At the Back of the North Wind facts for kids
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1919 edition
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| Author | George MacDonald |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novels |
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Publication date
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1871 |
At the Back of the North Wind is a classic children's book written by the Scottish author George MacDonald. It first appeared in a children's magazine called Good Words for the Young starting in 1868. Later, it was published as a full book in 1871. This fantasy story is all about a young boy named Diamond and his amazing adventures with a mysterious character called the North Wind. Diamond flies with the North Wind through the nights, exploring different places. The book also includes a shorter fairy tale called Little Daylight, which is sometimes published on its own.
What's the Story About?
The book tells the story of a kind young boy named Diamond. He brings happiness wherever he goes and helps his family feel peaceful. One night, Diamond is trying to sleep in his small room, which is in the loft of his house. He keeps trying to block a hole in the wall to stop the wind from blowing in.
However, he soon discovers that this hole is actually a window for the North Wind! Diamond becomes friends with her. The North Wind then lets him fly with her, taking him on many exciting adventures.
Even though the North Wind does good deeds and helps people, she also does things that seem terrible at first. For example, on one of her tasks, she must sink a ship. But everything she does, even the seemingly bad things, always leads to something good in the end. The North Wind seems to represent how difficult or sad events can sometimes lead to positive outcomes, working for a greater good.
Main Ideas in the Book
In At the Back of the North Wind, MacDonald explores many deep questions. He especially looks at why bad things happen to good people. This is a big question that many thinkers have tried to answer.
Today, this book is seen as one of MacDonald's most important works. MacDonald's son and writer, Greville MacDonald, noted that the character Diamond is very similar to MacDonald's own son, Maurice, who passed away when he was young. Diamond in the story seems to represent someone who always tries to help others, even though he doesn't quite fit into the everyday world.
