It is difficult, when reading MacDonald's fiction, to choose a favorite. ( )

How can I not rate this book five stars. It is amazing.
I will admit to sadness at myself for during this recent reread I struggled with the Scottish. I need to read books that have a ton of foreign language bits in them more often as I love that detail. (Recs please)
This is how you do a romance. This is how you do a rags to riches. This is how you do Christian fiction. This is how you do a perfect character. ( )

Delightful! The story is enjoyable though this book was originally published in 1879. It says something that the book is occasionally reprinted, even now. A young lad in Scotland is mostly abandoned by his father after the death of the child's mother. The father lost the family fortune and is a poor cobbler, drinking heavily at night. The child, Gibbie, who can hear but not speak, is left to fend for himself day and night. Because he cares about his father, he appears late every night to escort the father home from the pub. Gibbie develops a caring/working attitude and gives of himself to other people when opportunity presents.

The book is Gibbie's story of growing up and the various fortunes and states he finds himself in, along with people, friends, and a few adventures. ( )

An urchin on the streets of his Scottish town, tiny Gibbie's greatest joy was in helping others. But, when his father died and he witnessed a murder, he no longer found security among the familiar streets.

He heads for the highlands and discovers the truth about his heritage there among his own people especially Donal Grant who is featured in the companion book "The Shepherd's Castle".

A George MacDonald book written as "Sir Gibbie" in 1879, edited and re-publised by Michael Phillips in 1983. ( )

This is Wee Sir Gibbie, edited down. I like the Sir Gibbie version (also edited from the original) better. MacDonald's books do improve with editing, because he tended to do things like put the full text of sermons into his novels, but this one edits much out that would be better left in. Still, the story is a lovely one, and there are countless insights about the Christian life sprinkled about the text for the finding. ( )