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The Wind Boy
The Wind Boy is a delightful story of two refugee children, Gentian and Kat, ages eight and nine, and their artist mother, Detra, who have been separated from their father by war. When Nan, a girl from the mountains, answers Detra’s ad for household help, Kay and Gentian find a wise and guiding friend. With Nan’s arrival, wonderful experiences soon unfold. They encounter the Wind Boy, discovering that they share a troublesome problem.
237 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1923
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
April 21, 2012
My absolutely favorite children's book of all time. If you haven't read it (at any age) you haven't lived. :-) The fact that my grandmother wrote it is a sidenote.
November 5, 2011
This was one of my childhood books. My mom read it to me, and we also had a cassette tape that I'd listen to over and over again, under blankets on the couch on rainy days. I wanted to curl up inside the book, imagining myself playing with Kay and Gentian, the nine- and eight-year old protagonists. I'd re-read the book when I was older, nine or ten, finishing the whole book in an afternoon and carrying the story in the front of my mind for days. Reading it again at a high-school-age, I love The Wind Boy as much as I did then.
The story focuses on Gentian and Kay, two refugee children, and their family. Their mother Detra has a day job in a factory, but by night she becomes an artist as skilled as the "Great Artist" living next door. Detra is sculpting a young boy with wings, a Wind Boy, but his expression is always a little too sad. Her family is also suffering: Kay and Gentian's father is absent from most of the story, Detra is struggling to support herself and her children on factory wages, and Kay and Gentian are having difficulty settling into their new home.
It all becomes less worrying when Nan, a young girl from the mountains, arrives to answer Detra's advertisement for "a girl for general housework". Nan is quite simple, but has an air of serene clarity about her that distinguishes her from others in the small village. She relieves Detra of household duties, but also brings the children into a magical place called the Clear Land, which partially mirrors the real world. The Clear Land is a place where one can be "deep-still", where everyone is kind, and where the air can literally be climbed--if one's mind is clear enough. Kay and Gentian buy sandals from a man in the Clear Land, who measures them by looking into their eyes and finds that their minds are quite clear.
The children also discover a Wind Boy in the shoe store: He is a living boy identical to their mother's small statue, blonde-haired with purple wings and eyes "somehow...touched with sadness". The Wind Boy is quickly best of friends with the children, but he cannot play with them in the Clear Land. He tells them that, for fun, he made a mask out of leaves and grass. A small boy saw him in it and was frightened, and the Wind Boy threw the mask away in remorse. Someone has picked it up, though, and is wearing it to scare other village children. The Wind Boy cannot play in the Clear Land until the mask is destroyed, and so he and Gentian and Kay watch for the "Masker" every night, hoping to catch it.
The Wind Boy is a mild, lovely story appropriate for the average seven-year-old and more mature younger readers. It can offer older teens and adults a thoughtful window back into childhood, and though it was first published in 1923, is still relevant to questions of innocence and reality. Eliot's writing is simple but beautiful, containing effortlessly vivid imagery and completely natural dialogue. The plot, while not suspenseful or thrilling, is engaging, and will gently draw the reader back and back again.
Other things I like about this book:
The illustrations. In the 1996 paperback edition, there are beautiful pen-and-ink drawings that perfectly capture the author's depiction of the characters.
How the Clear Land is similar to, but purer than, reality. There is a school, a Great Artist, and a Wind Boy, but they are all brighter and kinder than in "real" life.
Nan's nightgown: A feather-light dress covered with stars that seems to be made out of night sky. In it, the wearer can travel the universe while sleeping.
The audio cassette (click here for CD version), read by Lorrie Holt, is quaint and soft, matching the tone of the writing.
The story focuses on Gentian and Kay, two refugee children, and their family. Their mother Detra has a day job in a factory, but by night she becomes an artist as skilled as the "Great Artist" living next door. Detra is sculpting a young boy with wings, a Wind Boy, but his expression is always a little too sad. Her family is also suffering: Kay and Gentian's father is absent from most of the story, Detra is struggling to support herself and her children on factory wages, and Kay and Gentian are having difficulty settling into their new home.
It all becomes less worrying when Nan, a young girl from the mountains, arrives to answer Detra's advertisement for "a girl for general housework". Nan is quite simple, but has an air of serene clarity about her that distinguishes her from others in the small village. She relieves Detra of household duties, but also brings the children into a magical place called the Clear Land, which partially mirrors the real world. The Clear Land is a place where one can be "deep-still", where everyone is kind, and where the air can literally be climbed--if one's mind is clear enough. Kay and Gentian buy sandals from a man in the Clear Land, who measures them by looking into their eyes and finds that their minds are quite clear.
The children also discover a Wind Boy in the shoe store: He is a living boy identical to their mother's small statue, blonde-haired with purple wings and eyes "somehow...touched with sadness". The Wind Boy is quickly best of friends with the children, but he cannot play with them in the Clear Land. He tells them that, for fun, he made a mask out of leaves and grass. A small boy saw him in it and was frightened, and the Wind Boy threw the mask away in remorse. Someone has picked it up, though, and is wearing it to scare other village children. The Wind Boy cannot play in the Clear Land until the mask is destroyed, and so he and Gentian and Kay watch for the "Masker" every night, hoping to catch it.
The Wind Boy is a mild, lovely story appropriate for the average seven-year-old and more mature younger readers. It can offer older teens and adults a thoughtful window back into childhood, and though it was first published in 1923, is still relevant to questions of innocence and reality. Eliot's writing is simple but beautiful, containing effortlessly vivid imagery and completely natural dialogue. The plot, while not suspenseful or thrilling, is engaging, and will gently draw the reader back and back again.
Other things I like about this book:
The illustrations. In the 1996 paperback edition, there are beautiful pen-and-ink drawings that perfectly capture the author's depiction of the characters.
How the Clear Land is similar to, but purer than, reality. There is a school, a Great Artist, and a Wind Boy, but they are all brighter and kinder than in "real" life.
Nan's nightgown: A feather-light dress covered with stars that seems to be made out of night sky. In it, the wearer can travel the universe while sleeping.
The audio cassette (click here for CD version), read by Lorrie Holt, is quaint and soft, matching the tone of the writing.
September 20, 2011
My favorite book as a child. I don't remember it, and haven't read it since, as I don't want overwrite my childhood associations with it. It's was pretty much the best book ever.
January 12, 2012
I bought this wonderful dream of a book years ago and it remains a favorite that I love to dip into. The cover alone is worth the price of the book. Two children and their mother are separated from the husband/father by war (no details given on what war or where though the story has a lovely European feel to it) and have to move. When they do, the newcomers find a magical world and a special friend in the Wing Boy.
There is so much to this book, so much love, gentleness, comfort, so much color and so many warm breezes and gentle music from nature that it is truly hard to describe. You need to read The Wind Boy and feel the comfort and charm of this story envelope you in its arms. When you consider the stresses and strains of daily life and the uncertainty and clouds on the social, political, and economic horizon, a book like this is just what the doctor ordered for adults as well as for kids and teens.
There is so much to this book, so much love, gentleness, comfort, so much color and so many warm breezes and gentle music from nature that it is truly hard to describe. You need to read The Wind Boy and feel the comfort and charm of this story envelope you in its arms. When you consider the stresses and strains of daily life and the uncertainty and clouds on the social, political, and economic horizon, a book like this is just what the doctor ordered for adults as well as for kids and teens.
August 4, 2009
The Wind Boy is another one of those books that I remember toting around everywhere in the summer when I was seven or eight, reading it slowly but surely, entranced by the magic of it. Like all fantasy books, it's characters have wings and can fly to magical lands, but this one takes the magic to a new level. The imagery and color in the language from this book I remember appreciating even the first time I read it, and I never paid much attention to language when reading when I was younger. It's a story that sticks with you and makes you long for carefree summers and magic.
August 27, 2014
This is one of the most magical books a child could grow up reading. There's not much else like it.
The Wind Boy himself is fascinating, and the story paints a watercolor world of children's adventure for the reader to enjoy.
Fully recommended.
The Wind Boy himself is fascinating, and the story paints a watercolor world of children's adventure for the reader to enjoy.
Fully recommended.
October 23, 2024
I loved this book so much! Elements of whimsy with childlike joy were perfectly captured and had me reminiscing of my imaginative childhood. 4.5 stars
June 5, 2014
This book was very sweet. A great springtime read, for kids 9 and nearing 10 and up. There is something about this age, where they still want to play, yet are realizing there is something beyond that in life, where they can understand that now their choices and intentions matter. It goes very well with the Waldorf/Steiner philosophy. The illustrations are very nice (though the colored one on the cover is best, the others are b/w), maybe one per chapter. The chapters are a medium length. I thought this was best as a read aloud. It's a story you'll want to share with your kids rather than just hand to them, as there is a bit of a spiritual feeling about the "clear land". The children are European refugees, new in a town and not really befriended by any of the villagers. A girl "from the mountains" comes to help nanny them while their mother goes to work at a factory in town every day, and comes home to work on a statue of the Wind Boy at night. The children meet the real Wind Boy and help him with a problem, making short trips into the "clear land" which teach them lessons in kindness and responsibility. Themes of nature, art, kindness, and the consequences of our choices are included. There are a couple of instances of false accusation of the children by adults, but they are resolved fairly well.
August 24, 2015
Beautiful book! My 7 year old LOVED it.
May 10, 2025
An imaginative, old-fashioned children's fairy story. Not a bad story, just a really slow one.
May 29, 2022
Wind Boy is a lovely, imaginative book. The prose is ethereal, the plot gentle and meandering, and the setting difficult to describe. There's something about it that feels like George MacDonald's fairy tales, in the best way. It's one that I will be adding to our library soon.
July 10, 2013
This is a lovely book that I'd never heard of. It's old-fashioned but not hard for contemporary children to understand, is very sweet but never cloying, and my boys and I all really enjoyed it. The story is very simple--a young woman from the mountains (Nan) comes to live and work for a family of refugees and brings magic and change into their lives. The family has moved to this village to escape war and have lost contact with the father of the family who was fighting in the war. The mother is an artist who works in a factory during the day, and has two children--a boy named Kay and a girl named Gentian. With Nan's help, the children discover the Clear Land, meet and help the Wind Boy, and improve things for their family. It's a little like Mary Poppins but much more straightforward, and just really lovely. A great read aloud.
June 10, 2020
rating: 3.5
As a child, I might have given this four stars, but there's a little too much fantasy here for my taste. I'm sure that every child who reads this hopes Nan will come to live with them. There's a strong emphasis here on what it means to be a good person; the truly good people are happier than their peers. I'm sure that some readers will scoff at the good children*, but there's a place for books like this and I hope all children will find at least one that they want to read over and over again.
* such as Pollyanna and books by Louisa May Alcott
As a child, I might have given this four stars, but there's a little too much fantasy here for my taste. I'm sure that every child who reads this hopes Nan will come to live with them. There's a strong emphasis here on what it means to be a good person; the truly good people are happier than their peers. I'm sure that some readers will scoff at the good children*, but there's a place for books like this and I hope all children will find at least one that they want to read over and over again.
* such as Pollyanna and books by Louisa May Alcott
September 14, 2008
This was the cutest book ever! I don't believe I have ever read a more colorful book. I could feel the colors the author wrote about deep inside of me. So magical, and well written. I don't think this book gets enough credit, and I wish I had had the opportunity to read it as a young girl. I finished it this morning and started reading it with my 2 sons tonight because I think all children would be intranced with the magic as I was. A beautiful read.
August 4, 2020
This is the best children's book ever. I have walked around recommending this book to anyone who will listen for the past 18 years. It is not just for children either, I have kept much of this book in my heart for all time. I have read this book aloud to my children at least 25 times, plus listened to it on audiobook, and they have read it themselves once they learned to read. Buy this book, you will not regret it!
April 29, 2019
Sweet. From another time.
May 15, 2023
From the back cover:
“The Wind Boy is a delightful story of two refugee children, Gentian and Kat, ages eight and nine, and their artist mother, Detra, who have been separated from their father by war. When Nan, a girl from the mountains, answers Detra’s ad for household help, Kay and Gentian find a wise and guiding friend. With Nan’s arrival, wonderful experiences soon unfold. They encounter the Wind Boy, discovering that they share a troublesome problem.”
A very pleasant and charming story with an old-fashioned feel to it. First published in 1923.
“The Wind Boy is a delightful story of two refugee children, Gentian and Kat, ages eight and nine, and their artist mother, Detra, who have been separated from their father by war. When Nan, a girl from the mountains, answers Detra’s ad for household help, Kay and Gentian find a wise and guiding friend. With Nan’s arrival, wonderful experiences soon unfold. They encounter the Wind Boy, discovering that they share a troublesome problem.”
A very pleasant and charming story with an old-fashioned feel to it. First published in 1923.
May 22, 2023
Years ago my children and I would lie abed listening to this on audio. I just came across it again after watching lovely British book lovers and their youtube videos. Finally read it again.
1- listening to an audiobook and reading the book are entirely different experiences for me. I hear a completely different story from the one I read.
2- an old story that holds up well. But it will make you work for the rewards that await you there. Well worth the effort.
A keeper.
1- listening to an audiobook and reading the book are entirely different experiences for me. I hear a completely different story from the one I read.
2- an old story that holds up well. But it will make you work for the rewards that await you there. Well worth the effort.
A keeper.
August 26, 2017
This was cute, though not entirely my deal in terms of tone and content. Still pretty cute, and definitely may be good for little kids interested in stories about fairies!
July 11, 2018
Heard on Forgotten Classics, April through June 2018
August 19, 2018
One of my favorite childhood books! Definitely going to share with my little ones!
May 22, 2021
Wonderful children’s book.
February 18, 2008
I read this on the recommendation of a classically educated and well-read lady, who said she had first read it when she was nine years old, in summer camp. She remembers being entranced with it, and spending hours with it, even coloring in all the pictures. It is a magical book, and I hope that somewhere in this Harry Potter world that there is a nine year old curled up with this book.
April 28, 2011
Although this book is written in an old-fashioned way, the story was enchanting and my children loved it. I was worried a little about some of the language but it did not bother the kids (8 and 6) at all. I love that the author believed in fairies and wrote about them so matter-of-fact. And it was refreshing to read a story about siblings who treat each other kindly.
July 25, 2011
This is a book that magically appeared on my "to read" list, and what a magical story it is!! It made me wish my kids were little again and all curled up around me reading a book about another world and fairies. This is a sweetly innocent story where nothing very scary or bad happens and is full of color and beautiful language and spiritualism for the young. Classic.
March 7, 2008
My children and I just read this one. It is a fantasy about immigrant children who make friends with fairies from the clear land who help them to make friends with those in their own new country. My oldest son, 9 years old, requested more books like this one.
Want to read
June 23, 2010Wind Boy and House in the Trees, both by Ethel Cook Eliot and both
delightful stories with children connecting to the spirit world in
different ways. I'm reminded to look up any other books by the same author.
delightful stories with children connecting to the spirit world in
different ways. I'm reminded to look up any other books by the same author.
June 26, 2012
This book, although I haven't read it for a very long time, brings back very fond memories. My mom read it to me when I was very young. I still remember lying in bed as she read The Wind Boy out loud. I'd like to reread it sometime soon just to get a clearer idea of the story.
February 6, 2019
This was a gentle, magical story that we listened to on cassette tape back when my older son was seven or eight. I was reminded of it the other day and will be looking for a copy to read to my younger son who is now six. A story that seems ageless.
July 26, 2015
The most wonderful, magical, beautiful children's book ever written. Adults might not understand this, but to a child it is sheer delight.
This is how I remember it, having never re-read it since I was a child myself.
This is how I remember it, having never re-read it since I was a child myself.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews