Donal Grant

Scottish author George MacDonald was a Christian children's author best known for his popular fantasy stories, fairy tales, and memorable young protagonists. MacDonald was an inspiration for writers of children's fiction such as C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein, Madeline L'Engle, Lewis Carroll, and even Mark Twain. Donal Grant is the story of Donal, a man who has just finished college and sets out on a journey to a nearby town. There, he finds a spiritual mentor and several of his family members. The story is filled with supernatural occurrences - ghosts, legends, and somnambulism. MacDonald, per usual, incorporates many "sermonettes" into the novel, and topics like evil and secrets and discussed with a religious bent. This is one of MacDonald's more challenging novels due to its 800 print page length and the realistic Scottish dialect he uses for dialogue, but the story is well worth the struggle. Fans of MacDonald will enjoy this less well-known work. -Abby Zwart, CCEL Staff Writer