<div>The classic fantasy about a young man who travels through a mystical reflecting glass into a hidden world Mr. Vane spots the mysterious old man while reading in his family&rsquo;s expansive library. His interest piqued, he follows the man up to the attic, where he finds a tall and dusty mirror. In its rather unremarkable glass, the reflection of the world behind him slowly melts away to reveal a sweeping country of moors and hills framed by the tops of faraway mountains. Enchanted by the sight, Vane steps through the mirror and is transported to a dreamlike land where myriad perils and adventures await. With the old man, Mr. Raven, as his guide, Vane travels through the Evil Wood, where innocent children frolic in the day and dead men battle at night. He visits the ominous city Bulika, whose people live in silent fear of a menace roaming the streets. Each chapter building on the last, Lilith follows Vane to a final and universal truth in a stunning allegory of life, death, and redemption. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.</div>

Lilith

<div>A princess is cursed to a life without gravity in George MacDonald&rsquo;s whimsical fairy tale After years of being childless, the king and queen finally welcome a beautiful daughter into the world. But at the young princess&rsquo;s christening, the king&rsquo;s wicked sister curses the girl to a life without gravity. Doomed to float above the ground, unable to bring her feet to earth, the princess grows up unlike any other child. Inspired by &ldquo;Sleeping Beauty,&rdquo; The Light Princess is George MacDonald&rsquo;s &ldquo;lightest&rdquo; fairy tale, indulging in skillful wordplay and unrepentant puns&mdash;the kind of story made to charm children and delight adults. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices. </div>

The Light Princess

<div>A fantasy novel &ldquo;about the nature of love and the cultivation of it in the soul&rdquo; by the author of The Princess and the Goblin (Mere Orthodoxy). Anodos, a young man on the verge adulthood, is spirited away to Fairyland where he encounters an array of fantastical creatures on his journey to discover goodness and beauty. As Anodos seduces&mdash;and is seduced by&mdash;the lovely denizens of this new world, he moves from sensual attraction to a more spiritual understanding of love. &ldquo;Despite the fact that the book is an acknowledged influence on everything from C. S. Lewis&rsquo; work on down, Phantastes itself remains firmly in the fairy story tradition, a half-step away from allegory and a few steps north of children&rsquo;s literature. MacDonald himself noted that he was not writing for children, but rather for the childlike, striving to invoke a sense of wonder at the marvelous tableaus he revealed instead of attempting to convey a strong, self-supporting linear plot. All that being said, Phantastes is a must-read for any student of fantasy literature precisely because it is such a seminal work.&rdquo; &mdash;Fantasy Magazine &ldquo;His fairies dance between archetypes, characters stolen from Grimm&rsquo;s fairy tales or Arthurian knights, and creatures of nature, living in flowers and infusing trees with the ability of independent thought and movement, or creatures of fancy. . . . But Fairyland is also, for MacDonald, a metaphor for the journey of the soul, and its search for beauty and truth. . . . It can be exquisitely beautiful.&rdquo; &mdash;Tor.com</div>

Phantastes

<div>The sequel to The Princess and the Goblin from the Victorian-era Scottish author who influenced C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Madeleine L&rsquo;Engle. A year or two after the adventures of The Princess and the Goblin, a group of corrupt ministers are plotting to poison the king, Princess Irene&rsquo;s father. Curdie, a mineworker and loyal friend, joins forces with Princess Irene to stop them. &ldquo;Along the way the ugliest and most fearful of monster-companions help him, and the final great battle where they stand alone is decisive. A great adventure and, like its predecessor, with hidden levels of meaning. Makes Hairy [sic] Potter look feeble&rdquo; (AllReaders.com). &ldquo;The Princess and the Goblin and The Princess and Curdie are two of the most unusual and haunting fairy tales ever written.&rdquo; &mdash;The Guardian</div>

The Princess and Curdie

<div>&ldquo; [A] little-known fairy tale that&rsquo;s full of girl power . . . An accidentally feminist work of children&rsquo;s literature.&rdquo; &mdash;Bustle A great influence on Lewis Carroll, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Madeleine L&rsquo;Engle, Scottish author George MacDonald wrote this beloved fantasy in 1872. Princess Irene is given a magical ring by her great-great-grandmother, who lives in a secret room in her father&rsquo;s palace. Curdie, a boy who works in the mines, learns that the goblins who live underground intend to kidnap Irene and marry her off to the goblin prince. As events unfold, a thread attached to Irene&rsquo;s ring connecting her to Curdie may be the only thing that will bring them both safely home . . . &ldquo;A rich, vibrant tale.&rdquo; &mdash;Star Tribune &ldquo;The Princess and the Goblin and The Princess and Curdie are two of the most unusual and haunting fairy tales ever written.&rdquo; &mdash;The Guardian</div>

The Princess and the Goblin

<div>The North Wind takes a young boy along on her many adventures in this classic Victorian fantasy novel by the author who inspired Lewis Carroll.Diamond is a charming young boy who spreads joy wherever he goes. But while he is accustomed to getting along well with others, he never expected to befriend the very wind howling through his bedroom. A mysterious and beautiful spirit, the North Wind soon invites Diamond to fly with her across the countryside as she performs her many tasks.Though Diamond is captivated by his magical adventures with the North Wind, he is also confused by her behavior. While she does many positive things for people, some of her actions seem terrible. Could it be true that what appears to be harmful&mdash;even sinking a ship&mdash;is ultimately done for good?At the Back of the North Wind is one of the most beloved works by nineteenth-century children&rsquo;s book writer George MacDonald, who inspired a number of other notable authors, including Lewis Carroll, J. M. Barrie, and L. Frank Baum.</div>

At the Back of the North Wind

<div>The editor of Discovering the Character of God presents further devotional selections from the poetry, sermons, and stories of George Macdonald. One of the nineteenth-century&#39;s greatest thinkers, George MacDonald has inspired generations with his fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Now his words of wisdom are available in a series of devotionals compiled and edited by MacDonald scholar and biographer, Michael Phillips. Knowing the Heart of God presents brief, daily readings from MacDonald&rsquo;s poetry, sermons, and fiction. Each offers deep insight into God&rsquo;s love for humanity and his desire for us to love Him and each other. Readers looking for greater illumination along the Christian path will find it in this invaluable volume.</div>

Knowing the Heart of God

<div>A leading George MacDonald scholar presents a fascinating introduction to the 19th century Scottish author&rsquo;s views on Christianity, faith, and God. The Victorian author, poet, and theologian George MacDonald inspired some of the greatest writers of the early 20th century, including C.S. Lewis, who said MacDonald&rsquo;s books were pivotal in leading him toward Christianity. While MacDonald&rsquo;s beloved fiction&mdash;including classics like Robert Falconer and At the Back of the North Wind&mdash;remain popular, his sermons and nonfiction writings on faith are less well-known. Now MacDonald scholar and biographer Michael Phillips presents a comprehensive introduction to George MacDonald&rsquo;s theological ideas. In George MacDonald&rsquo;s Spiritual Vision, Phillips provides extensive, thematically arranged quotes from the author&rsquo;s writings. This brief volume covers topics from the nature and character of God to salvation, justice and atonement.</div>

George MacDonald's Spiritual Vision

<div>The leading MacDonald scholar settles the longstanding debate about the author&rsquo;s views on hell with an in-depth analysis of his thought on the afterlife. Throughout his extensive and influential writings on Christian theology, George MacDonald only hints at his perspectives on hell, atonement, and everlasting punishment. Nowhere does he clearly state a doctrinal position on the subject. As a result, a controversy has raged for more than a century about whether or not MacDonald was a universalist. Now MacDonald scholar and biographer Michael Phillips tackles the &ldquo;great hell debate&rdquo; head on in this authoritative book. With numerous quotes from MacDonald&rsquo;s writings and his extensive knowledge of MacDonald&rsquo;s work, Phillips blows the lid off the debate by illuminating the full scope of MacDonald&rsquo;s afterlife vision. One of the most significant studies of MacDonald&rsquo;s theological perspectives ever written, this is a must-read for all serious students of George MacDonald.</div>

George MacDonald and the Late Great Hell Debate

<div>The author of George MacDonald: Scotland&rsquo;s Beloved Storyteller presents a wealth of Christian wisdom culled from the works of the great Victorian writer The nineteenth century author, poet, and Christian scholar George MacDonald has inspired generations with his powerful stories and sermons. Writers from Lewis Carroll to W.H. Auden cite MacDonald as a major influence, while C.S. Lewis has said his books were pivotal in leading him toward Christianity. In A time to Grow, MacDonald scholar and biographer Michael Phillips combs through the author&rsquo;s many works to provides a selection of brief daily readings. Culled from MacDonald&rsquo;s beloved stories and novels, such as Robert Falconer, At the Back of the North Wind, Sir Gibbie, and many others, each selection imparts a thought-provoking Christian message and is accompanied by a relevant Bible verse.</div>

A Time to Grow

<div>This collection of sermons and theological essays by the beloved Victorian author explore the nature of God&rsquo;s truth and how it is revealed to us. The Victorian author, poet, and theologian George MacDonald inspired some of the greatest writers of the early 20th century, including C.S. Lewis, who said MacDonald&rsquo;s books were pivotal in leading him toward Christianity. But while MacDonald&rsquo;s fiction remains popular&mdash;with such notable classics as Robert Falconer and At the Back of the North Wind&mdash;his theological nonfiction is often challenging for modern readers. Now MacDonald scholar and biographer Michael Phillips addresses this difficulty with this expertly edited edition of MacDonald&rsquo;s sermons and essays about God&rsquo;s truth. Each selection is accompanied by Phillips&rsquo;s illuminating commentary, providing readers with an essential road map into the expansive world of George MacDonald&rsquo;s theological writings.</div>

The Truth in Jesus

<div>Devotional selections from the poetry, sermons, and fiction of the great Victorian author George MacDonald. One of the nineteenth-century&#39;s greatest thinkers, George MacDonald has inspired generations with his powerful stories and sermons. Now his words of wisdom are available in a series of devotionals compiled and edited by the MacDonald scholar and author of George MacDonald: Scotland&rsquo;s Beloved Storyteller. Discovering the Character of God presents brief, daily readings from MacDonald&rsquo;s poetry, sermons, and fiction. Each offers deep insight into God&rsquo;s loving character and the harmony that exists between his mercy and his justice. MacDonald&rsquo;s imaginative perception of God&#39;s presence and handiwork in every facet of life lead the reader on an enriching path of discovery.</div>

Discovering the Character of God

<div>This volume of the Victorian author&rsquo;s sermons presents an in-depth understanding of his views on Christian faith, edited for modern readers. Though he is best known today for his beloved fiction and fairy tales, such as the classics Robert Falconer and At the Back of the North Wind, George MacDonald was also an influential and visionary theologian. Now MacDonald scholar and biographer Michael Phillips presents a collection of the author&rsquo;s sermons, expertly edited for modern readers and accompanied by the original texts. Each selection is also introduced by Phillips&rsquo;s illuminating commentary. The sermons collected in this volume are prophetic in that &ldquo;MacDonald anticipates the perspectives of eternity, which is truly the most far-reaching kind of prophetic vision. He examines with profound insight an wisdom the eternal methods and purposes of God, and to a lesser extent even some of the potential outcomes that may lay in God&rsquo;s heart to accomplish&rdquo; (from the introduction).</div>

George MacDonald's Transformational Theology of the Christian Faith

<div>The Scottish author&rsquo;s literary masterpiece&mdash;the fantastical story of a young boy&rsquo;s adventures with a woman of supernatural powers. Historically, At the Back of the North Wind ranks as George MacDonald&rsquo;s most well-known and enduring book, the haunting tale of little Diamond, a simple London cabman&rsquo;s son and his dreamy encounters with the mysterious, wise, powerful, comforting, and occasionally frightening lady known as North Wind. Their eerie nighttime adventures have captivated readers old and young ever since the book&rsquo;s publication in 1871. It has been published in more editions than any of MacDonald&rsquo;s works, and ranks as one of the few (perhaps only) title of MacDonald&rsquo;s that has likely never been out of print. Its skillfully woven intermingling of realism and fantasy set MacDonald apart as a writer of uniqueness and distinction in the early 1870s as his reputation widened. This edition for The Cullen Collection is unedited in any way.</div>

<div>This collection of theological writings by the beloved Victorian author illuminates his views on living in the light of God&rsquo;s love. The Victorian author, poet, and theologian George MacDonald inspired some of the greatest minds of the early 20th century, including the writer C.S. Lewis, who said MacDonald&rsquo;s books were pivotal in leading him toward Christianity. But while MacDonald&rsquo;s fiction remains popular&mdash;with such notable classics as Robert Falconer and At the Back of the North Wind&mdash;his theological nonfiction is often challenging for modern readers. Now MacDonald scholar and biographer Michael Phillips addresses this difficulty with this expertly edited edition of MacDonald&rsquo;s sermons and essays exploring what it means to live a Christian life. Each selection is accompanied by Phillips&rsquo;s illuminating commentary, providing readers with an essential road map into the expansive world of George MacDonald&rsquo;s theological writings.</div>

Your Life in Christ

<div>The 19th-century British author&rsquo;s fantastical masterpiece, &ldquo;the first text to employ the idea of going through a mirror into another world&rdquo; (The List, &ldquo;100 Best Scottish Books of All Time&rdquo;). Subtitled, a little oddly, &ldquo;A Romance,&rdquo; which assuredly it is not, eight distinct manuscript versions of Lilith exist, chronicling the book&rsquo;s fitful development under MacDonald&rsquo;s pen until its release in 1895. Some view Lilith as the otherworldly climax of MacDonald&rsquo;s literary career. As in Phantastes, with which Lilith is usually linked, the narrator finds himself embarking on a quest. But unlike the earlier journey into the land of faerie, that of Lilith is an inward journey that leads to the world of death, exploring what new self-awarenesses, even repentance, may be possible in that realm. Lilith is decidedly dark and difficult to grasp and is not for all readers. MacDonald himself felt that it had been inspired by God as his &ldquo;final message,&rdquo; though his wife Louisa was troubled by it and counseled her husband not to publish it. This edition for The Cullen Collection is unedited in any way. &ldquo;An extremely Freudian book, with sexualized old testament type lusty biblical images, and feelings, which is very surprising, as it was written in Victorian times, by a minister, as that was what MacDonald was . . . This is all spun out in an engrossing prose, with beautiful poetic descriptives, and with much passion and Art. The World of the book seems to me to be much more real, and more terrible, then Tolkien, and more anguished. The writing . . . is both extremely literate, and lavish.&rdquo;&mdash;Daily Kos</div>

<div>The Victorian-era fairy tale and sequel to The Princess and the Goblin from the Scottish author who influenced C.S. Lewis. This second &ldquo;Curdie&rdquo; installment, published in 1882, is far more than a mere &ldquo;children&rsquo;s story.&rdquo; The themes and linguistic style of The Princess and Curdie are considerably more advanced, and the depth of its spiritual analogies extensive in subtlety and scope. After being thrust into the rose-fire, the discerning gift of Curdie&rsquo;s hand to know toward what any man or woman is growing (beast or child), is one of MacDonald&rsquo;s most memorable, though chilling, images. It is a theme that became profoundly illuminated in later years by MacDonald&rsquo;s spiritual prot&eacute;g&eacute; C.S. Lewis, when he wrote in Mere Christianity, &ldquo;Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or a hellish creature.&rdquo; Lewis&rsquo;s words embody a truth that emerges directly out of Curdie&rsquo;s story. This edition for The Cullen Collection is unedited in any way. Praise for The Princess and the Goblin and The Princess and Curdie &ldquo;The Princess and the Goblin and The Princess and Curdie are two of the most unusual and haunting fairy tales ever written.&rdquo;&mdash;The Guardian &ldquo;Absorbing stories, a rich feast for the imagination also intended to nourish the souls and intellects of the hearers.&rdquo;&mdash;Vintage Novels</div>

<div>The groundbreaking Victorian-era fantasy from the Scottish literary master. &ldquo;Without question one of the cornerstones of the genre.&rdquo;&mdash;Black Gate George MacDonald&rsquo;s first major fiction work, in MacDonald&rsquo;s words &ldquo;a sort of fairy tale for grown people,&rdquo; Phantastes was published in 1858. This unusual fantasy, subtitled a &ldquo;faerie romance,&rdquo; is one of MacDonald&rsquo;s most mysterious and esoteric titles. The book&rsquo;s narrator, Anodos, enters Fairy Land through a mysterious old wooden secretary. From that beginning, he embarks on a dream-like series of encounters that follow the form of an epic quest, though the purpose and destination of his journey remain obscure and are never fully clarified. Sales of Phantastes proved a disappointment, until young atheist C.S. Lewis discovered it in 1916. Within a few hours he said he knew he &ldquo;had crossed a great frontier.&rdquo; MacDonald&rsquo;s unusual fantasy set Lewis on the road toward his eventual conversion to Christianity, and forever after he referred to MacDonald as his &ldquo;master.&rdquo; In spite of its poor initial reception among Victorian readers, Lewis&rsquo;s affection for it established Phantastes as one of MacDonald&rsquo;s most enduring and studied works in literary and academic circles. This new edition is one of six fantasy titles in The Cullen Collection that has not been edited or updated in any way and is reproduced exactly in its original text. &ldquo;It can be exquisitely beautiful . . . from time to time I was caught by MacDonald&rsquo;s enchantment, by his underlying concept that we can build a land of Faerie in our minds, and travel there.&rdquo;&mdash;Tor.com</div>

<div>A Victorian-era fairy tale of one woman&rsquo;s quest to redeem a selfish girl&mdash;from the Scottish author of The Princess and the Goblin. This shorter fairy tale &ldquo;Double Story&rdquo; (by which title it was also published), tells the story of spoiled Princess Rosamond, and a mysterious wise woman whom she meets in the forest, and who continues to come to her in different guises which the princess does not always recognize. Considered by some as one of MacDonald&rsquo;s &ldquo;short stories&rdquo; rather than a novel, this edition includes MacDonald&rsquo;s insightful essay, &ldquo;The Fantastic Imagination.&rdquo; This edition of The Wise Woman for The Cullen Collection is unedited. &ldquo;Reading this book reminded me why George MacDonald&rsquo;s wonderful fairy-tales have always been so treasured by Christian writers from CS Lewis to Madeleine L&rsquo;Engle . . . an astounding, rich story.&rdquo;&mdash;Vintage Novels</div>

The Wise Woman

<div>A masterful and timeless novel from the renowned Scottish author&mdash;the work that established his place in the pantheon of British literature. Released in 1865 as the second of his major Scottish novels, many consider Alec Forbes of Howglen George MacDonald&rsquo;s most uniformly cohesive work of fiction. Intensely Scottish in flavor, like its predecessor David Elginbrod, the thick Doric dialect of much of the novel was relished by Victorians. Set in MacDonald&rsquo;s hometown of Huntly, this story of Alec Forbes and Annie Anderson contains many autobiographical glimpses of MacDonald&rsquo;s own boyhood, capturing the delights of youth and the anguish of first loves. While preserving the flavor of MacDonald&rsquo;s original, this updated edition by Michael Phillips translates the Scottish dialect, in which most of MacDonald&rsquo;s Scottish stories are written, into readable English.</div>

Alec Forbes of Howglen

<div>The Scottish literary master&rsquo;s final full-length realistic novel&mdash;his prodigal son tour de force. MacDonald&rsquo;s 1897 novel, Salted with Fire, is replete with dense Scottish dialect and spiritual themes. The repentance (through fire) of young minister James Blatherwick, who recognizes the sham of his pretended spirituality, is reminiscent of Thomas Wingfold&rsquo;s spiritual journey. It also embodies in fictional form one of MacDonald&rsquo;s signature themes from his first volume of Unspoken Sermons, &ldquo;The Consuming Fire.&rdquo; Along with these themes, the return of one of MacDonald&rsquo;s favorite character &ldquo;types,&rdquo; the humble Scottish peasant bard, in the person of cobbler John MacLear, establishes Salted with Fire as a work of lasting importance in the MacDonald corpus. It arguably offers a fitting climax to MacDonald&rsquo;s life message. This new edition by MacDonald biographer Michael Phillips streamlines the occasionally ponderous Victorian narrative style and updates the thick Doric dialect into readable English.</div>

Salted with Fire

<div>&ldquo;One of MacDonald&rsquo;s best and most satisfying books&rdquo;&mdash;a Victorian-era fairy tale featuring a lonely princess and a miner&rsquo;s son (Tor.com). As editor of the magazine Good Words for the Young, MacDonald had a ready audience for &ldquo;fairy tale&rdquo; and &ldquo;children&rsquo;s&rdquo; stories and produced some of his most famous titles during this period of his writing life. The third of his stories for the magazine, The Princess and the Goblin, published in 1872, is universally acclaimed as MacDonald&rsquo;s best pure fairy tale, and has been enchanting readers for well over a century. This story of princess Irene, her mysterious ageless namesake &ldquo;grandmother,&rdquo; and miner&rsquo;s son Curdie surely provided inspiration for C.S. Lewis&rsquo;s Chronicles of Narnia. G.K. Chesterton wrote of it in 1924, &ldquo;I can really testify to a book that has made a difference to my whole existence, which has helped me to see&mdash;a vision of things&mdash;so real. Of all the stories I have read, it remains the most real, the most realistic, in the exact sense of the phrase the most like life. It is called The Princess and the Goblin, and it is by George MacDonald.&rdquo; This edition for The Cullen Collection is unedited in any way. &ldquo;A little-known, girl-powered fairy tale that should be on your radar.&rdquo;&mdash;Bustle &ldquo;A rich, vibrant tale.&rdquo;&mdash;Minneapolis Star Tribune</div>

<div>&ldquo;A novel which is the work of a man of genius&rdquo;&mdash;and that launched MacDonald&rsquo;s career as one of the preeminent Victorian novelists of his day (The Times). George MacDonald&rsquo;s first realistic novel, David Elginbrod, was published in 1863. Unable to get his poetry and fantasy published, one of MacDonald&rsquo;s publishers remarked, &ldquo;I tell you, Mr. MacDonald, if you would but write novels, you would find all the publishers saving up to buy them of you. Nothing but fiction pays.&rdquo; Eventually MacDonald decided to try his hand at realistic fiction, and his publisher&rsquo;s words proved prophetic&mdash;within a few years publishers indeed were lining up to buy his books. Partially set in MacDonald&rsquo;s homeland of northern Scotland, the story of Hugh Sutherland and Margaret Elginbrod is replete with the dialect and thorough &ldquo;Scottishness&rdquo; that became MacDonald&rsquo;s trademark. The story takes the characters into the eerie world of the occult and spiritualism that so fascinated Victorian readers. This new edition by MacDonald biographer Michael Phillips streamlines the occasionally ponderous Victorian narrative style and updates the thick Doric brogue into readable English.</div>

David Elginbrod

<div>The story of an industrious young boy who seeks to bring goodness to the world&mdash;from the nineteenth-century Scottish author of Ranald Bannerman&rsquo;s Boyhood. While still editing the magazine Good Words for the Young, MacDonald wrote this second &ldquo;boy&rsquo;s novel,&rdquo; unconnected with but written for a similar audience as Ranald Bannerman&rsquo;s story. Inventive young Willie Macmichael turns everything about him to creative uses, hungrily learning from the grown-ups around him, prompting MacDonald&rsquo;s subtitle, &ldquo;The Working Genius.&rdquo; Though one of MacDonald&rsquo;s lesser-known titles, editor Michael Phillips comments, &ldquo;MacDonald&rsquo;s strongest and most eternal contribution to the world lies in the realm of spiritual practicality. Willie epitomizes the practicality of growing into one&rsquo;s place in God&rsquo;s general business. This story therefore deserves to be considered one of MacDonald&rsquo;s memorable portrayals of that eternal imperative. I love this book!&rdquo; Gutta Percha Willie was MacDonald&rsquo;s only book published in 1873, released while he was on a lecture tour in America.</div>

Gutta Percha Willie

<div>The story of a boy&rsquo;s spiritual transformation in the shadow of the Scottish Highlands&mdash;from the 19th-century author of David Elginbrod. In George MacDonald&rsquo;s most well-known novel, published in 1868, the quest of young Robert Falconer for his father becomes a parallel quest to break free from the oppressive Calvinist theology of his grandmother. As he struggles to come to terms with the strict orthodoxy prevalent in Scotland for two centuries, the doctrine of hell looms as the great stumbling block in Robert&rsquo;s mind. His lifelong search reveals to Robert the groundbreaking truth that hell is remedial not punitive, designed to produce ultimate repentance not everlasting punishment. This highly autobiographical work offers a rare glimpse into MacDonald&rsquo;s own youthful quandaries, and a window into the development of his faith, which would turn generations toward the Fatherhood of a loving God. After the book&rsquo;s publication, as a result of the bold themes running through the narrative, MacDonald came to be considered a &ldquo;universalist&rdquo; and &ldquo;heretic&rdquo; in some circles&mdash;grievous mischaracterizations that persist to this day. This new edition by MacDonald biographer Michael Phillips streamlines the occasionally ponderous Victorian narrative style and updates the thick Doric brogue into readable English.</div>

Robert Falconer

<div>The 19th-century novel of a boy coming of age in the Scottish Highlands&mdash;from the Victorian-era author of The Princess and the Goblin. Released in 1871 after At the Back of the North Wind, MacDonald&rsquo;s first realistic &ldquo;young readers&rdquo; novel follows the boyhood adventures of Ranald Bannerman up to the moment in his teens when he realizes that he is &ldquo;not a man.&rdquo; Thus begins his growth into true manhood. MacDonald&rsquo;s editorship of the highly popular magazine Good Words for the Young in the late 1860s and early 1870s resulted in five young-reader stories, starting with At the Back of the North Wind, and continuing with Ranald Bannerman&rsquo;s Boyhood and The Princess and the Goblin in succession. Set in and around MacDonald&rsquo;s Scottish hometown of Huntly, many of young Ranald&rsquo;s escapades, as in most of MacDonald&rsquo;s Scots stories, are autobiographical. Ranald Bannerman fictionally presents the lighter, occasionally mischievous, side of MacDonald&rsquo;s boyhood.</div>

Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood

<div>An eerie and mysterious gothic romance steeped in family secrets and deception from the Victorian-era author of The Portent and Lilith. MacDonald&rsquo;s second realistic novel written in the first person by a fictional female narrator, The Flight of the Shadow feels somber and ominous almost from its opening pages. It is thus linked with The Portent from early in MacDonald&rsquo;s career, both books similar of length and style. Again MacDonald develops his familiar themes through the character of an orphan, who, without an earthly father, must yet discover the goodness of God&rsquo;s Fatherhood. Belorba Whichcote learns of the divine Fatherhood through the goodness of her uncle Edward, who has raised her on the &ldquo;old family farm.&rdquo; Both of their lives are complicated when Belorba falls in love with John Day from the neighboring estate of Rising. John&rsquo;s demonic mother, Lady Cairnedge, who holds a secret over the Whichcote family, threatens to destroy them, foreshadowing the character of Lilith, the first draft of whose saga was being written about the same time as Flight of the Shadow&rsquo;s release in 1891. Reconciliation and restoration conquer her evil influence in the end. &ldquo;MacDonald is best known for his children&rsquo;s fiction and his fantasy-romances; but this is the US debut of an only slightly fantastical minor romance, written just before Lilith&mdash;which, in some aspects of plot and character, it anticipates.&rdquo;&mdash;Kirkus Reviews</div>

The Flight of the Shadow

<div>A vivid novel of love and spiritual growth set in the Scottish Highlands from the 19th-century Victorian-era author of Castle Warlock. This wonderful Scottish tale from 1893, not so expansive of theme and scope as some of MacDonald&rsquo;s lengthier Scottish stories, is yet poignantly moving in its own way. The descriptions of the highlands and the lives of its people are the equal of those in Castle Warlock and What&rsquo;s Mine&rsquo;s Mine. Who, after reading the story of Kirsty Barclay in Heather and Snow, will forget her brother Steenie&rsquo;s cry after &ldquo;the bonny man!&rdquo; Indeed, Kirsty is one of MacDonald&rsquo;s most memorable women, whose lifelong friendship with neighbor Francis Gordon is the unifying thread through the story, as both mature from youth into adulthood.</div>

Heather and Snow

<div>A son&rsquo;s spiritual journey reunites him with his father in this novel of redemption from the 19th-century Scottish author of The Elect Lady. One of MacDonald&rsquo;s smaller novels in length, and neither so ambitious of scope or depth, Home Again from 1887 is loosely based on the prodigal son parable. It is the oft-told tale of an ambitious young man who thinks too highly of himself, falls under the spell of a duplicitous young woman, and must find his way &ldquo;home.&rdquo; Though less complex than MacDonald&rsquo;s lengthier novels, everything he wrote radiated light. Even in its simplicity, this story of a young poet and his return to his father and his roots has many touching moments, with MacDonald&rsquo;s wisdom woven throughout the characters and relationships.</div>

Home Again

<div>A gothic ghost story of romance, adventure, and the supernatural from the acclaimed 19th-century author of Phantastes. The Portent was originally written for magazine serialization several years prior to its release in book form in 1864. Shorter than most of MacDonald&rsquo;s novels, this spooky tale of the Scottish &ldquo;second sight&rdquo; is a thorough spine-tingling ghost story worthy of the twilight zone. MacDonald&rsquo;s love of mysterious old castles and libraries plays a significant role in the story and is found in many of his books. In The Portent, first person narrator Duncan Campbell is engaged as tutor in a large mansion. There he falls under the spell of somnambulist Lady Alice, who is trapped between the worlds of wakefulness and sleep. About this title, MacDonald&rsquo;s son Greville commented: &ldquo;The story is different from almost any other of his books. It is weird, yet strangely convincing, and has no touch of the didactic.&rdquo; Because of its mystical flavor, The Portent is often linked with MacDonald&rsquo;s earlier Phantastes. Though the books are completely different, The Portent yet contains elements that appeal to readers of MacDonald&rsquo;s fantasy writings, and thus spans the genres of both fantasy and realistic fiction.</div>

The Portent

<div>One woman rebels against society&rsquo;s strictures to live a life of compassion in this thought-provoking Victorian novel by the author of Robert Falconer. This 1882 story of a dysfunctional family features another of MacDonald&rsquo;s memorable female protagonists. Reminiscent of Mary St. John of Robert Falconer, Hester Raymount chooses a single life of ministry among London&rsquo;s downtrodden (whose character and work were inspired by MacDonald friend and social activist Octavia Hill), and, like Mary Marston, uses her musical gifts to further that ministry. The poignant character of Hester&rsquo;s brother Mark brings to life a moving portrait of MacDonald&rsquo;s own son Maurice, whom he and Louisa lost at the age of fifteen but a short while before this book was written.</div>

Weighed and Wanting

<div>The classic novel of love and loyalty amid a vanishing way of life in the Scottish Highlands from the Victorian-era author of Robert Falconer. This Scottish masterpiece of 1886 contains wonderfully descriptive passages of the Scottish Highlands. The story centers around two families&mdash;the English Palmers and that of clan chief Alister Macruadh&mdash;and Mr. Palmer&rsquo;s cruel removal of Clan Ruadh from its traditional lands. This portrait of the Highland Clearances poignantly captures how and why the clan way of life disappeared from the highlands in the 18th and 19th centuries. One of MacDonald&rsquo;s signature tunes, God&rsquo;s revelation in nature, is woven throughout the narrative. Along with Robert Falconer, What&rsquo;s Mine&rsquo;s Mine also offers insight into MacDonald&rsquo;s controversial views on the afterlife. The pointed discussions between Calvinist Mrs. Macruadh and her sons Alister and Ian are memorable indeed. In spite of its highland flavor, this intensely Scottish tale did not employ the local dialect, which at the time was primarily Gaelic.</div>

What's Mine's Mine

<div>Fairy tales told around the fire on Christmas Eve&mdash;including &ldquo;The Light Princess,&rdquo; &ldquo;The Shadows,&rdquo; &ldquo;The Golden Key,&rdquo; and &ldquo;The Giant&rsquo;s Heart.&rdquo; Reminiscent of Chaucer&rsquo;s Canterbury Tales, MacDonald&rsquo;s attempt to package a collection of short stories in the guise of a novel is built around a group of snowbound travelers attempting to pass the time in a country house by sharing stories in hopes of distracting young Adela Cathcart from her illness. Early in his career, MacDonald was trying different genres and storytelling methods, and this is a prime example of his creative experimentation. First published in 1865, the included stories changed with a new edition in 1882. Some of MacDonald&rsquo;s well-known short stories made their first appearance in one of the two editions. This new publication from Michael Phillips includes the best from both original editions.</div>

Adela Cathcart

<div>A novel on the nature of goodness and the concept of the true church from the 19th-century Scottish author of Home Again. Although one of MacDonald&rsquo;s lesser-known books, The Elect Lady, published in 1888, stands out for the memorable relationship of godliness, trust, honesty, and humility between three children&mdash;Andrew and Sandy Ingram and their friend Dawtie&mdash;whose growth into adulthood MacDonald follows with simple yet moving power. Their relationships provide the foundation for MacDonald&rsquo;s wisdom to shine forth on the nature and purpose of the church, climaxing in the memorable pronouncement from Andrew&rsquo;s mouth: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t believe that Jesus cares much for what is called the visible church. But he cares with his very Godhead for those who do as he tells them.&rdquo;</div>

The Elect Lady

<div>The nineteenth-century Scottish author gives readers a fictionalized self portrait of his youth&mdash;plus recollections of him by his son in From a Northern Window. MacDonald&rsquo;s final &ldquo;novella&rdquo; of a scant 22,000 words was viewed as so insignificant at the time of its release in 1898 that it never appeared in book form in the U.K and is omitted from many lists of MacDonald&rsquo;s books. Though appearing in magazine form in Britain, its only book edition was published in the United States. For those with eyes to see, however, it reads as an autobiographical retrospective of the beginning of MacDonald&rsquo;s own writing life. Though revealing a poignant final glimpse of MacDonald&rsquo;s waning energy and craft, the significance of its portrait of a struggling youthful author is delightful. Shortly after its writing, what appeared to be a stroke silenced the pen of this remarkable literary genius and man of God. Included in this new edition of Far Above Rubies is Ronald MacDonald&rsquo;s memorable portrait of his father from 1910, From a Northern Window.</div>

Far Above Rubies

<div>The story of a young minister and his flock&mdash;first in the Scottish author&rsquo;s Marshmallows Trilogy including The Seaboard Parish and The Vicar&rsquo;s Daughter. MacDonald&rsquo;s first major English novel, published in 1867, was set in the village of Arundel on the downs south of London near the south channel coast. It was the site of MacDonald&rsquo;s first and only pastorate as a newly married minister in 1851-53. This book is wonderfully descriptive of the region, with autobiographical hints of MacDonald&rsquo;s outlook as a young pastor. Chronicling the daily life of one of MacDonald&rsquo;s fictionalized &ldquo;ideal ministers&rdquo;&mdash;perhaps a portrayal of the shepherd-pastor MacDonald had himself hoped to be&mdash;the Annals proved one of his most popular novels. First released in the Sunday Magazine, which was intended for &ldquo;Sabbath reading,&rdquo; Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood was quickly published in numerous book editions and contributed in a significant way to MacDonald&rsquo;s growing popularity in America. Though less spine-riveting of plot, the three volumes of the Marshmallows Trilogy spawned by Annals provide some of MacDonald&rsquo;s most homiletic and deeply spiritual writings.</div>

Annals of a Quiet Neighborhood

<div>A portrait of a minister and his family. Second in the Scottish author&rsquo;s Marshmallows Trilogy following Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood. The publication in 1868 of this sequel to Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood capped off one of George MacDonald&rsquo;s most productive years with a third major fiction work following Robert Falconer and Guild Court. Set in the Cornwall seaside town of Bude and inspired by a MacDonald family holiday a few years earlier, this novel continues the leisurely pastoral pace of minister Harry Walton&rsquo;s family. Like Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood, it was first written for &ldquo;Sabbath reading&rdquo; in the Sunday Magazine. Almost taking the form of a &ldquo;family diary,&rdquo; A Seaboard Parish is yet rich with spiritual insight and wisdom.</div>

The Seaboard Parish

<div>The 19th-century Scottish author delivers a novel of a homeless orphan who finds peace in the company of animals and his own innate goodness. One of George MacDonald&rsquo;s realistic novels, A Rough Shaking takes its title from a devastating earthquake that hit along the Italian coast in February of 1887. Though not written in the classic mold of a children&rsquo;s story, like MacDonald&rsquo;s Ranald Bannerman&rsquo;s Boyhood and Gutta Percha Willie, it tells the story of Clare Skymer&rsquo;s growing up. Orphaned by an earthquake and though seemingly unaware of God, he is a child imbued with goodness and with an unusual empathy for animals. As he wanders the world and is faced with decisions that test his selflessness and compassion, he matures into a man of character and grace. As MacDonald writes, &ldquo;His soul was in a better home than a sky full of angels, a home better than the dome itself of all the angels, for his home was his father&rsquo;s heart.&rdquo;</div>

A Rough Shaking

<div>A novel of a mysterious castle, unknown treasure, romance, and duplicity from the Victorian-era author of Lilith. &ldquo;One of MacDonald&rsquo;s very best.&rdquo;&mdash;Richard Reis, author of George MacDonald&rsquo;s Fiction This dark realistic novel is somewhat puzzling in MacDonald&rsquo;s corpus of more uplifting works. Some of its disconcerting themes grew out of George and Louisa MacDonald&rsquo;s friendship with author John Ruskin during a troubled time in the latter&rsquo;s life. Some of the descriptive portions contained within this narrative, especially of the Swiss Alps, are among MacDonald&rsquo;s finest. As Michael Phillips writes in the introduction, &ldquo;Though the novel draws vividly on imagery from MacDonald&rsquo;s trip to Switzerland in 1865, and contains passages of great narrative power, it is also of interest for characterizations thought by some to have emerged out of the circumstances of Ruskin&rsquo;s involvement with Rose La Touche. As a result, commentators and analysts through the years have read into the work all manner of Freudian, Jungian, and sexual themes. Readers, of course, will see in it what they choose to see.&rdquo;</div>

Wilfrid Cumbermede

<div>The fictional memoirs of Victorian-era housewife. Third in the Marshmallows Trilogy following Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood and The Seaboard Parish.The Vicar&rsquo;s Daughter, the 1872 sequel to The Seaboard Parish, follows the early married life of one of Harry Walton&rsquo;s (fictional narrator of Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood) daughters. This third book in the Marshmallows Trilogy is representative of the rising interest women were taking in Victorian society. Written in the first person in the fictional guise of female authorship, its characterization of MacDonald&rsquo;s friend and patron Lady Noel Byron is one of the noteworthy elements of the book.</div>

The Vicar's Daughter

<div>A story of love and loyalty set against the backdrop of the English Civil War&mdash;the only historical novel from the renowned Scottish author. This unique novel in the MacDonald collection, his only true historical novel, is set during the mid-17th century English Civil War. MacDonald&rsquo;s use of the idiom and stylistic old-English of the post-Shakespearean era make this a slow read in the original. It is greatly enhanced in this new and updated edition by Michael Phillips. St. George and St. Michael is an enchanting love story that offers a unique and balanced perspective on a tumultuous and conflicting era in British history. As Phillips writes in the introduction, &ldquo;MacDonald portrays a growing spirit of love on all sides. Perhaps this is the key to understanding MacDonald&rsquo;s perspective of the conflict. He refused to take a &lsquo;side&rsquo; at all, focusing instead on the people not the politics.&rdquo;</div>

St. George and St. Michael

<div>A Dickensian novel of London society and of a man who breathes spiritual life into his surroundings&mdash;from the Victorian-era author of Robert Falconer. Following on the heels of Robert Falconer&rsquo;s hugely influential and controversial story, Guild Court, written concurrently with Falconer and published the same year, is one of MacDonald&rsquo;s lesser known novels. A love story set in London, its portrait of many intertwining and quirky lives in and around a city court is perhaps the most Dickens-like of MacDonald&rsquo;s novels. Though not a book that enjoyed such widespread circulation as his others, Guild Court yet contains many of the signature tunes found throughout George MacDonald&rsquo;s fictional corpus, and presents a powerful story of repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation.</div>

Guild Court

<div>A masterpiece of mystery and spiritual power from one of the Victorian era&rsquo;s greatest writers, the Scottish author who inspired C. S. Lewis. This towering 1875 novel, set in the Scottish fishing village of Cullen, is considered by many as George MacDonald&rsquo;s fictional masterwork. The intricate tale is more true to place than any of MacDonald&rsquo;s books. As Malcolm is drawn into the web of secrets surrounding majestic Lossie House, with the marquis of Lossie and his tempestuous daughter Florimel at the center of them, we meet some of MacDonald&rsquo;s most memorable characters. Through them Malcolm must unravel many mysteries that hang over the town and its people&mdash;and himself. The Scottish dialect is more impenetrable than in many of MacDonald&rsquo;s other Scottish novels, and has been translated into readable English in this newly updated edition by MacDonald&rsquo;s biographer Michael Phillips. Calling it a &ldquo;masterpiece of plot, drama, mystery, characterization, and spiritual depth,&rdquo; it was Malcolm which in the 1970s set Phillips on his life&rsquo;s-work to acquaint the world with MacDonald&rsquo;s forgotten legacy through new editions of MacDonald&rsquo;s work. Phillips says, &ldquo;Malcolm is always an ideal choice for new readers to begin a deeper acquaintance with MacDonald,&rdquo; especially as it is set in the locale from which The Cullen Collection of new editions derives its name. Phillips&rsquo;s lengthy informative introduction sets Malcolm&rsquo;s story colorfully into the context of MacDonald&rsquo;s two 1870s visits to Cullen. Phillips also provides readers new to the works of MacDonald with a historical overview of the Scotsman&rsquo;s writing and significance.</div>

Malcolm

<div>A gothic novel of romance, danger, and deception&mdash;the sequel to the acclaimed Malcolm from the 19th-century Scottish literary master. This 1877 sequel to Malcolm begins where the first volume of the doublet left off, at Lossie House in Cullen&rsquo;s fictionalized Portlossie. Soon thereafter Malcolm travels to London to rescue Florimel from the harmful influences of duplicitous friends who do not have her best interests in mind. Kidnapping her out of London, Malcolm&rsquo;s and Florimel&rsquo;s return to the north coast of Scotland brings to a stirring climax the divergent threads of mystery and intrigue woven through this triumphant literary tapestry. It is a classic Victorian romance, complete with rogues, inheritances, castles, and of course true love. Of The Marquis of Lossie, Michael Phillips says, &ldquo;Escaping a common pitfall of sequels not measuring up to the level of excellence of their predecessor, MacDonald crafts an equally engaging, and in some ways an even heightened dramatic crescendo to Malcolm&rsquo;s story. With the setting so altered, this is a spectacular creative achievement.&rdquo;</div>

The Marquis of Lossie

<div>Second in the Wingfold Trilogy following Thomas Wingfold Curate from one of the greatest writers of Victorian-era Scotland. A country doctor in the fictional city of Glaston, atheist Paul Faber, encountering spiritually invigorated minister Wingfold, finds himself unexpectedly drawn into his own unwelcome quest for truth. Now it is Wingfold&mdash;assisted by Polwarth&mdash;sharing his newfound faith with both Paul Faber and Juliet Meredith, whose past secrets draw them together yet also threaten to tear them apart. Michael Phillips comments, &ldquo;Of MacDonald&rsquo;s unique characters, one stands alone&mdash;Paul Faber, the surgeon of fictional Glaston. He is the only skeptic, unbeliever, and atheist to take the spotlight as a featured title character. The relationship between Thomas Wingfold, the curate, and his atheist friend . . . gives us a vivid picture of George MacDonald&rsquo;s perspective on how the life of Christ is most effectively communicated into an unbelieving world . . . It is conveyed by the way Christians live.&rdquo;</div>

Paul Faber Surgeon

<div>The acclaimed tale of a mute orphan with an angel&rsquo;s heart. &ldquo;The most direct and most beautiful of all George MacDonald&rsquo;s novels.&rdquo;&mdash;Greville MacDonald, author of George MacDonald and His Wife One of the true high marks in George MacDonald&rsquo;s literary career was reached with the publication in 1879 of Sir Gibbie. Every MacDonald reader has his or her favorite, but it is safe to say that Sir Gibbie is near the top of the list for lovers of fairy tale, poetry, and novels alike. The character of &ldquo;wee Sir Gibbie&rdquo; mysteriously embodies hints from the land of &ldquo;faerie,&rdquo; and his soul is poetry personified. MacDonald&rsquo;s storytelling genius here rises to heights as soaring as the mountain of Glashgar in the Scottish Highlands where Gibbie roams barefoot with the sheep, amid earthquake and flood. It was this book that captured author Elizabeth Yates&rsquo; imagination and prompted her 1963 edition of Sir Gibbie, which in turn led to Michael Phillips&rsquo;s updated editions that inaugurated the MacDonald renaissance of the 1980s. If one could choose but one MacDonald novel to read, many would say it should be Sir Gibbie. Following Elizabeth Yates&rsquo; example, Michael Phillips again translates the difficult Doric dialect of MacDonald&rsquo;s original into more accessible English.</div>

Sir Gibbie

<div>A triumphant quest for the truth. First in the Wingfold Trilogy from the 19th-century Scottish author of Paul Faber Surgeon and There and Back. The character of Thomas Wingfold is introduced in this preeminent of George MacDonald&rsquo;s English novels, a young curate suddenly brought face-to-face with the hypocrisy of having sought the pulpit as a profession rather than a spiritual calling. Wingfold&rsquo;s prayerful journey into faith highlights MacDonald&rsquo;s most powerful &ldquo;theological novel.&rdquo; We also meet the dwarf Joseph Polwarth, Wingfold&rsquo;s spiritual mentor and one of MacDonald&rsquo;s most memorable humble apologists for truth. The depth and poignancy of Wingfold&rsquo;s quest makes this 1876 publication one of MacDonald&rsquo;s best-loved works. MacDonald biographer and editor Michael Phillips ranks Thomas Wingfold Curate near the apex of MacDonald&rsquo;s corpus, among his personal favorites along with Malcolm, Sir Gibbie, and Donal Grant.</div>

Thomas Wingfold Curate

<div>A novel of a son&rsquo;s worldly and spiritual inheritance set in the majestic Scottish Highlands&mdash;by the nineteenth-century British author of Mary Marston. Thematically linked to Mary Marston which preceded it, MacDonald here poignantly depicts the father-son relationship as he had earlier that of father and daughter. MacDonald&rsquo;s storytelling power again returns to the highlands of Scotland, setting his narrative in the hills south of Huntly. We encounter vivid descriptions of that wild terrain, including snowstorms, summer joys, harvests, along with MacDonald&rsquo;s trademark mysteries, inheritances, treasures, and, of course, romance. Castle Warlock is one of the most thoroughly Scottish of MacDonald&#39;s novels, and is a favorite with many for its spiritual, relational, and natural splendor. Castle Warlock is unique among MacDonald&rsquo;s titles, being first published in America in 1881, six months in advance of its British counterpart of 1882. This new edition by MacDonald biographer Michael Phillips streamlines the occasionally ponderous Victorian narrative style and updates the thick Doric brogue into readable English.</div>

Castle Warlock

<div>A gothic thriller of good versus evil played out in the heart of a mysterious castle&mdash;the sequel to Sir Gibbie by the 19th-century Scottish author. As well as being MacDonald&rsquo;s longest book, the magnificent Donal Grant is a novel with everything&mdash;a Gothic castle with hidden rooms and passageways, good guys and bad guys, mysteries and inheritances, and poignant yet bittersweet love. Little does Gibbie&rsquo;s friend Donal realize what he is in for when he takes a tutoring job at mysterious Castle Graham. Woven throughout, of course, are many signature tunes of MacDonald&rsquo;s wisdom and spiritual insight, including one of C.S. Lewis&rsquo;s favorite MacDonald lines, that God is &ldquo;easy to please but hard to satisfy.&rdquo; Along with Malcolm, Donal Grant presents one of MacDonald&rsquo;s most intricate and riveting plots, led by another of his stellar characters of virtue and truth. Its massive length, however (786 pages in the original), difficult Scots dialect, and numerous digressive tangents, illustrate better than any MacDonald title the need for condensed contemporary editions. Donal Grant is unique in the MacDonald corpus as being originally released in two different editions in Great Britain and America. This updated edition by Michael Phillips, which Phillips ranks as one of his favorite MacDonald titles, epitomizes the value and significance of The Cullen Collection in bringing the fiction of George MacDonald alive for new generations.</div>

Donal Grant

<div>A novel of one woman who transcends society&rsquo;s concerns to stay true to her convictions&mdash;from the Victorian-era author of Malcolm. One of MacDonald&rsquo;s lengthy and powerful, but not widely studied, novels, Mary Marston is the only book in the MacDonald corpus with a woman featured in the title role. As one of MacDonald&rsquo;s many strong and memorable leading ladies, Mary exemplifies a life of dedication to Christ, self-sacrifice, and obedience to parents. We encounter here a touching portrayal of that earthly relationship so dear to MacDonald&rsquo;s heart, because it so embodied man&rsquo;s relationship with God&mdash;the relationship between fathers and their sons and daughters. Of the diverse range of characters found within the pages of this novel, Michael Phillips writes, &ldquo;Taken together, their individual lives make fascinating reading. They are so diverse, sometimes so petty and foolish, their intertwining relationships so humorous at times . . . we observe human growth at work . . . always progressing in one direction or the other&mdash;sometimes straight, sometimes crooked. It is a complex character mix in many shades of gray . . . containing complicated character flaws without easy resolutions. I find it one of the most real array of characters in the MacDonald corpus.&rdquo;</div>

Mary Marston

<div>Goodness leads to the truth in the final novel in the Scottish author&rsquo;s Wingfold Trilogy, following Thomas Wingfold Curate and Paul Faber Surgeon. This final installment of the Thomas Wingfold trilogy from 1891 adds yet further dimensions to the personal search for faith and the nature of belief, exemplified in the characters of Barbara Wilder and Richard Tuke. Both Barbara and Richard must ask whether or not God&rsquo;s existence is true, what God&rsquo;s character is like, and what demands are placed upon them as a result. Wingfold&rsquo;s conversations with Barbara probe the foundations of belief with depth and profundity. Wingfold continually emphasizes the great truth: Everything depends on the kind of God one believes in. All three of the Wingfold books address the logic and reasonableness of the Christian faith. MacDonald&rsquo;s characters must reason out belief. There will be no pat answers, no &ldquo;humbug,&rdquo; as he called it. Christianity is reasonable, sensible, intellectually consistent. God&rsquo;s principles are true. This trueness pervades MacDonald&rsquo;s worldview as the foundation for Everyman&rsquo;s spiritual quest. As always, the stories upon which MacDonald weaves his spiritual themes are compelling in themselves. There and Back is no exception, with mysteries, romance, a disputed inheritance, again with an old castle and library, and a full range of fascinating characters spread along the spectrum of personal development.</div>

George MacDonald

Books By George MacDonald (51 Books)

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