We see no precedent in Scripture for fiction, either Christian fiction or secular novels. Time spent reading fiction is time lost from learning more scriptural truth. However, if the mind is fatigued, and needs rest and recreation, then do choose Christian didactic fiction over the secular novel, the theater, and the media.I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; [it] shall not cleave to me. (Psalm 101:3)
Entertainment very often depicts immoral conduct, crime, and other sins. If one can bear the purist opinion, then to view such entertainment (in movies, cable TV, on The Internet, in the theater, and etc.), is to participate in that sin.
The Elsie Books 28-book series, in its original, unabridged text, probably models the Christian family better than any other fiction. Likewise, the example of Elsie's life is one of the best models for Christian girls. Many things happen to Elsie, both good and bad, and she always responds the right way.
Aish, Carolyn Ann, The Frencolian Chronicles Book 1, Treasures, ISBN: 0889650896 9780889650893.
Book 2, Castles, ISBN: 088965090X 9780889650909.
Book 3, Kingdoms, ISBN: 0889650934 9780889650930.
"Set in the Medieval Europe in the 1700's, these novels are rich in adventure and overflowing with Biblical truth. THE FRENCOLIAN CHRONICLES are novels to be read both for the exciting story as well as the lessons they teach. Adults to adolescents will enjoy this series. In fact, why not read it as a family?" -- GCB
Aprile, Michael Dante, and the Aprile Family, The Character of Elsie Dinsmore, an e-text book on CD-ROM (Plano, TX [Utmost Enterprises, PO Box 940205, Plano, 75094-0205]: Utmost Enterprises), ISBN: 1581822014 9781581822014.
"This book was written by members of the Aprile family who desire, as did Elsie, to follow the Godly character traits, exemplified by Jesus Christ, in their everyday walk. In this book, we have attempted to show, through Elsie's eyes, how a person, whose will is to follow the Lord, is able to take up the cross and follow Him.
"You will find that this book is good for instruction and illustration in the teaching of thirty-eight Character Traits to your children. This book can serve as a supplement to your current curriculum or some creative people might find ways to use it as a curriculum itself." -- The Aprile Family
The Character of Elsie Dinsmore (excerpts)
http://www.utmost-way.com/tcoed.htm
Belcher, Richard P., A Journey in Purity: A Theological Novel, ISBN: 0925703397 9780925703392.
"This is the challenging story of a young pastor and his difficult and heart-breaking struggle to bring purity to the corrupt and impure church he pastors."
Blythe, LeGette, Alexandriana.
A work of fiction about Covenanters.
Bouma, Ralph, et al., The Children's Classics, a series of Christian classics for children selected by Ralph Bouma.
"Each of these classics, which teach character, exalt Christ, and honor God's Word in a refreshing manner not found in more modern books . . ." -- GCB
These works were originally printed in the 18th and 19th centuries and are filled with Godly principles which build character. Triangle Press has rewritten them in children's language and proper English. Write requesting a complete listing of titles.
Bible Truths for Little Children, 5 volumes.
Bouma, Ralph, Family Focus on Christ,
Godliness is Great Gain, ISBN: 9781583390511 1583390510.
Little Daisy and the Swearing Class.
Little Medicine Carrier.
A Little Rebel Becomes a Saint, ISBN: 9781583390566 1583390561.
Roses and Thorns and Prison Roses, ISBN: 158339057X 9781583390573.
Bouma, Ralph, Short Devotions: 100 Messages for Daily Life,
Bouma, Ralph, Spiritual Wrestling, ISBN: 1583390170.
Baird, E. Thompson, Theobold the Iron-Hearted, ISBN: 9781583390580 1583390588.
The Weed With an ill Name.
Tampering With Temptation, ISBN: 1583390596 9781583390597.
More, Hannah, The Bible in the Wall, ISBN: 9781583390535 1583390537.
The Reward of Childhood Truth; and, The Story of Little Mary's First and Last Falsehood, ISBN: 9781583390603 158339060X.
See also: Various, Collector's Edition: A Collection of six Favorite Children's Stories With Illustrations. Published by Gospel Mission Press, Choteau, Montana.
Bridge, Stephanie Marie, Puritan Fairy Tales: Short Stories and Poems for Young and Old.
Bunyan, John (1628-1688), Christiana's Journey: La Peregrina. Alternate title: THE CHILD'S PILGRIM'S PROGRESS, PART SECOND: CHRISTIANA AND HER CHILDREN. Available (THE WORKS OF JOHN BUNYAN), on the Puritan Hard Drive.
This is the second part of Bunyan's, THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS, in which Christian's wife and children make their dangerous journey, and safely arrive at the desired country. It is usually bound with PILGRIM'S PROGRESS.
Pilgrim's Page: A John Bunyan Archive
This is the complete set of THE WORKS OF JOHN BUNYAN, George Offor edition, the edition reprinted by The Banner of Truth. It is free online, and is downloadable in the following formats: HTML, RTF, TEXT, and PDF.
http://www.mountzion.org/bunyan.html
*Bunyan, John (1628-1688), The Holy City or The New Jerusalem: Wherein its Goodly Light, Walls, Gates, Angels, and the Manner of Their Standing, are Expounded: Also her Length and Breadth, Together With the Golden-measuring-reed, Explained, and the Glory of all Unfolded: as Also, the Numerousness of its Inhabitants and What the Tree and Water of Life are, by Which They are Sustained. Available on the Puritan Hard Drive.
Pilgrim's Page: A John Bunyan Archive
This is the complete set of THE WORKS OF JOHN BUNYAN, George Offor edition, the edition reprinted by The Banner of Truth. It is free online, and is downloadable in the following formats: HTML, RTF, TEXT, and PDF.
http://www.mountzion.org/bunyan.html
*Bunyan, John (1628-1688), The Holy war Made by Shaddai Upon Diabolus for the Regaining of the Metropolis of the World: or, The Losing and Taking Again of the Town of Mansoul, ISBN: 1840300264 9781840300260. A Christian classic. Available (THE WORKS OF JOHN BUNYAN), on the Puritan Hard Drive.
"I have read this novel before, and it is as good as PILGRIM'S PROGRESS. John Bunyan shows how Satan constantly tries to keep our souls, and uses all of the tricks in the book to try to keep our souls. This book is for Christians and non-Christians alike, the same is true with THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS. John Bunyan knows how to keep you entertained and thinking about what kind of shape your spirit is in. This book is a true masterpiece and is the best book about Spiritual Warfare that I have read so far." -- Reader's Comment
"Bunyan's second and most loved work after Pilgrim's Progress. Also allegorical, this work tells the story of mankind's redemption by comparing it to a besieged city." -- Publisher
"Forget Frank Peretti! Bunyan's allegory on spiritual warfare is absolutely profound. The old tinker of Bedford knew whereof he spoke. The chronicles of Mansoul and the great battle for its mind, heart and spirit make difficult reading to be sure, but you will be rewarded for your perseverance a hundredfold!
"BONUS: Bunyan uses real army stratagems and tactics in his descriptions of the symbolic battles. He is believed to have picked up these details while a soldier in Cromwell's New Model Army." -- Reader's Comment
Pilgrim's Page: A John Bunyan Archive
This is the complete set of THE WORKS OF JOHN BUNYAN, George Offor edition, the edition reprinted by The Banner of Truth. It is free online, and is downloadable in the following formats: HTML, RTF, TEXT, and PDF.
http://www.mountzion.org/bunyan.html
*Bunyan, John (1628-1688), The Life and Death of Mr. Badman, ISBN: 0585070857 9780585070858. Available (WORKS OF JOHN BUNYAN), on the Puritan Hard Drive. A Christian classic.
Pilgrim's Page: A John Bunyan Archive
This is the complete set of THE WORKS OF JOHN BUNYAN, George Offor edition, reprinted by The Banner of Truth. It is free online, and is downloadable in the following formats: HTML, RTF, TEXT, and PDF.
http://www.chapellibrary.org/literature/bunyan/
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF JOHN BUNYAN is also available at Project Gutenberg.
*Bunyan, John (1628-1688), The Pilgrim's Progress, complete and unabridged. A Christian classic. Considered to be among the ten greatest books in the English language. Available (THE WORKS OF JOHN BUNYAN), on the Puritan Hard Drive. Available on Reformation Bookshelf CD #21.
Said to be "the greatest book, other than Scripture, which an Englishman has given to mankind." -- GCB
The Banner of Truth Trust publication is recommended. It is facsimile reprinted from the unabridged edition of 1895 published by John C. Nimmo, Ltd. containing the original marginal notes and Scripture references and illustrated with etchings by William Strang.
"Bunyan had better insight into the human heart than modern psychology; namely, because he did not study man apart from his Creator and apart from his deep inward problem." -- Ernest Reisinger (1924-2018)
Pilgrim's Page: A John Bunyan Archive
This is the complete set of THE WORKS OF JOHN BUNYAN, George Offor edition, reprinted by The Banner of Truth. It is free online, and is downloadable in the following formats: HTML, RTF, TEXT, and PDF.
http://www.chapellibrary.org/literature/bunyan/
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF JOHN BUNYAN is also available at Project Gutenberg.
Pilgrim's Progress John Bunyan [audio file]
http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?SpeakerOnly=true&currSection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=John%5EBunyan
*Bunyan, John (1628-1688), Craig John Lovik, Tim Lundeen, and Oasis Audio (firm), The Pilgrim's Progress: From This World to That Which is to Come [audio file], ISBN: 9781441622846 1441622845. A Christian classic.
"The entire book, virtually unabridged -- rewritten for the modern ear by Jim Pappas and brought to life by 77 actors with original music and sound effects -- is now available on audio cassette [audio file]." -- GCB
Pilgrim's Progress John Bunyan [audio file]
http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?SpeakerOnly=true&currSection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=John%5EBunyan
Carmichael, G. Wade, Jack's Resolve: A True Patriot's Tale, ISBN: 1883103126 9781883103125.
"Historic novel about the courier of the first recorded Declaration of Independence in the American Colonies in 1775. Follow the trials and challenges of Captain James Jack, of the Mecklenburg County, North Carolina militia in his attempt to deliver the Mecklenburg documents to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. The story, drawn from historic archives and Jack family documents, chronicles the intrigue, danger and betrayal found in the American colonies in the months preceding the national Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the American Revolutionary War." -- Publisher
"G. Wade Carmichael is the Executive Director of the Charlotte Museum of History and has written several articles on historic events and topics. As a graduate of Indiana University, at the Herron School of Art, he majored in Fine Art Painting with particular attention to historic painting techniques and materials. Wade currently resides in North Carolina where he conducts tours of Revolutionary War sites, as well as being a public speaker on various historic topics." -- Publisher
Conrad, Joseph, Heart of Darkness, ISBN: 9780521197991 0521197996, didactic fiction.
Conrad was not a Christian author to our knowledge, but he offers the reader evidence of the Total and Utter Depravity of Mankind.
The basis of value in society is the evil in the heart of man. (Romans 3:10-11, and so forth.)
"The most authoritative scholarly edition of Conrad's most important narratives, this edition includes detailed explanatory and contextual notes, a glossary of nautical terms, maps and illustrations. This volume will allow scholars to see these familiar stories in a fresh light, by returning to Conrad's original texts." -- Publisher
" 'Restoring HEART OF DARKNESS to the more traditional context of Conrad's works as a whole . . . the Cambridge Edition becomes controversial since it now offers us a version of HEART OF DARKNESS that readers have never before encountered.'-- John Lyon, University of Bristol Review
" 'The Cambridge edition of THE WORKS OF JOSEPH CONRAD aims to be definitive, and [the books] have both scholarly and physical weight . . . The explanatory notes are compendious and thoughtfully arranged . . . invaluable to scholars of Conrad, modernist literary composition and late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century literary practices and processes . . . These elegant and comprehensive volumes are a must for university libraries . . . [the series] is without question a definitive piece of scholarship'." -- Andrew Frayn, Variants: The Journal of the European Society for Textual Scholarship Review" -- Publisher
"The story tells of Charles Marlow, an Englishman who took a foreign assignment from a Belgian trading company as a ferry-boat captain in Africa. HEART OF DARKNESS exposes the myth behind colonization while exploring the three levels of darkness that the protagonist, Marlow, encounters -- the darkness of the Congo wilderness, the darkness of the European's cruel treatment of the natives, and the unfathomable darkness within every human being for committing heinous acts of evil. . . ." -- Publisher
Cowan, Louise (editor), and Os Guinness (editor), Invitation to the Classics, ISBN: 0801011566 9780801011566.
"With the western world urgently needing renewal, we should all remember that great periods of renaissance and reformation spring from a return to first things. Once we recognize the classic's lyric beauty, their aching tragedy, their probing intellectual inquiry, their profound imagination, sympathy, and wisdom, we see that their capacity to restore is fundamental to our continuing liberty and vitality." -- Os Guinness
Following this reading guide might be better than a $80,000 liberal arts education. But this listing, selected by a "diverse group of scholars distinguished in their fields and Christian in commitment . . ." is still fatally flawed. There is no mention of the work of the Westminster Assembly, and Samuel Rutherford does not appear in this work. Yet "the roots of liberty and limited government are to be found in the Scottish covenanting struggle." -- James A. Dodson
Here we have a example of a group of distinguished scholars who apparently are unable to attain to The Covenanted Reformation.
"One of the many purposes of INVITATION TO THE CLASSICS is to warm the heart to the masterworks of Western civilization. In doing so, editors Louise Cowan and Os Guinness hope to 'reawaken . . . people to the vibrant heritage of these classics that are rich in themselves and in their 2000-year relationship to the Christian faith.' From Homer to Chaucer, Dickens to C.S. Lewis, each author receives a chapter that includes a biographical sketch followed by a thorough summary of the classic(s) he or she penned. The 'Issues to Explore' sections at the end of each chapter pose penetrating questions for interrogation of the text as well as recommendations for further study depending on whether your scope is technical, theological, analytical, critical, or biographical. Once you read Invitation to the Classics, you may agree with C.S. Lewis that we must 'keep the clean sea breeze of the centuries blowing through our minds, and this can be done only by reading old books'." -- Reader's Comment
"Take this book, follow its guidance, and discover your roots. This collection of brief, jewel-like introductions to the classics make accessible and compelling those great writings of the Western tradition on which Christians down through the ages have been nourished, and by which they have nourished others." -- Nicholas Wolterstorff, Professor of Philosophical Theology, Yale Divinity School
Includes bibliographical references, bibliography for further study, and indexes.
*Dostoevsky, Fyodor, The Brothers Karamazov, ISBN: 0553212168.
Brothers Karamozov, by Dostoevsky
http://www.ccel.org/d/dostoevsky/karamozov/karamozov.txt
*Dostoevsky, Fyodor, and Constance Garnett (translator), Crime and Punishment, 2 volumes.
"For those who have not read Dostoyevsky, CRIME AND PUNISHMENT is not simply a novel, it is a psychological examination of each one of us. We sin without reason and we repent only when God, in His mysterious providence, seizes us and drags us to Himself. Then, and only then, do we come most willingly (Psalm 110:3)."
Crime and Punishment, by Dostoevsky
http://www.ccel.org/d/dostoevsky/crime/crime.txt
*Elliot, Elisabeth, No Graven Image: A Novel, ISBN: 0800759923 9780800759926.
"J.I. Packer says that this is a book which will rivet your attention from the start, and at the end blow your mind." -- GCB
Elwood, Roger, Angelwalk, ISBN: 0884861147 9780884861140.
"Reminiscent of THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS, ANGELWALK weaves power and sentiment into a fascinating story of spiritual warfare. The angel Darien believes Lucifer shouldn't have been expelled from heaven and God grants Darien to go to earth to see what Lucifer has been doing." -- Publisher
*Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Martha Finley Ultimate Collection -- 35+ Novels in one Volume, an e-book, ISBN: 8026867130 9788026867135.
"This carefully crafted e-book: MARTHA FINLEY ULTIMATE COLLECTION -- 35+ NOVELS IN ONE VOLUME (INCLUDING THE COMPLETE ELSIE DINSMORE SERIES AND MILDRED KEITH COLLECTION) is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents: Elsie Dinsmore Series: Elsie Dinsmore; Elsie's Holidays at Roselands; Elsie's Girlhood; Elsie's Womanhood; Elsie's Motherhood; Elsie's Children; Elsie's Widowhood; Grandmother Elsie; Elsie's New Relations; Elsie at Nantucket; Two Elsies; Elsie's Kith and Kin; Elsie's Friends at Woodburn; Christmas with Grandma Elsie; Elsie and the Raymonds; Elsie Yachting with the Raymonds; Elsie's Vacation; Elsie at Viamede; Elsie at Ion; Elsie at the World's Fair; Elsie's Journey on Inland Waters; Elsie at Home; Elsie on the Hudson; Elsie in the South; Elsie's Young Folks; Elsie's Winter Trip; Elsie and Her Loved Ones; Elsie and Her Namesakes; Mildred Keith Series: Mildred Keith; Mildred at Roselands; Mildred and Elsie; Mildred's Married Life; Mildred at Home; Mildred's Boys and Girls; Mildred's New Daughter; Other Novels: Edith's Sacrifice; Ella Clinton; Signing the Contract and What it Cost; The Thorn in the Nest; and The Tragedy of Wild River Valley."
"Martha Finley (1828-1909) was a teacher and author of numerous works, the most well-known being the 28-volume Elsie Dinsmore Series which was published over a span of 38 years." -- Publisher
Galt, John (1779-1839), Ringan Gilhaize: or The Covenanters, 3 volumes, fiction, ISBN: 0707303575 9780707303574.
By the author of ANNALS OF THE PARISH, SIR ANDREW WYLIE, and THE ENTAIL.
Gay, David, Voyage to Freedom: Story of the Pilgrim Fathers, ISBN: 0851513840 9780851513843.
"Excellent book telling about the crossing of the Mayflower through the eyes of an imaginary family." -- GCB
Gray, David, and Sandra Evans, Voyage to Freedom: A Story of the Atlantic Crossing, 1620, ISBN: 0851513840 9780851513843. Juvenile fiction.
" 'You are standing on a narrow quay-side waiting to board a small sailing ship. You are about to make an exciting but dangerous and uncomfortable voyage.' So begins the racy and imaginative account of the voyage of the Mayflower which David Gay exciting historical narrative follows the nine week passage for the Pilgrims though the eyes of an imaginary family, Matthew and Martha Lovelace, with their typical children, Justice and Prudence. They encounter such fascinating characters as Master Reynolds, John Howland and William Butten -- all of whom really took the Mayflower's historic voyage. Here are three thousand miles of adventure, written with a sensitive appreciation of God's care for his people, and of young people's love for adventure." -- Publisher
Gregory, David, Dinner With a Perfect Stranger, ISBN: 1578569052 9781578569052.
The movie of the same name is based on this novel.
Gregory, David, Dinner With a Perfect Stranger: An Invitation Worth Considering, DVD, fiction.
"The mysterious envelope arrives on Nick Cominsky's desk amid a stack of credit card applications and business-related junk mail. Although his seventy-hour workweek has already eaten into his limited family time, Nick can't pass up the opportunity to see what kind of plot his colleagues have hatched. The normally confident, cynical Nick soon finds himself thrown off-balance, drawn into an intriguing conversation with a baffling man who appears to be more than comfortable discussing everything from world religions to the existence of heaven and hell. And this man who calls himself Jesus also seems to know a disturbing amount about Nick's personal life." -- Publisher
Based on the novel by David Gregory, DINNER WITH A PERFECT STRANGER, ISBN: 1578569052 9781578569052.
*Halperin, James, Truth Machine, didactic fiction, ISBN: 0345412885 9780345412881.
"I believe that James Halperin is an extraordinarily talented futurist. The concepts put forth in this plea for sanity in our world dangerously teetering into the new millenium are important and beautifully stated and played out by the characters in THE TRUTH MACHINE.
"It is a remarkable first novel. The characterization is excellent and compelling. The story is an equal partner to the ideas that abound. There are several sub-plots that are almost as satisfying as the major theme about the societal impact of a device that compells truthfulness in all aspects of human interaction. Pete's complex character and his relationships with women and with his lifelong friends David and Diana West are well portrayed as are his relationships and interaction with his demons Reece and Scoggins. I even enjoyed the character of 22g CP-TLMos, the super computer reporter who relates the major part of this work.
"My great regret is that we don't have our own phenomenally gifted Pete Robinson to create a Truth Machine for us and to usher in the new era of world wide understanding and communication.
"This is a thoughtful, absorbing, highly readable and most important statement about our possible future or lack thereof.
Very highly recommended." -- Reader's Comment
*Hatcher, Carolyn, Let the Authors Speak: A Guide to Worthy Books Based on Historical Setting, ISBN: 0964068125 9780964068124.
"This book is an unparalleled resource for classical, historical, and contemporary literature, as well as for classical and contemporary autobiographical, biographical, and historical works. Invaluable for those designing a history/literature curriculum or unit studies. Over 1200 books are briefly annotated and listed 1) chronologically by setting, reading/interest level, and type of work (i.e., biography, novel, myth/legend), 2) by author, and 3) by title. Newbery winners and books reviewed in BOOKS CHILDREN LOVE and HONEY FOR A CHILD'S HEART are highlighted. The author endorses Charlotte Mason's philosophy of reading 'whole books' and encourages the integration of such books into our children's curricula. Recommended by Cathy Duffy, Karen Andreola, Mary Pride, and others." -- GCB
"This book arranges both historical fiction and classics according to the era in which they are set, according to reading ability level, and according to author. It's a fast way to find something really good to supplement any history course -- or to just find something good to read." -- Reader's Comment
Hill, Grace Livingston (now Grace Lutz, formerly Hill, formerly Livingston), According to the Pattern, ISBN: 0891900160 9780891900160 0800712978 9780800712976.
Hill, Grace Livingston, Aunt Crete's Emancipation, ISBN: 9781681950716 1681950715.
Hill, Grace Livingston, Because of Stephen, ISBN: 0899685218 9780899685212.
*Hill, Grace L., The Enchanted Barn, ISBN: 089190039X 9780891900399.
Hill, Grace Livingston, The Girl From Montana, ISBN: 0899685250.
Hill, Grace Livingston, Lone Point: A Summer Outing and the Esselstynes, ISBN: 0842338586 9780842338585.
Hill, Grace Livingston, Marcia Schuyler, ISBN: 084234036X.
*Hill, Grace L., Partners, ISBN: 0842347771 9780842347778.
Hill, Grace Livingston, Phoebe Deane, ISBN: 0891900446 9780891900443.
Hill, Grace Livingston, The Story of a Whim, ISBN: 0800712986 9780800712983.
Hill, Grace Livingston, An Unwilling Guest, ISBN: 0800712994 9780800712990.
*Keach, Benjamin, The Travels of True Godliness, ISBN: 1599250292 9781599250298.
Introduction by Pastor Austin Walker, author of THE EXCELLENT BENJAMIN KEACH.
"For the first time in over 150 years this allegory that once rivaled THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS is coming back again. Hear what others are saying:
After defining godliness and showing its worthy pedigree and antiquity, 'the excellent Benjamin Keach' (as he was fondly called), allegorically personifies 'Godliness,' much as Bunyan did 'Christian.' He introduces us to more than two dozen enemies of godliness, then details Godliness's encounters with several of them, including apostasy, hypocrisy, legalism, antinomianism, worldliness, and Satan. We meet in graphic detail the temptations of youth and old age, of riches and poverty, as well as the joys of contentment, thoughtfulness, kindness, and love. This is a fascinating read by the most important Baptist thinker of his day, designed to stir us up to a greater pursuit of godliness." -- Dr. Joel R. BeekeKelly, Victor J., Macintosh Mountain, ISBN: 0310351812 9780310351818.
"Most modern men don't think deeply. If there is something called 'true godliness,' for a contrast to stand, there must also be a form of religion that is not true and straight, but false. The former is rare in the world; the latter abounds even in the churches. THE TRAVELS OF TRUE GODLINESS is a road map for and about those on God's narrow way. For others, if the directions of God go unheard and unheeded, 'true godliness' will remain a quaint curiosity on the road to destruction." -- Dr. Mike Renihan
*Larsen, David L., The Company of the Creative: A Christian Reader's Guide to Great Literature and its Themes, 639 pages, ISBN: 0825430976 9780825430978.
David Larsen is a Professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
See the section on Shakespeare.
"Next to the Bible his works [Shakespeare's] are the most translated of any in the English language. . . .
"More than one thousand two hundred allusions to Scripture suffuse his corpus. He quotes from fifty-four of the sixty-six books of the Bible in thirty-seven plays. He uses the world of 'God' more than seven hundred times. Peter Milward in his classic study, SHAKESPEARE'S RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND, concludes that Shakespeare's is Christian drama in every sense of the word." -- David Larsen in The Company of the Creative, pp. 161, 162
"Extensive bibliography, Suggestions for further reading, pp. 585-589, Time lines, Subject index, Select title index, Select name index, 639 pages." -- Publisher
Livingstone, Mark Jay, The Peacemaker, ISBN: 1556611560 9781556611568.
"A mystery in Washington; has the President gone mad? This political thriller is as contemporary as today's headlines, yet never strays from timeless Biblical truths." -- Publisher
Love, Dane, Scottish Covenanter Stories: Tales From the Killing Times, ISBN: 1897784988 9781897784983.
"Dane Love has produced an admirably accessible account of a complex and bloody period. The Scotsman This book is a jewel of short stories about the terrible days in South West Scotland, when it was a crime to worship outwith the recognised church. Dane Love has written his book around the characters of the period, with each tragic story emphasising the terrible cruelty and 'man's inhumanity to man.' Each short account includes local OS Map references, to allow the reader to visit battle sites and monuments in South West Scotland where all the atrocities were committed. A good informative read." -- Publisher
Lutz, Grace (formerly Hill, formerly Livingston), The Girl From Montana, ISBN: 0899685250.
MacLean, Isabelle McCall, The Oath and The Covenant: The 'Killing Times' in Scotland, ISBN: 0595397069 9780595397068.
"The latter part of the 1600's in Scotland has become known in the annals of time as the "Killing times." THE OATH AND THE COVENANT is a story based on the lives of these brave Scottish Presbyterian Covenanters, their object being to release their beloved Scotland from the strangling grasp of an English king, who claimed he had a "Divine Right" to rule both church and state. The Covenanters never relinquished their determination to gain what they viewed as a God-given right to worship freely. They endured inhumane treatment leveled upon them by King Charles II's armies in his attempt to subjugate them.
"John Whitelaw, the Martyr of Monkland, was one of many who was torn from the bosom of his family and finally gave his life to gain religious freedom. The story continues based upon the many accounts of those who were banished to the Americas.
"It was in America that they found friends among the Abeniki tribe of Indians, who taught the Scots needed skills to survive in this new land and drew them into their culture. They also found precious religious freedom to worship according to the dictates of their hearts -- and not that of a king."
From the Author
"I learned to love all things Scottish at the knee of my father James McCall MacLean and my grandfather, Thomas McCall McLean. Through this love of my roots I began writing "Finding Your Tartan Roots" for The Scottish Banner. THE OATH AND THE COVENANT sprung from my efforts to find my ancestors' records. E-mail the author at immccall@mlode.com." -- Publisher
"Just finished reading THE OATH AND THE COVENANT and it is one of the best books I have ever read. This book is very well written and just draws you into the story. The history in this historical novel is a must for anyone with Scottish genealogy. I recommend this to anyone who wants an understanding of what life was like to come to a new foreign country in the late 1600's. -- Reader's Comment
Isabelle McCall MacLean
http://www.isabellemmaclean.com/
*Marshall, Catherine, Christy, ISBN: 0380001411 9780380001415 9781439513002 1439513007.
One of the best-loved of all American novels.
"Christy Huddleston left home at 19 to teach school in the Smoky Mountains. There she came to know and love the wild mountain people with their fierce pride, their dark superstitions, their terrible poverty, their yearning for beauty and truth. Christy found her faith severely challenged in these primitive surroundings: and, confronted with two young men of unique strengths and needs, she found her own growing yearning challenged by love." -- Publisher
*Milton, John (1570-1643), Paradise Lost, ISBN: 9781504062107 1504062108, didactic fiction.
"A dramatization of James 1:5-15. Said to be the greatest epic ever penned by man. Milton was a contemporary of Oliver Cromwell." -- Publisher
"The greatest epic poem in the English language . . . A work of unparalleled imaginative genius that shapes English literature even now." -- Benjamin Ramm
"Written in blank verse by the seventeenth-century English poet John Milton, this 'epic of over 10,000 lines' is a dramatic, imaginative version of Satan's rebellion against God and of Adam and Eve's eviction from Eden. Set at the beginnings of human history, it shifts us across an expansive universe: Heaven at the top 'Earth dangling from it' and Hell at the bottom, a dark gloomy Chaos in between. It tells the story of divine creation, human ambition and hopeless rebellion, but is 'perhaps most famous for its presentation of Satan, an intensely deep character' (New Statesman). 'Milton's cosmos is a visionary unfolding and enfolding of the biblical map with others from his vast mental bookstore. PARADISE LOST itself is a densely intertextual amalgam of fictional worlds, made newly brilliant by the imagination behind the poet's now sightless eyes, embodied in blank verse at its most vigorously muscled . . . That verse flows, twists, ripples and thunders like a team of miraculously tireless and synchronized horses. It's the perfect body-mind work-out." -- The Guardian
Paradise Lost, John Milton
http://ccel.wheaton.edu/milton/paradise_lost/paradise_lost.txt
Murray, Iain H., The Undercover Revolution: How Fiction Changed Britain, ISBN: 9781848710122 1848710127.
"Late Victorian and Edwardian Britain saw a mega-change in reading habits. For the first time fiction took the primary place in book publishing, and the medium was taken up by brilliant and entertaining authors with an agenda for 'a brave new world.' Such men as Thomas Hardy, H.G. Wells and George Bernard Shaw were the opinion-makers for coming generations." -- Publisher
This book . . . focused on a particular class and era of novelists such as Robert Louis Stevenson and Thomas Hardy. It devotes a chapter to each of those two men and seeks to show that their lives tell a very different story than their books. Their books paint the 'new morality' or rather immorality of 'free love' and other sins in glowing colors and soft lights. They make sin look happy. But when you look at their lives as they seek to live this way, the picture is very different. Their lives are not like the lives of their characters. Reality shows sin in all of its ugly colors and there is nothing happy about it. I think this is a danger in much of fiction. It is dangerous to be able to write the world anyway we want. Even Christian fiction writers can fall into describing the world the way they want it to be (i.e. Christians always prosper) and not the way God in his wisdom allows it to be." -- Reader's Comment
Peretti, Frank, All is Well, ISBN: 084990918X 9780849909184.
"It is a touching story that will renew your spirit as you discover that all is well because nearly two thousand years ago, in Bethlehem, God wrote Himself into your life." -- CRM
Peretti, Frank E., Cooper Kids Adventure Series, ISBN: 1581346913 9781581346916.
"These four Indiana Jones-style adventures about archaeologist Dr. Jake Cooper and his two young teens, Jay and Lila, teach kids sound values -- while keeping them glued to their seats! The slipcased softcover set includes THE DOOR IN THE DRAGON'S THROAT, ESCAPE FROM THE ISLAND OF AQUARIUS, THE TOMBS OF ANAK, and TRAPPED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA." -- CBD
Frank Peretti has written many other pieces of juvenile fiction.
*Peretti, Frank, The Oath, ISBN: 0849938945 9780849938948 0849938635 9780849938634.
"An ancient sin. An ancient oath. A town with a deadly secret . . . Once again bestselling author Frank Peretti has crafted a spellbinding novel filled with tension and suspense crescending to a peak of raw-edged terror that will keep you breathless. This is masterful story telling at its very best." -- Publisher
*Peretti, Frank, Piercing the Darkness, ISBN: 0891075275 9780891075271. Didactic fiction.
"The amazing author of THIS PRESENT DARKNESS has written another bestseller. Sally Beth Roe, a young loner, a bum-out, a kind of 'left-over hippie,' finds herself fleeing for her life . . . Sally's journey is a penetrating portrayal of our times, a reflection of our wanderings and a vivid reminder of the redemptive power of the cross." -- GCB
This is a sequel to THIS PRESENT DARKNESS.
*Peretti, Frank, This Present Darkness, ISBN: 0891073906 9780891073901. Didactic fiction.
"Ashton is just a small town. But when a skeptical reporter and a prayerful pastor begin to compare notes, they suddenly find themselves fighting a hideous New Age plot to subjugate the townspeople and, eventually, the entire planet. In this fast-moving thriller, Frank Peretti illustrates the power of demonic forces and the greater power of prayer as a weapon against them." -- CBD
*Peretti, Frank, This Present Darkness, cassette, [audio file], ISBN: 1556866917 9781556866913.
"This audio abridgement, read by the author himself, brings to life the thrills, excitement, and spiritual insights of the novel. Presented with dramatic sound and music effects. Two cassettes." -- GCB
*Peretti, Frank, The Prophet: A Novel, ISBN: 0891076182 9780891076186. Didactic fiction.
Pollok, Robert, Tales of the Covenanters, 1894. Available on the Puritan Hard Drive. Available on Reformation Bookshelf CD #22. Didactic fiction.
"From 1824-5 he wrote his oft-reprinted TALES OF THE COVENANTERS, consisting of HELEN OF THE GLEN, RALPH GEMMELL, and THE PERSECUTED FAMILY, originally published separately and anonymously. These celebrate the Covenanting heroes and martyrs of the Killing Times." -- Needham, cited in Cameron (editor), Dictionary of Scottish Church History and Theology, p. 662.
Pride, Mary, The Better Butter Battle (Old Wise Tales), ISBN: 0943497930 9780943497938.
Pride, Mary, The Greenie (Old Wise Tales), ISBN: 1561210110 9781561210114.
"This book is about a boy-creature who notices air pollution around his hometown. He is then befriended by The Greenie (who looks suspiciously like John Muir), and recruited into eco-activism. But the Greenie goes way too far (as do many modern groups), when he tries to prohibit eating meat, wearing leather, and even going to parks and the beach (only wildlife allowed). Finally the Greenie becomes physically ill, and sees the error of his ways. Environmentalism is good when practiced sensibly and in moderation. This book provides a good way to teach children that we can be good stewards of what God has given us without going to either extreme (wasting resources or restricting our freedoms)." -- Reader's Comment
Pride, Mary, Too Many Chickens (Old Wise Tales), ISBN: 1561210102 9781561210107.
"TOO MANY CHICKENS is the story of a farm where some greedy pigs force the chickens to give them half the corn feed. Then the pigs get even greedier and force the chickens to cut way back on their egg-laying so there will be fewer chickens to eat the corn. The chickens then form a 'Two-Egg Club,' except Mrs. Pinfeather and her seven chicks. When they are forced out of the farmyard, it turns into a blessing when they gorge themselves with corn in the cornfield, then return to warn the other animals of a fire approaching the farm. Thanks to them, the farm is saved. This book is a good way to teach children that all human beings are precious in God's sight, inside AND outside the womb." -- Reader's Comment
Scott, Walter, Sir (1771-1832), Old Mortality. Alternate title: SCOTT'S COLLECTED WORKS.
*Sheldon, Charles M., In His Steps, didactic fiction, ISBN: 0800786084. A Christian classic.
"First published in 1897, this book has sold over 8,000,000 copies." -- GCB
"A man beaten down by life deeply touches a small town congregation when unexpectedly and poignantly he confronts them, asking, 'What do you Christians mean by following the steps of Jesus?' This classic work tells the story of congregational members who pledge to walk in Christ's step for one year, asking themselves what He would do at every turn in their daily lives." -- Publisher
On edition includes a study guide.
Spurgeon, C.H. (1834-1892), Pictures From Pilgrim's Progress: A Commentary on Portions of John Bunyan's Immortal Allegory, ISBN: 9780801082153 0801082153.
"PILGRIM'S PROGRESS is the second most printed book of all-time, next to the Bible. It should be no surprise that one of the foremost preachers of the Bible, Charles Spurgeon, would spend time teaching through this class book. Taught as a part of a weekday study these 20 chapters show us how much Spurgeon loved this book, and how it informed his preaching! Highest recommendation" -- Reader's comment
Thoene, Bodie, and Brock Thoene, A new Frontier: Saga of the Sierras: Four Bestselling Novels Complete in one Volume, ISBN: 0884862240 9780884862246 0884863662 9780884863663.
"Like John Wayne and Louis L'Amour? Then you'll love these well-researched tales of four men facing the challenges of the Old West -- challenges that often tempt them to compromise their Christian values. The set includes THE MAN FROM SHADOW RIDGE, RIDERS OF THE SILVER RIM, GOLD RUSH PRODIGAL, and SEQUOIA SCOUT. All four soft-covers are packed in a slipcase." -- CBD
Watson, Robert, Prophet of the Covenant: An Exciting Novel About the Heroic, Dramatic Life of the Rev. Alexander Peden, Minister of the Covenanters, Known as Peden the Prophet. Apparently didactic fiction.
Webb, Michael, Balaam's Error: Giants in the Earth, Book 2, ISBN: 0891076417 9780891076414 1856840417 9781856840415.
"A novel of cosmic powers at war, the supremacy of love, and the power of the blood of Jesus Christ, with millions of lives at stake." -- GCB
Whyte, Alexander (1836-1921), The Characters in Pilgrim's Progress: Whyte's Classic and Compelling Exposition of Bunyan's Immortal Pilgrim's Progress, e-book.
Wiggins, Eric, and Kate Douglas Wiggin, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm: The Child, ISBN: 0812565908 9780812565904. A Christian classic.
"In 1904, author Jack London met a little New England girl who won his heart. Mark Twain was enchanted by the same little girl. Her name is Rebecca. In the first of a three-book series, the classic story of Rebeccca is being introduced. You now have the chance to accompany Rebecca as she encounters life and discovers the joy of a relationship with Christ. She struggles with different facets of human nature and learns the lessons of life, sometimes the hard way. A true classic!" -- GCB
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Wiggin, Kate Douglas
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new?id=WigRebe&tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&part=0
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (appears to be REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM: THE CHILD)
http://archive.org/details/cihm_990240
Wiggins, Eric, and Kate Douglas Wiggin, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm: The Girl, ISBN: 1561210048 9781561210046.
"Here is more exciting adventures with Rebecca in this, the second of the three-book series. Little girls of any age can accompany Rebecca as she grows through childhood and discovers the joy of a relationship with Christ. Perfect for girls eleven and older." -- GCB
Wiggins, Eric, and Kate Douglas Wiggins, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farms: The Woman, ISBN: 1561210137 9781561210138.
"One of a series of three that has delighted so many people, young and old. Get all three of these." -- Publisher
Wilder, Laura Ingalls, Little House on the Prairie Series, a series of nine, ISBN: 9780062470744 0062470744.
"When Laura Ingalls and her family leave their little house in the Big Woods of Wisconsin, they head west for the open prairie skies of Kansas Territory. They travel for many days in their covered wagon until they find the perfect spot for Pa to build them a new home. Soon they are planting and plowing, hunting wild ducks and turkeys, and gathering grass for their cows. But just when they begin to feel settled, they are caught in the middle of a dangerous conflict." -- Publisher
*Wilson, Elizabeth, and Susan Schaeffer Macaulay (foreword), Books Children Love: A Guide to the Best Children's Literature, ISBN: 0891074414 9780891074410.
"At last here is a book that will help parents open up the wonderful world of reading for their children! Here are books that embody the ideals of traditional values and a Christian worldview. Only books that really catch and hold children's attention, that are finely written, and that reflect basic Biblical values have been chosen." -- GCB
"This book is arranged by subject and reading level. There is a good variety of choices, and the books listed have all been evaluated to be wholesome and reinforce proper priorities, human relationships and good attitudes. There are wonderful classic books and newer books also. My child has enjoyed every title we have read from the book lists. -- Reader's Comment
See also: Works of john bunyan (1628-1688), Christian literature for boys and girls, Christian biography, Classic christian fiction by martha finley, and so forth, and so on.
ChristianCinema.com
"Faith Affirming and Family Approved Entertainment"
http://www.christiancinema.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=22
Classic Christian Fiction by Martha Finley
http://www.lettermen2.com/bcrr11ch.html#cbfmf
Dove Family Approved Movies and Videos
http://www.dove.org/
Vision Video
aol://4344:122.yyvismm.1250619.494111056
The Elsie Books 28-book series, in its original unabridged text, probably models the Christian family better than any other fiction. Likewise, the example of Elsie's life is one of the best models for Christian girls. Everything happens to Elsie, both good things and bad things, and she always responds the right way.
Aprile, Elizabeth, The Elsie Coloring Book (Plano, TX [Utmost Enterprises, PO Box 940205, Plano, 75094-0205]: Utmost Enterprises).
"This coloring book is hand drawn and handmade, one-of-a-kind. This first edition has 40 pages of pictures showing character in the way that only Elsie can." -- Publisher
*Finley, Martha (1828-1909), (aka Martha Farquharson [Galic for Finley], a pen name), Anna Hand, the Meddlesome Girl.
*Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Annandale: A Story of the Times of the Covenanters, 1858.
*Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Aunt Hetty's Fowls or, Harry at the Farm, 1876.
*Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Aunt Ruth, or, Persecuted not Forsaken, 1857.
*Finley, Martha (1828-1909), The Broken Basket, 1870.
*Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Brookside Farm-house: From January to December: For the Little Folks, 1865.
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Casella: or, The Children of the Valleys (1868)
http://archive.org/details/casellaorchildre00finl
*Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Clouds and Sunshine, or, The Faith Brightened Pathway, 1859.
*Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Ella Clinton, or, By Their Fruits ye Shall Know Them, 1856.
Ella Clinton, or, By Their Fruits ye Shall Know Them (1856)
http://archive.org/details/ellaclintonorbyt00finl
*Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Little Patience, 1868.
*Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Marion Harvie, a Tale of Persecution in the Seventeenth Century, 1857.
*Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Martha Finley Ultimate Collection -- 35+ Novels in one Volume, an e-book, ISBN: 8026867130 9788026867135.
"This carefully crafted e-book: MARTHA FINLEY ULTIMATE COLLECTION -- 35+ NOVELS IN ONE VOLUME (INCLUDING THE COMPLETE ELSIE DINSMORE SERIES AND MILDRED KEITH COLLECTION) is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents: Elsie Dinsmore Series: Elsie Dinsmore; Elsie's Holidays at Roselands; Elsie's Girlhood; Elsie's Womanhood; Elsie's Motherhood; Elsie's Children; Elsie's Widowhood; Grandmother Elsie; Elsie's New Relations; Elsie at Nantucket; Two Elsies; Elsie's Kith and Kin; Elsie's Friends at Woodburn; Christmas with Grandma Elsie; Elsie and the Raymonds; Elsie Yachting with the Raymonds; Elsie's Vacation; Elsie at Viamede; Elsie at Ion; Elsie at the World's Fair; Elsie's Journey on Inland Waters; Elsie at Home; Elsie on the Hudson; Elsie in the South; Elsie's Young Folks; Elsie's Winter Trip; Elsie and Her Loved Ones; Elsie and Her Namesakes; Mildred Keith Series: Mildred Keith; Mildred at Roselands; Mildred and Elsie; Mildred's Married Life; Mildred at Home; Mildred's Boys and Girls; Mildred's New Daughter; Other Novels: Edith's Sacrifice; Ella Clinton; Signing the Contract and What it Cost; The Thorn in the Nest; and The Tragedy of Wild River Valley."
"Martha Finley (1828-1909) was a teacher and author of numerous works, the most well-known being the 28-volume Elsie Dinsmore Series which was published over a span of 38 years." -- Publisher
*Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Maud's two Homes, 1868.
Finley, Martha (aka Martha Farquharson, a pen name, 1828-1909), An Old-fashioned Boy.
Finley, Martha (aka Martha Farquharson, a pen name, 1828-1909), Our Fred or Seminary Life at Thurston, a Sequel to an Old Fashioned Boy.
*Finley, Martha (1828-1909), The Peddler of La Grave, 1875.
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), The Thorn in the Nest (c1886)
http://archive.org/details/thorninnest00finliala
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), The Tragedy of Wild River Valley (1893)
http://archive.org/details/tragedywildrive00finlgoog
"The Elsie Books series, 28 in all, are some of the most widely read children's stories ever written. When they first came out more than a hundred years ago, the publisher could scarcely keep them in stock . . ." -- Publisher
"Altogether Miss Finley's novels sold more than 28,000,000 copies in the last century. This made them among the bestselling novels of all time . . ." -- Jay P. Green, Sr. (1918-2008)
The series is read and enjoyed by both adults as well as children, and by men as well as women.
ClassicReader.com
http://www.classicreader.com/
Mantle Ministries (Elsie Dinsmore Series and Mildred Series)
http://www.mantlemin.com
Gutenberg, Project
http://www.gutenberg.org/
*Finley, Martha (aka Martha Farquharson [Galic for Finley], a pen name, 1828-1909), The Elsie Books, 28-book series, hardbound (New York: Dodd, Mead and Co., 1868-1905).
*Finley, Martha (1828-1909), The Elsie Books
Cumberland House has printed the original 28-book series unabridged in paperback. The price is $4.50 each, or $120.00 for the 28-book set (July 2003).
See: Elsie Dinsmore Books
http://www.lvbaptist.org/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=BHCP&Category_Code=ED
and Christian Book Distributors (CBD)
http://www.christianbook.com/
*Finley, Martha (1828-1909), The Elsie Books, 4-book set (Holly Hall Publications, 1997), ISBN: 1888306351 9781888306354.
"Originally written in the late 1800's for girls and young women, the Elsie Dinsmore books were bestsellers for over thirty years. When we are introduced to Elsie in the first book she is a sweet and humble eight-year-old whose great desire in life is to be reunited with her father, whom she has never met. Her faith and her obedience to God's commandments uphold her in the great troubles she often faces, and the drama to which we are spectators is as timely for today's girls as it was for the young ladies of the 19th century. A new edition of one of GCB's bestsellers, the series offers Christian values and character building examples through stories that are compelling, heartwarming, and enduring. Ages 10 and up." -- GCB
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 1: Elsie Dinsmore, ISBN: 158182064X 9781581820645.
"Set amid the sweet blossoms of a southern mansion, this timeless classic delves into the heart of Elsie -- by all counts, an extraordinary little girl. Share in Elsie's quest for love from her earthly father as it leads to a mature understanding of the love of her Father in Heaven. Join Elsie as she suffers through endless hours of scrutiny from Miss Day, her mean-spirited school teacher, taunting from her mischievous young Uncle Arthur, and scoldings from a cold-hearted father she so desires to please -- all with the peace and quiet countenance that comes from knowing she is God's child. This, the first of the heart-warming Elsie Books, will both challenge and inspire you." -- Publisher
Elsie Dinsmore: Book 1, Martha Finley
http://archive.org/details/elsiedinsmore00ferqgoog
Elsie Dinsmore: Book 1, Martha Finley
http://www.hshangout.com/elsie.html
Elsie Dinsmore (Gutenberg text)
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=6440
ClassicReader.com
http://www.classicreader.com/
*Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 2: Elsie's Holidays at Roselands, ISBN: 9781888306323 1888306327.
"When Elsie's father becomes ill, she takes on the job of nurse-companion, and all goes well until Elsie, because it is the Sabbath, as a matter of conscience refuses to read to him from a secular book. The battle of wills that ensues nearly causes first her father's death, and then Elsie's. Lonely Elsie -- punished, ostracized, and then abandoned by her father -- turns to her heavenly Father for comfort and assurance. Will her father realize that Elsie's obedience to God must be paramount, and submit himself to the same Divine Authority?" -- Publisher
On an even more serious note, one moral of this story is the broader life and death struggle between Truth and Falsehood (See: Absolute truth and relativism [duality and non-duality], Epistemology of theology, the theory of knowledge, and Christian scholarship.) The consequence of conflict of will is death of the "One," or war of the "Many" (see Rushdoony, THE ONE AND THE MANY: STUDIES IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF ORDER AND ULTIMACY. Conflict of will (see Will and recalcitrance, Rebellion and lawlessness: wickedness, demonic possession, abnormal behavior, insanity, mental illness, mental retardation,) may begin when one individual (see The doctrine of man [human nature, total depravity],) or the corporate body (see Corporate faithfulness and sanctification), tries to usurping authority over others (see Power, Authority) -- tries to control and possess the other (see Tyranny, Slavery, our systems of enslavement, economic enslavement.) The means of control may be either outward or occult (see The occult, spiritism, witchcraft), deceit, repression or suppression of the truth, replacing moral and ethical absolutes with relativism (see Ethics, computer ethics, cyberethics, Medical ethics, Absolute truth and relativism [duality and non-duality], unfaithfulness to the highest ethical standards (see The ten commandments: the moral law, The holy bible), Heresy and apostasy (apostacy, old english), Spiritual adultery [spiritual whoredom/harlotry,] (see Idolatry, syncretism, Jeremiah and lamentations,) invocation of the demonic, Oaths, ensnaring vows, promises, and covenants, bonds with the ungodly Carnality and flesh pleasing: desires, pleasure, Justice, judgment, god's final judgment, the great white throne judgment, the day of the lord,) attempts to take authority over another politically or by mental malpractice (see Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership, making up their own rules (see Absolute truth and relativism [duality and non-duality],) ignoring or changing constitutional or creedal documents, unjust laws for the accumulation of wealth and power, indebtedness, disenfranchisement, (see denial of freedom,) Priestcraft, pharisaism, soul-stealing, possessiveness, physical seduction and whoredom, political economic or sexual enslavement (see Sexual relationship,) and so forth, and so on.
This abuse, this soul-violence, quenches the Holy Spirit (see Owen, God's Presence With a People the Spring of Their Prosperity; With Their Special Interest in Abiding in Him.) If either side is immovable, then death is the consequence (see Soteriology, atonement, The blood of christ, Hell, and Heaven.)
How are conflicts of will resolved? By submission to the Absolute Truths of God's word, the great common denominator, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. -- The Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6)
All this bears a strain of the Gospel (see Book-length presentations of the free offer of the gospel message of salvation and the life to come: the means of grace, The westminster confession of faith.)
Book 2: Holidays at Roselands
http://archive.org/details/holidaysatrosel00finlgoog
Holidays at Roselands (Gutenberg text)
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=14280
Mantle Ministries (Elsie Dinsmore Series and Mildred Series)
http://www.mantlemin.com
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 3: Elsie's Girlhood, ISBN: 1888306335 9781888306330.
"Elsie's father marries her beloved Miss Rose, and after a time, Elsie acquires a younger brother and sister. Growing into a beautiful young lady who adores her father and accords him unquestioning obedience, Elsie falls in love with Bromly Egerton, a man who turns out to be a deceiving, gambling reprobate. Heartbroken, the loss affects her health as well as her spirit, and the Dinsmores decide that a sojourn in Europe is the solution. An unexpected encounter in Naples sets the stage for a romance that surprises almost everyone." -- Publisher
Elsie's Girlhood
http://archive.org/stream/elsiesgirlhood09963gut/7lcgh10.txt
Elsie's Girlhood (Gutenberg text)
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=9963
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 4: Elsie's Womanhood, ISBN: 1888306343 9781888306347.
"As Elsie and her father prepare for her marriage to John Travilla, Elsie moves to Viamede, her mother's childhood home in Louisiana. Overseeing the plantation, Elsie observes the treatment of the slaves and strives to bring them into an awareness of God's love for them. As Mr. and Mrs. Travilla start their life together, Elsie's old boyfriend tries to bring it all to a tragic end. In a fit of jealous rage, he unsuccessfully attempts to shoot the newly married couple. Happy with her life with her new husband, Elsie experiences the wonderful joys of motherhood. Join Elsie as she moves into a wonderful and exciting new phase of her life." -- Publisher
Elsie's Womanhood: A Sequel to "Elsie's Womanhood" (1903)
http://archive.org/details/elsieswomanhood00finlgoog
Elsie's Womanhood (Gutenberg text)
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=14874
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 5: Elsie's Motherhood, ISBN: 1888306386 9781888306385.
"Knowing the blessings that have attended her dependence on God all her life, Elsie is careful to inculcate the teaching of the Scriptures in her children from the moment they can understand right from wrong." -- Publisher
Elsie's Motherhood (Gutenberg text)
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=14566
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 6: Elsie's Children, ISBN: 1888306394 9781888306392.
"Are Elsie's children paragons? No, they are beset with the same trials and tribulations as others, but they have a godly mother and father who are ever ready to point out their errors, and to give them scriptural answers. It is no wonder that they grow up to be wonderful witnesses to Christ, also." -- Publisher
Elsie's Children
http://archive.org/details/elsieschildren14875gut
Elsie's Children (Gutenberg text)
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=14875
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 7: Elsie's Widowhood, ISBN: 1888306408 9781888306408.
"Elsie's husband was 15 years older, so it was not a surprise that a day would come when she would have to go alone without his dear presence. As could be expected, all accepted it as the will of God, and they set out to grow in grace because of being left without their beloved husband and father." -- Publisher
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 8: Grandmother Elsie, ISBN: 1888306416 9781888306415.
Grandmother Elsie (Gutenberg text)
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=14883
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 9: Elsie's New Relations, ISBN: 1581821018 9781581821017.
Elsie's New Relations
http://archive.org/details/elsiesnewrelatio14909gut
Elsie's New Relations: What They Did and how They Fared at Ion (Gutenberg text)
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=14909
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 10: Elsie at Nantucket, ISBN: 1581821026 9781581821024.
Elsie at Nantucket (Gutenberg text)
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=14379
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 11: The Two Elsies, ISBN: 1581821042 9781581821048.
The Two Elsies: A Sequel to Elsie at Nantucket
http://archive.org/details/thetwoelsies13379gut
The Two Elsies (Gutenberg text)
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=13379
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 12: Kith and Kin, ISBN: 1581821050 9781581821055.
Elsie's Kith and Kin
http://archive.org/details/elsieskithandkin14488gut
Elsie's Kith and Kin (Gutenberg text)
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=14488
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 13: Elsie's Friends at Woodburn, ISBN: 1581821077 9781581821079.
Elsie's Friends at Woodburn
http://archive.org/details/elsiesfriendsat00finlgoog
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 14: Elsie's Christmas (Christmas With Grandma Elsie), ISBN: 1581821085 9781581821086.
Christmas With Grandma Elsie
http://archive.org/details/christmaswithgra14534gut
Christmas With Grandma Elsie (Gutenberg text)
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=14534
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 15: Elsie and the Raymonds, ISBN: 1581821107 9781581821109.
Elsie and the Raymonds (1889)
http://archive.org/details/elsieandraymond00finlgoog
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 16: Elsie Yachting With the Raymonds, ISBN: 1581821115 9781581821116.
Elsie Yachting with the Raymonds (1890)
http://archive.org/details/elsieyachtingwi00finlgoog
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 17: Elsie's Vacation (and After Events), ISBN: 1581821131 9781581821130.
Elsie's Vacation and After Events (1891)
http://archive.org/details/elsiesvacationa00finlgoog
Elsie's Vacation and After Events (Gutenberg text)
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=18058
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 18: Elsie at Viamede, ISBN: 158182114X 9781581821147.
Elsie at Viamede (1892)
http://archive.org/details/elsieatviamede00finlgoog
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 19: Elsie at Ion, ISBN: 1581821719 9781581821710.
Elsie at Ion (1893)
http://archive.org/details/elsieation00finlgoog
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 20: Elsie at the World's Fair, ISBN: 1581821727 9781581821727.
Elsie at the World's Fair (1894)
http://archive.org/details/elsieatworldsfa00finlgoog
Elsie at the World's Fair (Gutenberg text)
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=14910
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 21: Elsie's Journey on Inland Waters, ISBN: 1581821743 9781581821741.
Elsie's Journey on Inland Waters (1895)
http://archive.org/details/elsiesjourneyoni00finl
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 22: Elsie at Home, ISBN: 1581821751 9781581821758.
Elsie at Home (Gutenberg text)
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=17496
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 23: Elsie on the Hudson and Elsewhere, ISBN: 1581821778 9781581821772.
Elsie on the Hudson and Elsewhere (1898)
http://archive.org/details/elsieonhudsonan00finlgoog
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 24: Elsie in the South, ISBN: 1581821786 9781581821789.
Elsie in the South
http://archive.org/details/elsieinthesouth32103gut
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 25: Elsie's Young Folks in Peace and War, ISBN: 1581821808 9781581821802.
Elsie's Young Folks in Peace and War (1900)
http://archive.org/details/elsiesyoungfolk00finlgoog
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 26: Elsie's Winter Trip, ISBN: 1581821816 9781581821819.
Elsie's Winter Trip (1902)
http://archive.org/details/elsieswintertri00finlgoog
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 27: Elsie and Her Loved Ones, ISBN: 1581821832 9781581821833.
Elsie and her Loved Ones (1903)
http://archive.org/details/elsieherlovedone00finl
Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Book 28: Elsie and Her Namesakes, ISBN: 1581821840 9781581821840.
Elsie and her Namesakes (1905)
http://archive.org/details/elsieandhernames00finliala
*Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Martha Finley Ultimate Collection -- 35+ Novels in one Volume (including the complete Elsie Dinsmore Series and Mildred Keith Collection)
Mildred is a cousin of Elsie's, so the Elsie Books and the Mildred series complement each other. The reader gains new insights into Elsie through the Mildred books.Mildred at Roselands, Martha FinleyMildred at Roselands, an excerpt from Chapter Ten
There is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24b)
"I [Mildred -- compiler] cannot tell you how sorry I am for you! how I would like to comfort you! and I know it is sometimes a relief and comfort just to pour out our sorrows to a fellow creature. And O, Miss Worth, I wish you knew what a comfort it is to tell them all to Jesus!" she added low and feelingly.
"Is it? Do you think he can hear? that he listens? that he cares?"
The look that accompanied the questions was half eager, half skeptical, and full of unexpressed longing.
"I have not the least doubt of it," Mildred answered with earnest conviction in her tones. "'God over all blessed forever,' he is everywhere present. He has, as he himself declared, all power given unto him in heaven and in earth; and he is so full of love and compassion that he deems nothing that concerns his children, one way or another, too small for his attention. He would not have even the little children turned away when the parents brought them to him, and he cares for the sparrows.
"'Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not, therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.'"
"But I am not one of his children;" sighed the governess. "I have paid no attention to these things, Miss Mildred; I did not seek him in my days of prosperity, and I cannot expect him to care for me now in my adversity."
"But he is so loving and compassionate, so ready to forgive. He proclaims himself 'the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.'
"'Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool.' Jesus said, 'Him that cometh to me I will in nowise cast out.' You say you want a friend, Miss Worth, and there is none other that can compare with Jesus in love and tenderness, in power and willingness to do all you need."
"A friend," repeated Miss Worth absently, more as if thinking aloud than talking to her visitor, "yes, that is what I need; what I have been longing for for days and weeks; more especially to-night; but," and she turned her face abruptly toward Mildred, while her voice took a touchingly pathetic tone, "I know not how or where to find the One you speak of; nor can I believe that he would receive me if I did; that he would care to help and comfort me. Why should he?"
"I don't know, except that he is so good, so kind, so loving!" Mildred said, her eyes shining. "But dare you doubt his word? the word of him who tells us that he himself is the truth?"
"Does he say that?"
"Yes, 'I am the way and the truth and the life.' Oh, believe his love -- the love of Christ which passeth knowledge! 'Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.'"
"Ah, but am I included in that word 'our'?"
"'Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.' 'Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.' Could invitations be more comprehensive?"
"No; I think not. But how, Miss Mildred, how shall I come? I was not religiously brought up and am very ignorant on these subjects."
"'With the heart man believeth unto righteousness.' 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.'"
"But what am I to do?"
"'Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him;' quoted Mildred, 'and to our God for he will abundantly pardon,' 'only believe;' 'for by grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.'
"Do you not see that Christ has done it all, kept the law for us, borne its penalty in our stead, and now offers us the justification of our persons, the sanctification of our natures, and adoption into God's family all as a free gift, the purchase of his blood. We cannot merit it, we cannot buy it; it is 'without money and without price.' All we can do is to accept the offered salvation and forsaking every other hope and trust, lean wholly upon Jesus."
Miss Worth seemed lost in sad perplexing thought, while Mildred's heart went up in silent petition on her behalf.
"Tell it me again," she said at length with emotion; and Mildred tried to make a clearer statement than before.
"It is so simple and beautiful -- God's plan of salvation." Mildred said in conclusion, "only to give ourselves unreservedly to the Lord and trust wholly in him. Jesus said, 'This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.' And of his sheep, he says, 'I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.'"
"Yes; but I want a friend now: -- for this life: its cares, troubles, trials, perplexities. Does he promise that?" asked the governess, with a wistful, longing look.
"Oh, yes, yes indeed! in very many places," Mildred said. "'This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.'
"'He shall deliver thee in six troubles; yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee.'
"'Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.'
"'Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee.'
"'Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.'"
Again a few moments of profound silence, while Miss Worth seemed to be thinking deeply, then turning to Mildred, "I cannot express my sense of your kindness," she said, "and" -- she paused, hesitated, but went on hurriedly, and with emotion, "I will seek this Friend of whom you have been speaking, for I sorely need such an one. But you," she continued with increasing emotion, "you have so generously offered your sympathy, yet refrained, with true delicacy, from showing the least curiosity in regard to my troubles. But it would be a relief to confide in you to some extent, if -- if you would care to listen."
"I should be much interested and very glad to be of service," Mildred answered gently. "And I think I need not assure you that your confidence will be sacred."
*Finley, Martha (aka Martha Farquharson [Galic for Finley], a pen name, 1828-1909), The Mildred Series: A Companion Series of the "Elsie" Books, a 7-book series (New York, NY: A.L. Burt Company, 1876, and Bulverde, TX: Mantle Ministries).
Book 1: Mildred Keith, ISBN: 1581822278 9781581822274.*Finley, Martha (1828-1909), Martha Finley Ultimate Collection -- 35+ Novels in one Volume (including the complete Elsie Dinsmore Series and Mildred Keith Collection)
Mildred Keith
https://archive.org/details/mildredkeith00finlialaBook 2: Mildred at Roselands, ISBN: 1581822286 9781581822281.
Mildred at Roselands
https://archive.org/details/mildredatroselan00finlialaBook 3: Mildred and Elsie.
Mildred and Elsie
https://archive.org/details/mildredandelsie00finlialaBook 4: Mildred's Married Life and a Winter With Elsie Dinsmore, ISBN: 1581822308 9781581822304.
Mildred's Married Life and a Winter With Elsie Dinsmore
https://archive.org/details/mildredsmarriedl00finlialaBook 5: Mildred at Home, ISBN: 1581822316 9781581822311.
Mildred at Home
https://archive.org/details/mildredathomewit00finlialaBook 6: Mildred's Boys and Girls, ISBN: 1581822324 9781581822328.
Mildred's Boys and Girls
https://archive.org/details/mildredsboysand00finlgoogBook 7: Mildred's New Daughter, ISBN: 1581822332 9781581822335.
Mildred's New Daughter
https://archive.org/details/mildredsnewdaugh00finliala
See also: Family, Filial love (love toward parents), Sharing christ with your children, Problem solving with children, Counseling children, Protecting children from dangers, Preparing children for the world, Repentance the key to salvation and change, Justification, Justifying faith, Christian literature for boys and girls, Motherhood, Parenting, Teaching/training children, Family worship, Home schooling, Stepfamilies, Christian fiction, Marriage, The christian home, domestic duties, Fatherhood, Disciplining children, Problem solving with children, Holidays, and so forth, and so on.
Elsie Dinsmore, by Martha Finley on audio cassette [audio file]
http://honeycomb.safeshopper.com/30/409.htm?103
Elsie Book Reviews
http://www.amazon.com/Elsie-Dinsmore-Original-Classics-Book/dp/158182064X
Mantle Ministries (Elsie Dinsmore Series and Mildred Series)
http://www.mantlemin.com
Martha Finley, Wikipedia entry
Lists Elsie books that are online at Project Gutenberg.
"Martha Finley (1828-1909), was a teacher and author of numerous works, the most well known being the 28 volume Elsie Dinsmore series which was published over a span of 38 years. The daughter of Presbyterian minister Dr. James Brown Finley and his wife and cousin Maria Theresa Brown Finley, she was born on April 26th, 1828 in Chillicothe, Ohio. Finley wrote many of her books under the pseudonym Martha Farquharson. She died in 1909 in Elkton, Maryland, where she moved in 1876.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Finley
Henty, G.A., G.A. Henty Collection of Books for Boys
"Hard bound, soft bound, and CD-ROM editions. Available at Project Gutenberg.
"All 99 of G.A. Henty's books are now available in print and digital formats. The CDs also includes 53 short stories by Henty and 216 short stories by his contemporaries.
"Written during the latter part of the 19th century, G.A. Henty's books were very popular and widely used in the schools of Britain and the United States during the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.
"While many children's adventure books that emphasize the traits of courage, high moral character, diligence, perseverance and other valuable personal virtues were written during this period, G.A. Henty's books are unique. Each adventure takes place within the setting of some important period in human history. From the fall of Jerusalem to the American Civil War, Henty's heroes live their adventures within exciting historical events. The reader learns much detailed history while he is being entertained and taught by exemplary heroes.
"Moreover, through his personal experiences and careful scholarship, Henty provides very detailed and accurate accounts of history.
"While one might read a section of a history book concerning, for example, the conquering of Mexico by Spain, most such accounts are dry and shallow in comparison with Henty's tale of the primary happenings and of the way of life of the people caught up in those events.
"From the French Revolution to the Great Plague of London, from the Crusades to the American Civil War, Henty readers learn in-depth history, superior vocabulary and literary techniques, and the advantages of high personal character -- while they are being entertained by a master storyteller.
"The Robinson Books Henty Collection is outstanding reading for any person -- young or old, regardless of educational background." -- Publisher
http://www.henty.com/
Gutenberg, Project
http://www.gutenberg.org/
ClassicReader.com
http://www.classicreader.com/
G.A. Henty, Wikipedia article
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._A._Henty
Fenn, George Manville, George Alfred Henty: The Story of an Active Life (1907)
http://archive.org/details/georgealfredhen00fenngoog
Henty, George Alfred, In Freedom's Cause: A Story of Wallace and Bruce (1885)
http://archive.org/details/infreedomscause00hentgoog
Henty, George Alfred, Redskins and Colonists: or, A Boy's Adventures in the Early Days of Virginia (1905)
http://archive.org/details/redskinsandcolo00hentgoog
Henty, George Alfred, and Gordon Browne, True to the Old Flag: A Tale of the American War of Independence (1885)
http://archive.org/details/truetooldflagat00browgoog
Henty, George Alfred, and Herbert James Draper, St. Bartholomew's Eve: A Tale of the Huguenot Wars (1905)
http://archive.org/details/stbartholomewse00drapgoog
Henty, George Alfred, and G.C. Hindley, In the Heart of the Rockies: A Story of Adventure in Colorado (1895)
http://archive.org/details/inheartrockiesa00hindgoog
Potter, William, The Boy's Guide to the Historical Adventures of G.A. Henty (Vocabulary of a Warrior)
"This unique book charts Henty's works of historical fiction chronologically and provides both a plot summary and an historical overview of over 70 of his classic tales." -- Publisher
"Home Educators: If you are trying to put together a history-based curriculum, this volume is very helpful! You can gauge which time periods in your student's course of study need some bolstering up (or livening up), and search in this book for the proper Henty novel to introduce. For example, to bulk up our study on 'Ancient Times,' I needed a novel about Hannibal. This terrific reference book tells me to get Henty's THE YOUNG CARTHAGINIAN to meet that requirement.
"Another problem it solves is that sometimes a history-based curriculum can get predictable. Everyone seems to be covering the same things and the only variance is how deeply they're studied. This guide covers all of Henty's books and makes it easy to locate his books on obscure subjects and events which you can tantalize your children with. Children seem to love citing these forgotten tales and bedazzling their peers and family with them!
"This volume will also prove invaluable to people educating themselves. As an adult who is battling her 'learning gaps,' I just page through this reference until I find something that doesn't ring ANY bells! By reading a Henty, I enjoy a terrific adventure (which I can later discuss with my children), educate myself and, if I want to, pursue the subject more deeply later on." -- Reader's Comment
"G.A. Henty wrote around 144 books. Many of the books revolve around a fictional character who interacts with real persons from that historical period. Heroism, honor, courage, and leadership are integral characteristics of the main protagonists. I have trouble putting down a Henty story. I highly recommend this resource." -- Reader's Comment
MacDonald does for late 19th-century Scotland what Lewis does for NARNIA: he creates a vibrant world where people of godly character triumph over treachery and deceit. -- PublisherI never wrote a book in which I did not quote George MacDonald. -- C.S. Lewis
PHANTASTES, LILITH, THE PRINCESS AND THE GOBLIN, AT THE BACK OF THE NORTH WIND, and THE MAIDEN'S BEQUEST are said to be his most popular novels.
The heaven of Christ is a loving of all, a forgetting of self, a dwelling of each in all, and all in each. -- George MacDonald
To give truth to him who loves it not is to only give him more multiplied reasons for misinterpretation. -- George MacDonald
Notice that, like the Elsie Books series, the works of George Macdonald are becoming available in Project Gutenberg e-text.
MacDonald, George (1824-1905), The Christmas Stories of George MacDonald, ISBN: 0891914919 9780891914914.
"I do not write for children, but for the childlike, whether of five, or fifty, or seventy-five." -- George MacDonald
"Illustrated with wonderful color and black and white drawings, here are Christmas stores from the well-loved Scott, George MacDonald. Perfect holiday reading for families." -- CBD
MacDonald, George (1824-1905), David Elginbrod, ISBN: 0824015770 9780824015770.
"Here are two classic and compelling MacDonald stories of truth overcoming evil. Each book stands alone, although the hero of THE MUSICIAN'S QUEST [ISBN: 0871234440 9780871234445], Robert Falconer, MacDonald's favorite character, appears briefly in THE TUTOR'S FIRST LOVE." [ISBN: 087123596X 9780871235961]. -- CBD
"David Elginbrod is a remarkable work in that it embodies the finest elements of style, characterization, plot and subplot development, and, of course, content or worth. Without appropriate content a book is a virtual wasteland after which the disillusioned reader feels as though he has sojourned in the desert, and, having encountered numerous mirages that promised but failed to provide relief, finds himself parched in spirit and soul with no oasis in sight.
"This book will elicit the full gamut of emotions as well as provide a welcome array of spiritual and intellectual stimuli. The main character, Hugh Sutherland, is introduced as a congenial young man who wishes no more than to make his way in the world. After the death of his father he is forced by financial constraints to seek employment in order to complete his education. This employment is, of course, as a tutor on a small Scottish estate where he encounters the estate foreman or steward, David Elginbrod and his daughter, Margaret or Maggie.
"Sutherland finds the Elginbrod family, although Christian in word and deed, to his liking when compared with the severe and mean manner of his employer. As a result, he finds himself at the Elginbrod cottage whenever time will permit, and begins tutoring both father and daughter. Although Hugh believes himself to be the educator, he will learn as he matures and discovers the various trials and tribulations that lie in his path that it was David, not he, who was, in fact, the real tutor.
"MacDonald has excelled in the characters of David and Margaret Elginbrod, while providing a practical application of their teachings in the lives of Hugh Sutherland and those with whom he comes in contact.
"Not only an exceptional spiritual work, David Elginbrod weaves a tale of ghosts, mysticism, the supernatural, and love in such a manner as to be both educational, spiritually-uplifting, and spellbinding. My sole regret was when I encountered the final page. I was prepared to begin anew.
"I invite you to join Hugh Sutherland as he learns that it is not position, education, prominence, or power that makes a man, but the willingness to serve, with joy and humility, his fellowman thereby doing his Father's will." -- Reader's Comment
David Elginbrod (1871)
http://archive.org/details/davidelginbrod00macduoft
MacDonald, George (1824-1905), and Michael R. Phillips (editor), The Fisherman's Lady, ISBN: 0871231972 9780871231970.
"George MacDonald writes of homely things and simple people who saw, in the stuff of a shepherd's cottage or a fisherman's arduous work on the cold sea, the love of God." -- Elisabeth Elliot
MacDonald, George (1824-1905), and Dan Hamilton (editor), The Last Castle, ISBN: 0896932672 9780896932678. Alternate title: SAINT GEORGE AND SAINT MICHAEL.
"A historical novel set in the English Civil War of the 1640's. The events and most of the characters are real. The major incidents in the story have been taken from memoirs and other accounts." -- GCB
MacDonald, George (1824-1905), The Light Princess and Other Tales, ISBN: 9781448634828 1448634822.
"There was once a witch who desired to know everything. But the wiser a witch is, the harder she knocks her head against the wall when she comes to it. Her name was Watho, and she had a wolf in her mind . . . "A witch raises her foster children in utter darkness and eternal light. A princess is born without gravity. A boy and girl must make a journey to death's shores . . . This collection brings together George MacDonald's loveliest fairy tales, full of beauty and humor, terror and delight." -- Publisher
The Light Princess, by George MacDonald
http://www.ccel.org/m/macdonald/princess/princess.html
*MacDonald, George (1824-1905), Lilith, ISBN: 0802860613.
Lilith: A Romance (1896)
http://archive.org/details/lilithromance00macduoft
Lilith, by George MacDonald
http://www.ccel.org/m/macdonald/lilith/Lilith.html
*MacDonald, George (1824-1905), The Maiden's Bequest, ISBN: 0871238233.
"This edition, which is edited by Michael R. Phillips, has been viewed by some critics as MacDonald's best, a classic novel retold for today's readers." -- GCB
MacDonald, George (1824-1905), The Malcolm Series.
"Meet Malcolm, who believes himself to be only a poor Scottish fisherman. Journey with him as he discovers his true identity and struggles to guard the life of a mysterious young woman. This set of two Gothic romances includes THE FISHERMAN'S LADY and THE MARQUIS' SECRET." -- CBD
MacDonald, George (1824-1905), The Maturing Men Series, ISBN: 9780871232915 087123291X.
"These four stand-alone novels share a common theme: each tells the dynamic story of one young man's spiritual awakening, and each convey's MacDonald's love for his native Scotland and her proud people. The set includes THE POET'S HOMECOMING." -- Publisher
The series may also include, THE BARONET'S SONG, and THE SHEPHERD'S CASTLE as well as the following:
The Minister's Restoration, ISBN: 1556611358 9781556611353.
The Laird's Inheritance, ISBN: 0871239051 9780871239051.
The Highlander's Last Song.
*MacDonald, George (1824-1905), Phantastes, ISBN: 0802860605.
"I regard MacDonald as my master." -- C.S. Lewis
PHANTASTES, LILITH, THE PRINCESS AND THE GOBLIN, and AT THE BACK OF THE NORTH WIND, are said to be his most popular novels.
Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for men and Women (1858)
http://archive.org/details/phantastesfaerie00macdiala
*MacDonald, George (1824-1905), The Princess and the Goblin, ISBN: 048640787X.
For children.
The Princess and the Goblin (1911)
http://archive.org/details/princessgoblin00macd2
MacDonald, George (1824-1905), The Resolute Women Series (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers).
"These five novels are related in theme only: each is the character study of a spirited woman of God. The set includes the following:
The Landlady's Master, ISBN: 0871239043 9780871239044.
The Peasant Girl's Dream, ISBN: 1556610238 9781556610233.
A Daughter's Devotion, ISBN: 087123906X 9780871239068.
The Gentlewoman's Choice, ISBN: 0871239418 9780871239419.
The Maiden's Bequest, ISBN: 0871238233 9780871238238.
"Perhaps MacDonald's best."
MacDonald, Greville, George MacDonald and his Wife, ISBN: 1881084639 9781881084631.
Includes bibliography.
Gutenberg, Project
Approximately 60 works by George MacDonald are now available a free online e-text at Project Gutenberg (as of 8/6/07).
http://www.gutenberg.org/
WorldCat Search kw:Bethany House au:MacDonald
http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=kw%3ABethany+House+au%3Amacdonald&fq=&dblist=638&start=11&qt=page_number_link
How to Find a Book
http://www.lettermen2.com/findbook.html
On Dangerous Reading: A Warning Against the Reading of Novels, Fiction, and Other Poisonous Literature, Robert L. Dabney
http://www.truecovenanter.com/against_the_world/dabney_on_dangerous_reading.html
Reformed Publishers and Booksellers Online
http://www.lettermen2.com/refpub.html
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