Elizabeth Goudge

"The stories come from all over the world and represent many genres, such as parables, animal fables, historical fiction, fairy tales, and Christian fantasy. Definitely read these stories at Easter, but keep the book close and pull it out whenever you and your family need a reminder of the great Easter themes of transformation, reconciliation and the triumph of life over death."—National Catholic RegisterEveryone who believes Easter is about more than bunnies and eggs will be grateful for this new collection of short stories that shed light on the deeper meaning of the season. Selected for their spiritual value and literary quality, these classic tales capture the spirit of Easter in a way that will captivate readers of all ages. Parents and grandparents will find that children love to hear these stories read aloud, year after year.Easter Stories includes time-honored favorites from world-famous storytellers such as C.S. Lewis, Leo Tolstoy, Selma Lagerlof, Oscar Wilde, Elizabeth Goudge, Maxim Gorky, Ruth Sawyer, and Walter Wangerin – as well as many you’ve never heard before. Illustrated with original woodcuts.

First published in the US by Coward-McCann in 1949, Gentian Hill is Elizabeth Goudge's tour de force exploring with her usual skill the themes that always touch the heart: endurance, courage, and love.Meet Stella Sprigg, adopted daughter of the Sprigg family, and follow her story of love and hope in a time where it hardly exists.

"If you’re giving one book for Christmas, make it this one." —Jim Trelease, author, The Read-Aloud Handbook They are some of the warmest childhood memories, those unhurried evenings around the fireplace, Christmas tree, or dinner table, when there was time for a story. Now, with this collection, you can keep the story-telling tradition alive in your family, and pass it on to your children or grandchildren. Home for Christmas includes twenty time-honored tales. Several are by world-famous authors; others are little-known treasures translated from other languages. Selected for their literary quality and spiritual integrity, they will resonate with readers of all ages, year after year. With original woodcuts by David Klein

'The Little White Horse was my favourite childhood book. I absolutely adored it. It had a cracking plot. It was scary and romantic in parts and had a feisty heroine.' - JK Rowling - The Bookseller In 1842, thirteen-year-old orphan Maria Merryweather travels to her family's ancestral home, Moonacre Manor, to live with her uncle Sir Benjamin. She immediately feels right at home with her kind and funny uncle and meets a wonderful set of new friends — but she quickly learns that beneath all this beauty and comfort, a past feud haunts Moonacre Manor and it’s her destiny to right the wrongs of her ancestors and restore the peace to Moonacre Valley. A beautifully written fantasy story filled with magic, a Moon Princess, and a mysterious white horse. Little White Horse and the delightful heroine, Maria Merryweather, are sure to be loved by all children.

'The Little White Horse was my favourite childhood book. I absolutely adored it. It had a cracking plot. It was scary and romantic in parts and had a feisty heroine.' - JK Rowling - The Bookseller In 1842, thirteen-year-old orphan Maria Merryweather travels to her family's ancestral home, Moonacre Manor, to live with her uncle Sir Benjamin. She immediately feels right at home with her kind and funny uncle and meets a wonderful set of new friends — but she quickly learns that beneath all this beauty and comfort, a past feud haunts Moonacre Manor and it’s her destiny to right the wrongs of her ancestors and restore the peace to Moonacre Valley. A beautifully written fantasy story filled with magic, a Moon Princess, and a mysterious white horse. Little White Horse and the delightful heroine, Maria Merryweather, are sure to be loved by all children.

Amid the chaos of the Second World War comes a charming story of courage and friendship, from the author of Green Dolphin Country and A City of Bells.In the summer of 1940, as the darkest days of the Second World War approach, a chance encounter on a train leads Miss Brown to become housekeeper at the Castle.Hidden in a quiet, rural corner of England, the crumbling castle is home to lonely historian Mr Birley and his nephews, fighter pilot Richard and fair, peace-loving Stephen. With young evacuees Moppet and Poppet, and mysterious violinist Jo Isaacson, this unexpected family of strangers come to rely on each other as the devastations of war rage on.

Bored with the distractions of London, Judy Cameron insists on taking herself, her parents and her fiance to remote Glen Suilag in the Scottish Highlands. Leaving behind the busy whirl of the capital, she becomes absorbed in an unknown and yet strangely familiar world. As Judy explores the house and glen, secrets begin to unravel and questions arise that she must find the answers to. Why does the strange house feel so familiar? How does she know the laird, Ian Macdonald? Why does she feel so terrified of the middle window in the parlour? And who is the mysterious Judith who haunts her dreams?

Local squire Robert Haslewood is gripped by the prospect of war. Following his boyhood hero, he leaves his family and travels away from their Oxfordshire village to fight for the Parliamentarian cause. Wise Froniga, Robert's cousin, is caught between two worlds. Divided between her Puritan family at the manor house and her relatives in the Romany community, she works to heal those in need. Left behind with her brother, Robert's daughter Jenny grows up under the shadow of conflict. When she encounters mysterious royalist Francis Leyland, she must choose between family loyalty and her own heart. As their lives entwine, the villagers struggle to stay true to their beliefs as war threatens to tear their community apart.

Michael Stone was once a famous author. That was before he went to prison. Now, recently released, Michael needs a new beginning. Weighed down by failure and despair, the town of Silverbridge seems too offer him a quiet, rural escape from the past. Kind, gentle vicar John Wentworth takes Michael under his wing, and introduces him to his family and friends. At the vicarage, John's inexplicably discontented wife Daphne brings up their daughters. Bedridden Harriet, John's former nanny, deals impatiently with a world to which she cannot actively participate. At the family home, Belmaray, Aunt Maria is burdened by the worry of a failing estate. And at the grim little town school is fiery teacher Mary O'Hara, determined to foster change. A story of courage and community, set in the beautiful Devonshire countryside.

A rich and beautiful story, set in a quiet cathedral city.When cathedral dean Adam Ayscough encounters clockmaker Isaac Peabody, their unlikely friendship touches the lives of the entire community. Behind the dean's fearsome reputation lies a humble man crippled by shyness. Desperate to leave behind a lasting legacy of goodness, his only wishes are to serve God and his parishioners, and to be loved by his young and dissatisfied wife.Haunted by the memories of a miserable childhood, gifted clockmaker Isaac Peabody has spent a lifetime perfecting his craft and rejecting all belief in God.Despite their fundamental differences, both men find a common understanding, and discover that faith can come in many different guises.What readers are saying about THE DEAN'S WATCH'Goudge in the class of Victor Hugo, or Dickens' - 5 STARS'Beautifully written, simply couldn't put it down' - 5 STARS'An unforgettable book' - 5 STARS'Just plain delightful' - 5 STARS'A wonderful book, full of atmosphere' - 5 STARS'A must for all Goudge fans' - 5 STARS

A charming tale of hope and love, set amid the dreaming spires of Elizabethan Oxford.When Faithful Crocker, an impoverished young man with a love of learning, travels to Oxford in the hope of becoming a scholar, he is offered a home with Canon Leigh and his eccentric family.As Faithful begins to fulfil his academic dream, the Leigh family navigate the tricky waters of first love, uncover shocking secrets and experience devastating loss.A charming tale of hope and love, set amid the dreaming spires of Elizabethan Oxford.What readers are saying about TOWERS IN THE MIST'A delight' - 5 STARS'One of the best' - 5 STARS'Brimming with life and charm; - 5 STARS'Absolutely magical' - 5 STARS'A novel which deserves to be read more than once' - 5 STARS

'Breathtaking...A long vista of undulating story, with here and there peaks of volcanic excitement' Daily TelegraphA haunting love story set between the Channel Islands and New Zealand in the 19th century.When young William Ozanne arrives on their island, sisters Marianne and Marguerite Le Patourel are both captivated. But it is tall, beautiful Marguerite who catches his eye. Years later, William leaves the island for a life at sea, eventually settling across the ocean in New Zealand. Impulsively, he invites Marguerite to join him there, but a slip of the pen results in Marianne making the journey instead.As Marguerite deals with a broken heart and the loss of her sister, Marianne must make a new life in a strange land, with a man who respects her but loves another. Can she persuade William that he chose the right sister, after all?The inspiration behind the Academy Award winning film Green Dolphin Street (1947).What readers are saying about GREEN DOLPHIN COUNTRY'Fantastic' - 5 STARS'A beautiful and unusual love story' - 5 STARS'Full of twists and turns and beautifully written as always' - 5 STARS'A wonderful story' - 5 STARS'A magical story with characters that leap out from the page' - 5 STARS

Unable to bear the prospect of a life at sea, young Anthony O'Connell deserts his ship at Torquay and escapes into the Devonshire countryside under a new name. When Stella Sprigg, adopted daughter of a local farmer, encounters 'Zachary', the pair instantly know they are destined to be together. Intertwined with the local legend of St. Michael's Chapel, Stella and Zachary's story takes them from the secluded Devonshire valley to the perilous Mediterranean seas and finally to the poverty and squalor of eighteenth-century London.

The story of a quiet cathedral town, of an orphan who finds a new home, of two people who fight to separate themselves from the ghost of a man whose mystery has cast a spell that only his return can break, and of a dream that can only end with a new dawn.

Lucilla has spent a lifetime making the Hampshire estate of Damerosehay a tranquil haven for the Eliot family. When her favourite grandson, David, falls in love with an unsuitable woman Lucilla feels is unsuitable, she sees her most cherished ambitions put at risk. But can she persuade David and Nadine to put duty before love?