Books for Deep Winter

Books for Deep Winter. January 3, 2025.

The last page falls off the calendar hanging on the wall and floats to the floor in silence. A fresh new year is born, and we wait for our first visitor. Old Man Winter doesn’t keep us waiting. He arrives just in time, his icy mantle and ancient white beard blown back by his companion, the North wind. Old Man Winter is a homeless vagabond wandering the earth, his long strides covering the landscape in the blink of an eye. With a face leathered from the elements and a stature hardened like rock, he sets about his work in high spirits, cloaking the land in snow and ice. His tasks were assigned at creation, and since then, he has never failed to show. We take our cue to settle indoors, knowing it is much nicer to watch the winter from the warmth of our homes in plump armchairs.

His companion, the North Wind, comes alongside. She weaves in and out, crossing the hillsides in a tempest, swirling through valleys, and filling the crevices of the land with her icy breath that freezes us to our very marrow. Even though I am warm inside, a shiver runs through my body as she roars like a train over the roof. We are herded indoors for the season, but watch from our windows the winter wonders that enchant us: sometimes a sparkling white landscape, sometimes sheets of rain, and sometimes a crystal kingdom of ice. Meanwhile, the book stack grows taller. I read and gaze out the window occasionally, staying close to winter’s show.

Three books in particular I am reading in January—or at least two of them. One is if I finish the other two. All are new to me.

Books for Deep Winter

At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald. If you are a CS Lewis fan, then you will likely know that George MacDonald, an early pioneer of the fantasy fiction genre, heavily influenced him. I have read his Phantastes, and have been meaning to read “At the Back of the North Wind,” which now sits on the top of my stack. This book explores Christian spiritual themes through the story of a young boy who befriends the North Wind and embarks on many adventures with her. A book that sounds perfect for the deep winter mood. Click here for a free online version to read.

The Willows in Winter by William Horwood is a bit of a risky choice. I adore The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, but this sequel is not his own work and was written in 1996 by William Horwood. So, I hold my breath in this choice. However, the reviews are decent, and I couldn’t resist reading more about the lovable Mole, Rat, and Toad. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a free online version, so I ordered it from my favorite Thrift Books store online.

And if I have time…

The Child from the Sea by Elizabeth Goudge is hardly a shocking choice given my love of Goudge’s gorgeous prose. I continue to work my way through her books. The Child from the Sea is a historical fiction of Lucy Walter, the mistress of King Charles II in 17th-century England. Goudge was very inspired by the natural beauty of Lucy’s home at Roche Castle, which led to this book. If you have read enough Goudge books, then you know she beautifully shapes her stories against equally beautiful backdrops and describes them for us in rich detail. Her stories are heavy with Christian themes that continue to inspire readers everywhere. Here is a free online version available with your free account.