At the Back of the North Wind tells the story of Diamond and his magical friendship with North Wind, who comes to him at night and carries him into great and varied adventures and insights. George MacDonald is generally considered the grandfather of modern fantasy novels, and this is generally considered his masterpiece.
MacDonald published this novel first in serialized form from 1868 to 1870 and then as a complete volume in 1871. Our rejuvenated edition makes the story more readable by updating spelling, breaking up very long paragraphs, and replacing quaint but confusing punctuation with more conventional patterns.
C.S. Lewis writes, "I know hardly any other writer who seems to be closer, or more continually close, to the Spirit of Christ Himself. Hence his Christ-like union of tenderness and severity. Nowhere else outside the New Testament have I found terror and comfort so intertwined."
Although this story was originally written for children, don't assume that this is a children's book! "I write, not for children," MacDonald wrote, "but for the child-like, whether they be five, or fifty, or seventy-five."