At the Back of the North Wind

At the Back of the North Wind is a children's book by the Scottish author George MacDonald, serialized in the children's magazine Good Words for the Young from 1868 and published in book form in 1871. It follows a young boy named Diamond, a sweet child who brings joy wherever he goes and fights despair and gloom within his family.

One night, while trying to sleep, Diamond keeps plugging a hole in the wall of his loft bedroom to stop the wind from blowing in. He soon discovers that he is blocking a goddess-like being, the North Wind, from seeing through her window. He befriends her, and she lets him fly with her on a series of adventures until he comes to understand her true nature. The book includes the fairy tale Little Daylight, which has often been published separately or added to other collections of his fairy tales.

The novel touches on many theological and philosophical questions, especially theodicy, and is today considered one of MacDonald's masterpieces. According to his son and biographer Greville MacDonald, Diamond bears many similarities to Maurice, another son of the author who died young; the character also suggests a Christ-like figure, always trying to help others while not wholly belonging to this world.