A fictional autobiography written by Wynnie, whose father is a gentle, intelligent clergyman. Wynnie has a happy childhood and falls in love with a struggling artist.

The book is a series of anecdotes, involving both Wynnie and her family and also her increasing circle of friends. We learn a great deal about the impoverished of society of the time, through the eyes of a music teacher who has chosen to live amidst poverty in order to help others rise above their roots.

It's a rambling account, ideal for reading a chapter or two at night, since most are complete in themselves. There's no overall plot, and not a great deal happens. There's a clear Christian worldview, whch comes out in various discussions, but I don't think it was overdone; in places, the book was quite thought-provoking.

The edition I read was free for my Kindle. Recommmended, in a low-key kind of way, to anyone wanting something fairly easy, with more depth than some modern novels. Three and a half stars, really. ( )

Another daughter of the young vicar and his wife whom we met in "A Quiet Neighborhood" is Wynnie. Wynnie relates the events of her engagement, marriage and the struggle of raising a family in the poverty of Victorian London.

The three books of the edited trilogy by Dan Hamilton are:
"A Quiet Neighborhood", "The Seaboard Parish", "The Vicar's Daughter"

The original George MacDonald titles are:
"Annals of a Quiet Neighborhood" 1866,"A Seaboard Parish 1868, "The Vicar's Daughter" 1872. ( )

Not one of MacDonald's best novels. But still filled with his homespun simple wisdom. ( )