C. S. Lewis reports that this book by George MacDonald 'baptized his imagination.' It would take years, but eventually this baptism would contribute to Lewis' conversion to Christianity. Lewis also writes that there isn't anything that he had written that had not been influenced by the writings of MacDonald. Given the influence of Lewis, it is astonishing that it has taken the world so long to discover George MacDonald- but discovering, it is. This 'fairie romance' calls forth the question: is there more to reality than meets the eye?

Though first published in 1858, a new edition was commissioned in 1905 by George MacDonald's son, Greville MacDonald, with new illustrations by Arthur Hughes. This e-book reflects that updated edition.

This electronic edition also comes with a reader's guide by DJ Thompson to help readers intelligently engage the text. This guide is copyrighted. The clickable table of contents will allow the reader to easily skip this section if they desire.