George MacDonald

George MacDonald(1824–1905) was a Scottish author, poet, and
Christian minister. He was a pioneering figure in the field of fantasy
and a mentor of fellow writer Lewis Carroll. His writings have been
cited as a major literary influence by many notable authors,
including W. H. Auden, J. M. Barrie, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis,
and Mark Twain. In addition to his fairytales, MacDonald wrote
several works on Christianity.

There was a boy who used to sit in the twilight and listen to his
great-aunt’s stories. She told him that if he could reach the place
where the end of the rainbow stands he would find there a golden key... 

“And what is the key for?” the boy would ask. “What is it the key to?
What will it open?”

“No one knows,” his aunt would reply. “He has to figure that out.” 

Now all that his great-aunt told the boy about the golden key would
have been nonsense, had it not been that their little house stood on
the borders of Fairyland. For it is perfectly well known that out of
Fairyland nobody ever can find where the rainbow stands....

George MacDonald’s classic tale, full of imagination and dreamlike
images, tells of a girl and boy, Tangle and Mossy, who venture on
a mysterious and magical journey. First, Tangle encounters three
Old Men—of the Sea, of the Earth and of Fire—and gains in wisdom
and beauty through her adventures. Then, together with Mossy
who has the golden key, they travel to the rainbow to discover
what awaits them there...

Angela Lord, who also provides an informative afterword,
illustrated this new edition of The Golden Keywith her
exquisite paintings.