Cover of At the Back of the North Wind
Historical FantasyFae & Fairy FictionClassic Fantasy

At the Back of the North Wind

by

  • 1871 first published
  • 303 pages
  • ★ 4.3 (3 ratings)
  • 496 editions
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George MacDonald's At the Back of the North Wind (1871) is a historical fantasy and fae fiction novel. Key subjects include fairy tales, death, love and magic.

Open Library readers give it an average of 4.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, and 71 more have it on their want-to-read list. It has been published in 496 editions across 7 languages. On Project Gutenberg it was downloaded 2,570 times in the last 30 days.

At about 303 pages, most readers finish it in 5–6 hours. It is in the public domain in the United States and free to read on Project Gutenberg.

About At the Back of the North Wind

The adventures of a little boy, Diamond, named for his father's favorite horse, as he travels with the beautiful lady North Wind and comes to know the many facets of her protective and violent temper.
Description from Open Library

Opening line

“I HAVE been asked to tell you about the back of the north wind.”

Themes, setting & tropes

Genres

Subjects

  • Fairy tales
  • Children's fiction
  • Mystery & detective
  • Death
  • Love
  • Magic
  • London, England
  • Great britain, history, 19th century
  • Social problems
  • Stories
  • Boys
  • Fantasy fiction
  • Christian life
  • Adventure and adventurers
  • Friendship
  • Biography

Quick answers

Who wrote At the Back of the North Wind?

At the Back of the North Wind was written by George MacDonald and first published in 1871.

What genre is At the Back of the North Wind?

It is usually shelved as Historical Fantasy, Fae & Fairy Fiction, Classic Fantasy and Fairy Tales & Folklore.

How long is At the Back of the North Wind?

The median edition has 303 pages, about 5–6 hours of reading at 250 words per minute.

Is At the Back of the North Wind free to read?

Yes. It is in the public domain in the United States and can be read free on Project Gutenberg in EPUB, Kindle and HTML formats.

What books are similar to At the Back of the North Wind?

Readers who like it often enjoy Five Children and It, The Story of the Treasure Seekers and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

More by George MacDonald

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