The Parish Papers: Three Complete Novels in One

The book condition was like new. Superlative insights for living woven into a delightful, very readable love/family story.

This is an omnibus editon of George MacDonald's three Vicar Walton stories, the second and third of which are fairly difficult to find. Excellent reads, very enjoyable. The only drawback is this particular edition is edited into modern English, so the original flavor of MacDonald's writing is lost. While that has its advantages, especially in readability, still this aren't the books that MacDonald wrote and that C. S. Lewis named as some of his favorites. If you are a casual reader that just wants some of the finest English fiction from the late Victorian period, I highly recommend this edition. If you're a fan of MacDonald, though, you might want to keep looking for the unaltered originals.

When a friend recommended this book to me, I thought she was out of her mind. The stories were written in the 1800s and the writer was from Scotland, of all places. I decided to read it anyway, and was greatly surprised! It takes a little while to get into it, and if you can overlook the fact that it's not a modern setting, it actually gets pretty good. This book is actually three books in one. It starts with the story of an unmarried vicar in a small Scottish town, and ends years later with his daughter's story. There are some very interesting characters in this book. The vicar is very human and very loving (and non-judgmental). I would recommend this book to middle/high schoolers. It would make a great summer reading or even a homeschool supplement.

One of the more challenging books I've read but well worth the effort. MacDonald weaves a wonderful story about a vicar and his family. Hamilton did a great thing when he edited this trilogy for generations to come. Take up the challenge and end up with a jewel of a book!

A lovely collection of stories. A delight in today's sea of romances. Very thought provoking. Recommended for adult and young adult alike.