6 h 19 minAudiobook4 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if the sweetest voices hide the greatest danger, and a rough young miner sees what others cannot?
In George MacDonald's The Princess and Curdie, a small mistake in the hills sets a young miner on a difficult path. Curdie grows careless and begins to forget the wonders he once knew. Then the old princess, Irene's mysterious great-great-grandmother, tests him. A strange gift and a hard task ask more of him than bravery alone.
At court, Princess Irene's father is unwell, and the people around him are not what they seem. Irene remains kind and loyal, but respectable faces and sweet words offer no sure guide to goodness. Curdie must learn to trust guidance he cannot fully understand, while danger grows among those who appear worthy of trust.
What you’ll discover
- A gift that tests Follow Curdie as a strange gift brings responsibility rather than an easy escape.
- Danger behind sweet words Enter a court where fine appearances can hide cruelty and an unwell king needs loyalty.
- A princess with heart Meet Irene, whose kindness and love for her father stand against the dishonesty around him.
- Goodness beneath rough appearances Look beyond polished manners to the honest heart of a sometimes careless miner.
- Courage without easy answers Explore the demands of obedience and trust when the reasons remain out of sight.
Who will love it
For readers who love fairy tales with a moral heart, magical gifts and courage tested by hidden danger, and those who enjoyed The Princess and the Goblin.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A mistake in the hills sets everything moving
- A strange gift comes at a painful price
- At court, kindness can hide cruelty
- What the story means and how it is told
Who’s who
- CurdieA young miner from the mountains who is brave and honest but sometimes careless, and who is given a strange gift and a task.
- Princess IreneThe king's daughter, kind and loyal, who knew Curdie from the goblin troubles and who loves her father.
- The old princessIrene's mysterious great-great-grandmother, who lives in the tower and guides and tests those she trusts.
- PeterCurdie's father, a miner, plain and steady, who shows the humble honesty of the family.
- JoanCurdie's mother, loving and practical, who keeps the home and believes in her son.
- The kingIrene's father, the ruler of the country, who is unwell and surrounded by people who are not all they seem.
Formats and delivery
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- Large-print eBook
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- Audiobook
- 6 h 19 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 4 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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La princesa y Curdie
by George MacDonald · 1883
Curdie's strange gift reveals true character as the young miner faces danger behind smiling faces at court.
Medium level5–10 hours to read25 languages
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From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A mistake in the hills sets everything moving
The story opens with Curdie, the miner's son, who is now a little older and has started to grow careless. He spends his days among the mountains, and he has begun to forget the wonders he once knew. In this mood he wounds a pigeon. The deed troubles him at once, and the sorrow that follows is the first sign that his heart is still sound.
Curdie lives with his parents, Peter and Joan, plain people of the mine who love him and work hard. They matter to the book because they show the honest, humble kind of life that MacDonald values. Home is a place where right and wrong are spoken of simply.
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What is The Princess and Curdie about?
It is a fantasy about Curdie, a young miner who receives a magical gift from an old princess and is sent to the capital, where he must face people who hide their true natures behind fine manners.
Do I need to read The Princess and the Goblin first?
It helps, because Curdie, Irene and the old princess are introduced there. Still, the sequel tells its own story and gives enough to follow, though the first book adds warmth to the characters.
Who is the old princess in the tower?
She is Irene's great-great-grandmother, a mysterious and wise woman who lives in a high room. She guides, tests and helps Curdie and Irene, and she stands for goodness and wisdom in the story.
The author
George MacDonald
1824–1905 · Scottish fantasy novelist and minister
George MacDonald (1824–1905) was a Scottish writer and Christian minister. Born in Huntly, Scotland, he later lived in England and Italy. He wrote novels, fairy tales, poetry and sermons. His books include Phantastes (1858), At the Back of the North Wind (1871), The Princess and the Goblin (1872) and Lilith (1895).
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