What one reviewer at amazon said about Sir Gibbie:
Sir Gibbie by George Macdonald
The first time I read this book, I found it long, boring, and dull. I didn't understand why everyone else who read it thought it was so excellent. So I really thought hard about it one night, and made up my mind that I would keep reading it until I understood the message. Finally, it came to me, and it was so overpowering that I broke down and cried.
Gibbie is a young, mute boy with an alcoholic father. He has a kind heart and is extremely gentle. His good friend, Sambo, is murdered, and he runs away. Gibbie is just a small boy in a large, cruel world, and he is treated badly by everyone on his journey but one woman, Janet. The variety of places he lived and the things he had to go through really taught me that not everyone has a full roof over their head, or enough clothes to cover more than a few body parts. This book gave me a lot to think about, such as the fact that some children are abused and don't show it at all to anyone. Or that most people just make assumptions about things that they know nothing about. I realize that I am guilty of these things, as everyone else is.
This book was very compelling and I learned a lot about grace and mercy from it. The forgiveness that Gibbie shows his father towards the end is unbelievable, and I thought it was amazing that a tiny, mute boy could show so much more faith, wisdom, and emotion than anyone I have ever met, or read in a book. The story definitely had an impact on my view of how the world treats people and how the smallest child (who isn't even real) could change your life. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone - it is extremely good!
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