Elizabeth Goudge

In 1842, thirteen-year-old orphan Maria Merryweather arrives at Moonacre Manor, her family's ancestral home in an charmed village in England's West Country, and she feels as if she’s entered Paradise. Her new guardian, her uncle Sir Benjamin, is kind and funny; the Manor itself feels like home right away; and every person and animal she meets is like an old friend. But there is something incredibly sad beneath all of this beauty and comfort, that shadowing Moonacre Manor and the town around it. Maria is determined to learn about it, change it, and give her own life story a happy ending.The enchanted valley of Moonacre is shadowed by a tragedy that happened years ago, and the memory of the Moon Princess and the mysterious little white horse. Determined to restore peace and happiness to the whole of Moonacre Valley, Maria finds herself involved with an ancient feud, and she discovers it is her destiny to end it and right the wrongs of her ancestors. Maria usually gets her own way. But what can one solitary girl do?A new-fashioned fantasy story that is as wonderful as the best classic fairy tales.(The 1994 mini-series "Moonacre" and 2008 movie "The Secret of Moonacre" and the are both based on this book.)

The Scent of Water is a novel of love—love in its many aspects and love in its final, finest essence. It tells the story of Mary Lindsay, one of Miss Goudge's most absorbing and memorable characters, a mature, attractive woman who, after a distinguished career in the city, returns to the village of her childhood memories in quest of the personal fulfillments that have been denied her.In the beautiful village of Appleshaw, deep in the English countryside, each person Mary meets seems to be landlocked in the sea of life—torn by conflict, searching for self-realization and love. Like herself. Though loved, Mary feels that she has never experienced the giving of love, for her fiancé had been killed in the war and she had never married. Yet here, in the natural beauty of the country, surrounded by the gift of love from her Cousin Mary, who had willed to her the wonderful cottage called The Laurels, and in her relationships with the villagers, Mary learns in turn to give—and her selfless devotion to the young war veteran Paul Randall nourishes his broken spirit back to health, and his marriage back to happiness.As the modern story of Mary Lindsay unfolds, another story is spun with the haunting threads of nostalgia—the story of the beloved Cousin Mary whose posthumous gift of The Laurels had brought Mary to Appleshaw. Mortally ill, Cousin Mary had created this magnificent home for the fulfillment of someone other than herself, sustained through her long struggle by the conviction expressed in The Book of Job: "For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease...through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant."As the living branch of the fallen tree, Mary Lindsay reaches out to the residents of Appleshaw, and their lives blossom under the warmth of her compassion and the wisdom of love she has learned from Cousin Mary: "Nothing is ever over. You thread things on your life and think you've finished with them but you haven't because it's like beads on a string and they come around again. When it comes round again then if it is possible you give what you failed to give before to someone else. You will have made reparation for we are all one person."

A haunting love story set in the Channel Islands and New Zealand in the 19th century.William Ozanne, whose hypnotic, masculine presence made two sisters adore him with all their heart... The two beautiful daughters of a wealthy merchant of the Channel Islands fall in love with the same man, are very diferent. Marianne, the eldest sister is brilliant, passionate, and moody, by whom William was both fascinated and repelled... And Marguerite, the younger sister is pretty, dreamy and quietly, whom William adored.The sisters had both loved him for years. He has gone abroad to seek his fortune to New Zealand. Now they were waiting for him to return from his journeys and claim his bride. But drunkenly he addresses his proposal to the wrong sister.Though the book is fiction, and the characters not portraits, it is based on fact. A stunning tale of loss and self-sacrifice, it is truly one of the most memorable love stories of the last century.

The four Linnet children: Nan, Robert, Timothy and Betsy are sent to live with their strict grandmother while their father travels to Egypt. Locked away in separate rooms as punishment by their ruthless grandmother, the Linnets feel at once that their new life is unbearable—and decide to make their escape—out of the house, out of the garden and into the village. Commandeering a pony and trap, the children and their dog are led away as the pony makes his way nonchalantly home. The pony’s destination happens to be a house that belongs to their gruff but loveable uncle Ambrose. The kindly uncle Ambrose agrees to take them under his wing, he educates them and encourages them to explore Dartmoor, letting the children have free rein in his sprawling manor house and surrounding countryside.Befriending the collection of house guests, including an owl, a giant cat, and a gardener, Ezra, who converses with bees, and getting to know the miscellaneous inhabitants of the village, the four siblings discover a life in which magic and reality are curiously intermingled and evil and tragedy lurk never far away. Then stumble upon the eccentric Lady Alicia Valerian, who seems to have lost her family. And then the real fun begins! The Linnets start their search for the missing Valerians. But the village is under a spell of the witch Emma Cobley. Can the children lift the spell and restore happiness to the villagers? Or will they be thwarted by evil Emma Cobley and her magic cat?This charming story beautifully depicts early twentieth century English country life while conjuring an air of magical adventure. It is full of vivid characters, battles between good and evil and wonderful spell-binding moments.

After WW II, Lucilla Eliot's soldier son George and his beautiful wife Nadine lived with their five children. They acquired an ancient pilgrim's inn on the river, that touches not only its new owners but also those strangers who stop there for a rest on their pilgrimages.Sally Adair had never seen this face before, but as she studied the unfinished portrait of David Eliot, her untried heart knew the meaning of love. She would always know this face... the finely shaped head, the obstinate jaw, the hint of bitterness about the mouth. But David was tied, tied to a married woman who could not let him go. This is an unforgettable story, one that will hold you spellbound as you enter the portals of Pilgrim's Inn...

Set in a Cathedral city in the 1870s, a remote town dominated by the great cathedral and its formidable Dean Adam Ayscough, who holds a deep love for his parishioners and townspeople. But the craggy, homely old Dean, lived locked in by shyness... when an obscure watchmaker, the timid, fearful little Isaac Peabody, a genius of a clockmaker, strikes up an unlikely friendship with the Dean. It leads to an unusual spiritual awakening in both men, and this unexpected friendship of these two men; also leads the Dean's remarkable awakening to the healing force of unselfish love; and the miracles wrought as he reached out to other human hearts to console them. It eventually reaches out to the entire community. And in the background there are Polly and her beloved Job, Bella and old Mrs Montague.

A Vibrant Novel About the Joys of Life ... and The Pangs of LoveLove had come to David for the first time, glorious, overwhelming, passionate. It was far greater and far more lovely than he had ever dreamed possible. And it was returned in full measure, with equal passion. But he could not take her without pain--pain for himself, for her, for his beloved family.Lucilla has spent a lifetime making the Hampshire estate of Damerosehay a tranquil haven for the Eliot family. When her favourite grandson, David, falls in love with an unsuitable woman Lucilla feels is unsuitable, she sees her most cherished ambitions put at risk. But can she persuade David and Nadine to put duty before love?At last, in the magical peace of the countryside, watched over by a benevolent old house that had nourished so much love, they knew the path their hearts must take....

Despite the “crinkled pink petals strewn in the path of those who would have preferred red,” four generations of Eliots have survived the War and are moving forward. The family’s remarkable matriarch Lucilla is still with them, though she’s facing the dark night of the soul.David Eliot finds his career as a successful and much-acclaimed actor a definite strain, and his brittle conversation and seeming arrogance earn him the dislike of his new secretary Sebastian Weber. Sebastian, is another survivor of the war. He has a story far more painful than any of the Eliots. While with them, he wrestles with questions about his own disconnected existence.All is turned on its head with his arrival and this intricate story continues as each member of the family struggles to make sense of life-with all its love, pain, loss, and loyalty. They all yearn, in their own ways, to glimpse the high price of love. And through this they are ultimately able to love each other and God more fully.

Who was Gabriel Ferranti? Why had he disappeared?Jocelyn Irvin has just returned from the Boer War with an incurably lamed leg. He heads for the cathedral town or Torminster, where he recovers his love of life in the invigorating company of his cousin, Hugh Anthony, his grandfather, the Canon and Henrietta.When Jocelyn moved into the little house where Ferranti once had lived, a dark Byronic spirit haunted its rooms. Was Ferranti alive or dead? Until they knew, Jocelyn and Felicity must reach out to him. Until Ferranti no longer needed them, they must yield slowly to the madness of love. So the ghost of Gabriel Ferranti guided their lives in surprising ways, and more than one bewildered heart was restored to the wonder and magic of living.

Novel set in England at the time of Napoleonic Wars. They met as children... Unable to bear the prospect of life at sea, young Anthony O'Connell deserts his ship at Torquay and escapes into the Devonshire countryside under a new name. Zachary Moon. In this lush, enchanting land where anguish and strife did not exist, he met Stella Sprigg, the adopted daughter of local farmers. The pair instantly know they are destined to be toge ther forever.As they grew up, the world rushed into their magic kingdom. War raged--a war to challenge the bravest of men. Zachary answered that challenge, knowing it would sweep him far away, into the depths of danger. Yet he vowed to return to Stella, no matter what, no matter how.Intertwined with the local legend of St. Michael's Chapel at Torquay, Zachary and Stella's story takes them from the secluded Devonshire valley to the perilous Mediterranean seas and finally to the poverty and squalor of eighteenth-century London.

The Child From The Sea tells the rich, turbulent tale of Lucy Walter, secret wife of Charles II, and mistress-despite-herself to a gallant and reckless Irish nobleman in exile. It is a story filled with the passions and adventure of an age of glory and squalor, nobility and depravity, courage and betrayal.

Little orphan Polly Flowerdew lives with her two elderly maiden aunts, Dorcas and Constantia. Christmas is coming and she is bursting with excitement. She is absolutely sure that something special is going to happen this year. What will she find in her stocking? Will the Three Wise Men visit as she has always hoped? Who knows what may happen at this special time of year? She leaves her bedroom window open on Christmas Eve, just in case the Wise Men decide to come visit. When she wakes up on Christmas morning, more than one miracle seems to have taken place. In the event, this Christmas isn't like any she has ever known, especially when three ships sail into the harbour.

Michael Stone was once a famous author. That was before he went to prison. Now, just released, he needs to get his bearings and a new beginning. It was a gray day in early April when Michael stumbled wearily into the tiny English village. Weighed down by failure and despair, the town of Silverbridge seems too offer him a quiet, rural escape from the past. Even though his heart was torn by remorse and shame, he was home at last.Kind, gentle vicar John Wentworth takes Michael under his wing, and introduces him to his family and friends. At the vicarage, John's inexplicably discontented wife Daphne brings up their daughters. Bedridden Harriet, John's former nanny, deals impatiently with a world to which she cannot actively participate. At the family home, Belmaray Manor, Great Aunt Maria is burdened by the worry of a failing estate. And at the grim little town school is fiery teacher Mary O'Hara, determined to foster change.With Michaels' arrival at Belmaray, changes began to occur in lives that had not changed for so long: the proud, self-centered beauty he had once loved was surprised into forgiveness; the quixotic bumbling vicar discovered unsuspected strength lurking behind his shyness; a sick and lonely spinster was turned away from despair, and a lovely, high-spirited young woman found her heart's desire. A story of courage and community, set in the beautiful Devonshire countryside.

The captivating story of the world’s favorite saint is now retold for a modern audience by one of the great novelists of our time.Perhaps more than any other figure in Christian history since Jesus Christ, Saint Francis of Assisi has captured our imagination, for his is a story of extreme self-sacrifice, of love to God and man. How could this wealthy, handsome youth cast away all the advantages that were his by birth and choose instead a career of poverty and humility? How could he attract members of all strata of society to his mission? And how, when his order became established throughout Europe, could he renounce great personal power and humbly continue his life’s work?Here is Francis, from his twelfth-century boyhood to his life as a missionary roaming the very boundaries of the known world. Here too are the men and women who followed him—Bernard de Quintavalle, the rich businessman; Peter Cathanii, the lawyer; Brother Giles, the farmer’s son; Lady Clare; and so many others—all drawn together by the personal magnetism and humble faith of their leader, all re-created by bestselling novelist Elizabeth Goudge against a rich medieval canvas."An absorbing story…Elizabeth Goudge makes skillful use of contemporary sources, St. Francis’s own writings and those of his followers, and the legends – employing them with the skill of a gifted storyteller. A superb recreation of a wonderful personality, who even today holds a unique place in people’s imagination and hearts." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Set in 17th-century England, when Cavaliers struggle with Puritans to keep the throne safe for King Charles 1st.The wise and gentle Froniga Haslewood, is caught between two worlds. Divided between her Puritan family at the Oxfordshire village's manor house and her relatives in the Gypsy community, she works using her skill in healing to help those in need. Her cousin Robert , a local squire, is gripped by the prospect of war. Following his boyhood hero, he leaves his family and travels away to fight for the Parliamentarian cause. While his wife Margaret and their twin children wait in the manor house for news about him. Left behind with her brother, Robert's daughter Jenny grows up under the shadow of conflict, until she encounters mysterious royalist Francis Leyland. While Froniga's gypsy cousins sometimes camp near her, and have befriended Yomen, who conceals a grand past, but is now a tinker and royalist spy. The women must choose between family loyalty and their own heart. As their lives entwine, the villagers struggle to stay true to their beliefs as war threatens to tear their community apart.

Towers in the Mist (The Christchurch Edition)

A lonely wanderer... A magical island... And Two People Bewitched By Love....The Channel Islands were divided in allegiance between France and England. Of French blood, and yet subjects of Queen Victoria, the islanders were curious hybrid creatures. But now, in 1888, England is slowly stretching out her arms to them.Colin du Frocq is eight years old, and his dreams are of the sea that surrounds his home. By day he steals away and takes to the sea in any boat that is sailing. At night he lies in bed listening to the waves beating against the shore. Then one night, in a wild storm, a ship drives onto the nearby cliffs and a strange man enters Colin's life, changing Colin's course forever.A twist of fate brought Ranulph back to a springtime place that had forgotten him. A proud and beautiful woman offered him refuge, even though she did not understand why, as she trembled before his gaze.Now Ranulph could feel the spell of the Island twisting around him, binding him to the world of love and companionship he had rejected forever.A storm-wracked sea had brought him home. It was the magnificent fury of another storm that taught him the splendor of life and the power of love.

It is the summer of 1940 and England is fighting for her life. In a rural corner of England the vagaries of war bring together a group of people wrestling the enemy within--fear, despair, loss of faith.A web of chance... a fateful meeting in a London street... A lost teddy bear... the wrong train... and the lives of four people were altered forever! A shy, middle-aged spinster was to find a new home and fall impossibly in love. An elderly street fiddler, bitter and lonely, was to take an unexpected train ride and encounter kindness from a total stranger. Two frightened children were to escape ther terrors of wartime London and bring dramatic changes to the Castle on the Hill.

In "The Sister of the Angels," Elizabeth Goudge takes us back to the City of Bells, and tells an enchanting story about Henrietta, a young girl in love with every nook and cranny of her grandfather's cathedral. This is a perfect story for the holiday season, and, because of its peace and charm, a book to cherish all the year round.

Judy Cameron is ever so bored with modern London and her glamorous, perfect life. Stifled, her imagination seizes on a picture she sees in a shop window, a picture of the Scottish wilds. It inspires her.Strong-willed, she prevails on her parents and fiance to change their summer plans and head for cold, damp Scotland--sure that there she will find the freedom she craves.She finds that she knows everything about the old house and glen - and about Ian MacDonald the Laird. She felt so unaccountably at home in her Scottish holiday surroundings. But why is she deathly afraid of the middle window in the parlour?Then in a dream, Judy learns the story of an earlire Judith whose destiny bewitches the modern Judy. The pain and glory of a former love set her young hear free, and she is swept into the magical stream of a spendid past...and a radiant future.The spell of the past was on them... And they were possessed by love. The mountatins, the old house, the people, and especially the young lad...

Back to beloved cathedral town of Torminster in the early years of this century.One golden afternoon, Henrietta Ferranti, along with her family and friends, sets out for young Hugh Anthony's birthday party, and he's going to celebrate with the people he loves best, young and old alike. The day begins with a wish and ends with a revelation after a magical mystery tour. A procession of landaus and victorias, plus one motor car, are bound for the Blue Hills and Hugh's picnic. Whatever the reason, each of the horses and ponies carrying them mysteriously lost on its way to the Blue Hills. As each of the partygoers ventures into an enchanted forest where legend becomes reality and their wildest dreams come true, and by the time the travelers meet again over tea and iced birthday cake, they have had such adventures. Adventures such that none of them is the same person. They are wiser, nicer and much happier. The innocent birthday picnic becomes the adventure of a lifetime and no one will ever be the same again.

Childhood in the cathedral city of Wells, summer holidays in Guernsey, and reminiscences of Edwardian clothes, nannies and aunts mark this autobiography by the popular novelist and writer of children's book and short stories.

Spring had come again to Faraway, and the men and women and children of the village, as they went about their business, were singing this song that the merry young Squire had written to welcome the spring.

"If you’re giving one book for Christmas, make it this one." —Jim Trelease, author, The Read-Aloud Handbook They are some of the warmest childhood memories, those unhurried evenings around the fireplace, Christmas tree, or dinner table, when there was time for a story. Now, with this collection, you can keep the story-telling tradition alive in your family, and pass it on to your children or grandchildren. Home for Christmas includes twenty time-honored tales. Several are by world-famous authors; others are little-known treasures translated from other languages. Selected for their literary quality and spiritual integrity, they will resonate with readers of all ages, year after year. With original woodcuts by David Klein

In a 19th century English ship-building village, a beautiful ship, due to lack of funds, is slated to be destroyed. A local girl, Tabitha, rallies her community in obtaining materials to finish ship's construction. She visits The Workshop, a magical place where all things are made.

A wonderful anthology containing selections from the author's famous novels, plus some of her short stories and verse, a Christmas story, and an essay.

This collection contains seven of Goudge's loveliest stories, The Two Caves; The Silver Horse; Three Men; Lost - One Angel; Saint Nicholas; John; and Giovanni. All the stories contain her special blend of fairytale grace, warmth and spiritual feeling.

This anthology offers nine pieces celebrating the spirit of Christmas with "an amazing visitation of joy, a singing in the soul, a new power of generosity or insight or endurance."The settings of Elizabeth Goudge's stories--two of them new tales, seven selections from her novels--range in locale from her beloved English countryside to the Holy Land, and through time from before the birth of Christ to the present.

Elizabeth Goudge's three novels of the "magnificently alive and lovable family", the Eliots, brought together in one volume. Here is the complete saga of Lucille, her children and grandchildren, in the charming setting of Damerosehay and the old Hampshire inn of "The Herb of Grace" nearby."Triumphantly accomplishes its aim of leaving the reader with a warm glow in the emotions... only Miss Goudge could have written it." The Times Literary Supplement