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December 05, 2008
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 | At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald | Reviewed by Ann DellaCamera |  | Publisher: Tor Books
http://www.Tor.com/
ISBN: 0812567129
Genre: Children/Y/A
Subgenre: Preteen 9-12
Release date: May 1998
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 305
Price: $3.99 | At the Back of the North Wind is a wonderful story about Diamond, the son of a poor coachman. Diamond is a beautiful blond child whose innocence and perception are far beyond his years.
The most intriguing thing about Diamond is the love and goodness that shine from his heart. Diamond meets the North Wind one night. He sees a beautiful lady that he comes to love. She takes him many times with her to different places and shows him many things. He speaks of her, but his parents think he has been dreaming and so he learns not to speak of her. Even though his life changes from comfortably poor to near destitute, Diamond sees only the good. He helps his mother, father, and little brother in every way he can think of to make life better
Some of those who meet Diamond think that he is simple, not quite right in the head. Others are taken with his simple and loving outlook on life. Still others, such as the drunken cabman and Miss Coleman and even Diamond's mother and fatherare, are changed by meeting him .
There are stories in the book that teach children, like "Princess Daylight", "Little Bo Peep", and, of course, "North Wind". Some children might not understand about her until they are older. But I would be willing to bet their thoughts about death will be changed by her. I was unhappy with the ending, but perhaps Diamond's work was done.
I would recommend the book for children because of the beauty in it. The author, George MacDonald, has a wonderfully smooth style, relating the book as though Diamond had told it to him but still giving a glimpse of life in Victorian London. | | |
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