12 h 48 minAudiobook8 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 woman who stirs your heart also threatens everything your congregation expects you to be?
In J. M. Barrie's The Little Minister, Gavin Dishart takes his first pulpit in Thrums, a Scottish weaving town where the strict Auld Lichts guard their old ways. Small, earnest and eager for respect, he wants to serve his church and honor his devoted mother, Margaret. His neighbors watch him closely.
Then a nighttime errand brings Gavin face to face with Babbie, a daring young woman who laughs at rules. As poor, angry weavers stir toward unrest, his growing love sets feeling against duty. With stern elder Lang Tammas watching his conduct, even a private choice carries a public cost.
What you’ll discover
- A heart under scrutiny Follow Gavin as love tests his faith and his wish to do right.
- Babbie's bold spirit Meet a young woman whose daring unsettles a minister trained to respect strict rules.
- A town of sharp tongues Step among stubborn weavers whose gossip, quarrels and loyalties give Thrums its vivid character.
- More than quiet sermons Feel the unrest beneath village life as poverty and anger spread among the weavers.
- Tenderness with a teasing edge Enjoy Barrie's gentle humor and affection for people who can be difficult to love.
Is it for you?
This book suits you if you enjoy Victorian romance, gentle comedy and Scottish village life, or if you like stories where love and duty pull in opposite directions. If you want fast modern plotting, the slow, talkative pace may feel less suited.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A boy minister comes to Thrums
- A midnight meeting changes everything
- Riot, soldiers and a minister's courage
- Love sets heart against pulpit
- What the story is really about
- How Barrie tells it
Who’s who
- Gavin DishartThe young Auld Licht minister of Thrums, small, earnest and brave, who wants to do right by his church and his mother.
- BabbieA lively, daring young woman whom Gavin first meets as a gypsy girl, who laughs at rules and is drawn to his goodness.
- Margaret DishartGavin's devoted mother, who sacrificed much for his career and fears what a wrong choice might cost him.
- Lang TammasA stern elder of the Auld Lichts who watches the minister's conduct closely and guards the church's strict ways.
- Lord RintoulA powerful local landowner whose authority stands over the weavers and touches the lives of the main characters.
- Captain HalliwellAn army officer linked to the soldiers who come to the district and to the world beyond Thrums.
- Rob DowOne of the rough, loyal weavers of Thrums, caught up in the unrest and the town's quarrels.
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- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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The Little Minister
by J. M. Barrie· 1891
A young Scottish minister faces love and his congregation’s expectations.
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Language: English
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
A boy minister comes to Thrums
Thrums is a small town of weavers, built along a hill and a glen in the east of Scotland. Its people belong to the Auld Lichts, a strict branch of the Scottish church. They value plain worship, long sermons and an iron sense of right and wrong. Into this world comes Gavin Dishart, a young man fresh from his studies, appointed to be their minister.
Gavin is small in build, and the town soon gives him the nickname that titles the book. He is clever and sincere, and he badly wants to do his duty. But he is young, and the elders watch him closely. Among them is Lang Tammas, a stern figure who treats the faith as a serious matter and notices every slip.
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The author
J. M. Barrie
1860–1937 · Scottish novelist and playwright
J. M. Barrie was a Scottish novelist and playwright, remembered above all as the creator of Peter Pan. Peter and Wendy (1911), his novelization of the beloved stage play, gave the world Neverland, Tinker Bell, and Captain Hook in their fullest literary form.
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What is The Little Minister about?
It tells of Gavin Dishart, a young Auld Licht minister in the Scottish weaving town of Thrums, whose love for a spirited young woman tests his faith, his family loyalty and his standing among his congregation.
Where is Thrums and is it a real place?
Thrums is a made-up name for Kirriemuir, the Scottish town where Barrie was born. He used it in several books to portray the weavers and church life he remembered from his childhood.
Who are the Auld Lichts in The Little Minister?
The Auld Lichts were a strict, conservative group within the Scottish church, known for plain worship and firm doctrine. Gavin is their minister, and their rules shape what he may and may not do.
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