At the Back of the North Wind

MacDonald, George

ISBN 10: 0891911952 / ISBN 13: 9780891911951

Published by David C Cook (edition ), 1979

About this Item

The item might be beaten up but readable. May contain markings or highlighting, as well as stains, bent corners, or any other major defect, but the text is not obscured in any way.

Seller Inventory # 0891911952-7-1-13

Bibliographic Details

• Title: At the Back of the North Wind
• Publisher: David C Cook (edition )
• Publication Date: 1979
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0891911952
• ISBN 13: 9780891911951
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Fair

About this title

Synopsis

George MacDonald's best-known fantasy has enchanted generations of children and adults since it was first published in London over a century ago. Considered to be a landmark in the development of the children's novel, this enthralling fairy tale is just as endearing today.

Review

This is a story of a poor stable boy living in Victorian London in which everyday lives are mysteriously enveloped by a power and a glory, personified here as a beautiful woman known as the North Wind. She visits the small boy, Diamond, and takes him with her on her journeys, teaching him about herself. Through the eyes of an innocent and yet perceptive child, MacDonald explores North Wind as a way of exploring the place of death in our lives. He looks squarely at social injustice--he knew poverty and the poor first hand--and yet also sees that the deepest need we have is for love and forgiveness, which are rooted in eternity.

This is a book for children--I've read it to my own daughter more than once--even though they may not understand just who North Wind is until years later. Adults on the other hand will learn that while they thought they knew something about death, there is much to relearn--and probably the most important part. --Doug Thorpe