In Memoriam: Diana Wynne Jones

1934-2011

Madeleine L'Engle introduced me to fantasy, but it was Diana Wynne Jones that hooked my on YA Fantasy for life.  She wrote characters that I related to as a child, and still do as an adult.  Of how many writer's can you say that?  She wrote for a range of age groups (I remember being frustrated as a child when I accidentally picked up a Middle Grade read when I was looking for a Young Adult), including novels for adults.

To this day, one of my favorite books is her Fire and Hemlock.  It was the first book I ever read that dealt with parental mental health issues from a child's point of view.  It wasn't overly serious, but it was another complication with which the heroine had to deal.  The book has a "believe in yourself" type of message, but doesn't clobber you over the head with it.  Once a year or so I re-read this book to remind myself to never let anyone control me through my own embarrassment.

Her books ranged from magical worlds to worlds with a little magic and I love them all ...and still have more works of hers yet to read.  I am saddened, however, that her creative genius has left us, for no one had a voice quite like hers.