience are central to the novel’s emotional depth. Her blindness becomes a symbolic lens through which the story explores themes of insight, fear, and self-discovery.

• Josiah “Dave” Davidson – A complex and emotionally guarded teenager with a shadowy past in a gang known as the Alphabats. Dave now serves as a protector and guide for Emily. His internal battle with guilt and his emerging sense of purpose add gravity to the story.

• Rob Austin – The youngest of the Austin children, Rob is curious, gentle-hearted, and wise beyond his years. His openness to wonder and emotional intuition often serve as a moral compass in moments of conflict or confusion.

• Suzy Austin – A headstrong and scientifically inclined girl who struggles with the tension between logic and belief. Her skepticism toward the mystical elements of the story reflects a deeper internal conflict about control, fear, and the nature of reality.

• Mr. Theotocopoulos (Mr. Theo) – Emily’s cantankerous yet deeply loving piano teacher. A retired organist with a fierce sense of artistic integrity, Mr. Theo acts as a mentor and moral guardian, frequently challenging the children with his incisive observations and emotional intelligence.

• Dr. Wallace Austin & Mrs. Austin – The compassionate and principled parents of the Austin children. Dr. Austin, a medical researcher, becomes entangled in the mystery surrounding a dangerous scientific breakthrough, while Mrs. Austin anchors the family with her warmth and intuition.

• Vicky Austin – The reflective and poetic eldest Austin daughter, who supports Emily with empathy and maturity. Though less central to the main action, her perceptiveness and internal struggles enrich the emotional landscape of the story.

Theme

• Vision and Perception – Emily’s blindness is both literal and metaphorical, challenging characters to see beyond surface appearances and confront inner truths. The novel frequently juxtaposes physical sight with emotional and moral insight.

• The Intersection of Science and Ethics – Through the mysterious Micro-Ray device and the tension between scientific advancement and moral responsibility, the novel questions how knowledge should be used and who should wield power.

• Faith, Skepticism, and the Supernatural – L’Engle pits Suzy’s scientific rationalism against unexplained phenomena like the appearance of a genie, asking readers to consider the role of belief in an increasingly complex world.

• Belonging and Transformation – The story tracks several characters who are outsiders (Dave, Emily, even Mr. Theo) and examines their journey toward connection and change through acts of courage, love, and trust.

• Music as Identity and Expression – Music permeates the story, particularly through Emily and Mr. Theo. It becomes a medium through which characters process emotions, reveal truths, and transcend limitations.

Writing Style and Tone

Madeleine L’Engle’s prose in The Young Unicorns is both elegant and accessible, characterized by its lyrical rhythm and philosophical undercurrents. She seamlessly blends vivid sensory detail with introspective commentary, bringing the setting of New York to life in all its gritty, multicultural vibrancy. The dialogue is crisp, often layered with subtext, and the internal thoughts of characters are rendered with psychological depth and emotional clarity.

The tone of the novel is a compelling fusion of suspense, melancholy, and hope. L’Engle infuses the narrative with a sense of the uncanny, balancing the realism of urban life with moments of eerie mystery and spiritual resonance. This tonal layering allows her to tackle complex themes without didacticism, preserving the novel’s emotional authenticity and maintaining an undercurrent of wonder.