MacDonald was a prolific writer and there are so many works of his from which to choose; however, the title At the Back of the North Wind really piqued my curiosity - what could such a title mean?
This book is about the story of a boy called Diamond who meets the personification of the North Wind and is taken by her to the faerie realm. Here he acquires a different vision of life; and when he is returned to our world (well, Victorian England), Diamond becomes an ideal child: he helps his mother care for his newborn brother to whom he sings joyous nursery rhymes of his own devising, he drives his father's cab when his father becomes too ill to work, and he brings peace and good fortune to the families of his neighbours.
I suspect this tale contains Christian allegory, but I didn't look too closely for it. I just enjoyed the story at its face-value wherever I could. And I did enjoy it. There is a part of me that would like to be whisked off by the North Wind to somewhere beautiful and perilous; I would love to eavesdrop on a conversation held by saints in stained glass windows after the church is locked; I would really love to understand the speech of animals. All these things happen to Diamond, and more.
The book was first published in 1871, and the prose style is a wee bit dated. However, MacDonald does show a talent for poetry. Besides some original poems, he also reworked Hey Diddle Diddle and Little Bo Peep. They are quite good, energetic and very entertaining. Interestingly, Tolkien also reworked Hey Diddle Diddle (and put it in the famous scene in the pub at Bree) and it appears that he 'borrowed' some elements from MacDonald's work.
Well, if you want to take your inner child out for a run in the park, then At the Back of the North Wind may be what you are looking for.
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