At the Back of the North Wind.

A gentle boy living in poverty is visited one night by a tall, dark-haired woman who is the North Wind herself, and she carries him away on the air toward a strange and lovely country that lies at her very back.

What it's about

Little Diamond, the kind-hearted son of a coachman, sleeps in a drafty loft where the wind steals through the wall, and there he meets North Wind, a being at once tender and terrible who takes him flying over the city and out to sea. She does hard and mysterious things in the world, yet cares for Diamond with deep love, and beyond her lies a serene country from which he returns changed. George MacDonald blends everyday scenes of hardship among the London poor with luminous passages of dream and vision.

Themes

The book is a gentle meditation on death, faith and the goodness that can flow from suffering, with North Wind herself an ambiguous figure of both destruction and grace. MacDonald explores innocence, love and the mystery of what lies beyond life, treating a child's spiritual imagination with rare seriousness and beauty.

Why it still matters

A pioneering work of literary fantasy, it deeply influenced later masters of the form, including the writers who created Narnia and Middle-earth. Its blend of social realism and mystical vision, and its unflinching yet consoling approach to mortality, keep it treasured by readers of all ages.

Who it's for

Families and readers who love classic fairy tales with real emotional and spiritual depth, and anyone drawn to the roots of modern fantasy. A moving, gentle book for those unafraid of a story that touches on loss as well as wonder.

Sources and references

Verified references for this edition: Open Library, WorldCat.