The Arm of the Starfish

The Arm of the Starfish by Madeleine L'Engle, 1965 Farrar, Straus & Giroux

     Young Adam Eddington has been awarded a prestigious internship with Dr. Calvin O'Keefe and his family in Portugal. Dr. O'Keefe and his wife Meg Murry O'Keefe have several children including their eldest twelve-year-old Polyhymnia, or Polly. Before he leaves the United States, Adam is warned against trusting another passenger--Cannon Tallis who is escorting Polly O'Keefe back to her parents--by the beautiful Kali, daughter of a rich American industrialist.
     Adam is taken in by the beautiful face and is on guard against the Cannon's friendly overtures. When the Cannon's plans go awry and Adam escorts Polly from Madrid to Lisbon she disappears from the plane and Kali's father helps Adam rescue her. The more involved Adam becomes the more confused he is and the harder it is to decipher whom he can trust.
    The situation reveals two factions secretly warring over control of the limb regeneration research Dr. O'Keefe is developing. Adam finds a connection to the O'Keefe's and their concern over the "fall of the sparrow" and what happens to those unable to protect themselves. By casting his lot with theirs, Adam faces several ethical dilemmas and ultimately learns the dangers of trusting outward appearances.
     Meg and Calvin O'Keefe feature in L'Engle's Time Quartet with the Murry family. In the first novel featuring their family Adam is merely a visitor, who will continue in the Austin Family series. Adam grows from a naive teen into a world-weary young man over the course of his trials. The novel illustrates how appearances can be deceiving and that though the choice may be difficult there are always people willing to make your difficult choices for you--to their benefit.
     The Arm of the Starfish is a fast-paced novel involving espionage, romance, and betrayal. Readers of all ages will enjoy the novel though it is aimed more at middle and high school readers.