Vicky Austin
| Vicky Austin | |
|---|---|
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| First appearance | by publication date: Meet the Austins (1960) by age: The Twenty-four Days Before Christmas (1984) |
| Last appearance | Troubling a Star (1994) |
| Created by | Madeleine L'Engle |
| Portrayed by | Mischa Barton |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | Vicky |
| Aliases | Victoria Austin |
| Occupation | Student |
| Relatives | Dr. Wallace Austin and Victoria Austin, parents; brothers John and Robert; sister Suzy |
Victoria "Vicky" Austin is one of Madeleine L'Engle's frequently used fictional characters, appearing in eight books and referred to in at least one more. She is the protagonist of the Austin family series of books being the first person narrator of Meet the Austins, The Moon by Night, A Ring of Endless Light, Troubling a Star, and (as a younger child) the picture book The Twenty-Four Days Before Christmas. A developing poet and writer, Vicky observes the everyday events in her large family, dates several boys, communicates with dolphins, faces the occasional mortal danger, and reflects on important issues about life and death, faith and family as she gradually comes of age.
Vicky is the second eldest of four children. With a future astrophysicist (John) for an older brother and a younger sister (Suzy) who has always wanted to be a doctor, Vicky sometimes feels at odds with others in her family with her less purposeful, more philosophical approach to life. She is intelligent and loving, an Anglican who questions her faith and considers the philosophies of others. Introverted and sensitive, she sometimes wanders off to be alone, a tendency that annoys and concerns her family in several of the books. Within her immediate family, she is closest to her younger brother, Rob, who shares her loving and questioning nature. She finds a mentor and kindred spirit in her maternal grandfather, retired minister Grandfather Eaton, who recognizes Vicky's poetic nature and encourages her to write.
The Twenty-four Days Before Christmas (1984, ) is the reader's look at Vicky at the age of seven, five years before her introductory appearance in Meet the Austins. Tall and skinny, self-described as "the middle Austin and the ugly duckling", she is elated at having been chosen to play the angel in the Christmas Eve pageant at church. When a blizzard forces cancellation of the pageant and the church service, Vicky must give up her moment in the spotlight, and instead welcome the birth of her baby brother, Rob.
A Full House: An Austin Family Christmas (1999, ) takes place when Vicky is eleven years old. She is a minor character in the story, which is told from the point of view of her mother, Victoria Eaton Austin.
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