The Gifts of the Child Christ (The George MacDonald Library)($11.99Value)

Description

From the author C. S. Lewis called "my master": a beloved Victorian Christmas novella, gently updated for today's readers and graced with original illustrations. In Victorian London, the Greatorex family has wealth but not love. Augustus Greatorex, a proud merchant, believes himself a good father, yet his little daughter Phosy, quiet and tenderhearted, longs for affection he never gives. Raised by a distracted stepmother and a negligent nurse, Phosy lives in the quiet ache of a child who simply wants to be noticed. When she misunderstands a Christmas sermon ("Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth"), her innocent faith sets in motion a chain of events that awakens every heart in the household. Through sorrow, the heartbreak of infant loss, and unexpected grace, George MacDonald weaves a moving story of transformation. A servant's pride is broken, a craftsman's despair redeemed, and a father's heart restored to his child. Part parable, part Victorian moral tale, The Gifts of the Child Christ is a story about the redemptive power of unconditional love, and the quiet faith of a child who teaches the adults around her what it means to truly see one another. What makes this edition special: This beautifully designed gift edition features MacDonald's nineteenth-century prose gently updated in modern English by editor Mandy Pallock, charming original pen-and-ink illustrations by Sarah Geesey, and a rich afterword exploring MacDonald's life, faith, and lasting influence on writers from C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien to Madeleine L'Engle and G. K. Chesterton. At just 90 pages, it's a perfect short read for a winter evening. Also available as an audiobook narrated by Mandy Pallock, with an illustrated PDF companion. Perfect for: Advent and Christmas reading. Family read-alouds and bedtime stories. Book clubs exploring classic Christian literature. A meaningful holiday gift or stocking stuffer for anyone who loves beautifully made books. Starting a new holiday tradition with a story that deepens year after year. For readers who love A Christmas Carol by Dickens, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever , the Chronicles of Narnia , and stories that reveal the Father-heart of God. If you've been moved by MacDonald's Phantastes or The Princess and the Goblin , this lesser-known treasure will become a favorite. About the author: George MacDonald (1824–1905) was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister whose imaginative fiction pioneered the genre we now call fantasy. Best known for Phantastes , The Princess and the Goblin , and Lilith , MacDonald's allegorical storytelling and moral imagination influenced generations of writers. C. S. Lewis wrote: "I have never concealed the fact that I regarded him as my master." His work continues to inspire readers who seek faith, beauty, and truth in story. About the editor: Mandy Pallock is the best-selling author of The Question Habit and the founder of Presently Engaged. She is passionate about bringing George MacDonald's lesser-known works to modern readers through carefully edited, beautifully produced editions. "I have never concealed the fact that I regarded him as my master; indeed I fancy I have never written a book in which I did not quote from him." -C. S. Lewis, Author of Chronicles of Narnia, Mere Christianity "Surely George MacDonald is the grandfather of us all-all of us who struggle to come to terms with truth through imagination." -Madeleine L'Engle, Author of A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, Meet the Austins "As I have said, Dr. MacDonald will not be discovered for some time to come...But the great thought which Dr. MacDonald utters and leaves unuttered alike in a kind of fatalistic optimism will never wholly cease to haunt and attack us. At a hundred odd moments, in corked streets, in twilight fields, in lamp-lit drawing-rooms, there will come upon us the confounding, and yet comforting, notion that we and all our nationalistic philosophies are all in the heart of a fairy tale and playing an uncommonly silly part in it. " -G. K. Chesterton, Author of The Innocence of Father Brown, Orthodoxy "I know hardly any other writer who seems to be closer, or more continually close, to the Spirit of Christ Himself. Hence his Christ-like union of tenderness and severity. Nowhere else outside the New Testament have I found terror and comfort so intertwined." -C. S. Lewis, Author of Chronicles of Narnia, Mere Christianity The Gifts of the Child Christ was written by George MacDonald (1824-1905), a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister whose imagination and faith inspired generations of readers. He wrote theology, fairy tales, and imaginative fiction, pioneering modern fantasy and exploring faith in fresh ways. His work influenced writers such as C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Madeleine L'Engle, J.K. Rowling, and more, and continues to delight and inspire readers today. Mandy Pallock passionately believes that lives will change as pe