How do you train a heart, to love what is right pure and true?
Last fall, when our family traveled to Florida, I brought along The Wise Woman with Literary Analysis Journal Questions to read aloud on the long car ride. I read the first seven chapters on the trip down, with plans to read the other seven on the way home the next week. This book is one of the wonderful resources published by Stacy Farrell and Home School Adventure Co., one of our Top Ten Homeschool Companies. HSA ranks right there at the top of that list!
The Wise Woman
George MacDonald was Scottish writer of children’s literature. MacDonald is best known for his creative fairy tales in which he combines his incredible imagination with biblical truths. He was very influential in the life and work of both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. That alone piqued my curiosity about The Wise Woman. I am thankful that my introduction to this inspiring fairy tale was accompanied by Stacy’s thought-provoking journal questions.
The Wise Woman tells the story of two little girls, one a princess, the other the daughter of a shepherd and the wise woman who steps in to save them from themselves. It’s a lovely Christian fairy tale.
Not just for girls.
Within the first couple of chapters, both my husband and son were hooked on the story, and we were having incredible conversations about the lack of character training in Rosamond and Agnes, the main characters. After a few more chapters, 13-year-old Ben began to internalize the story and recognize his own character flaws. So did his parents.
The Wise Woman enchants readers while it contrasts the ugliness of pride, selfishness and conceit with the beauty of humility, sacrifice, and compassion.
The Wise Woman is an enchanting tale, but the addition of the literary analysis journal is what I appreciate most. There are so many questions here — questions that will encourage your entire family to look deep inside (or perhaps into the mirror) and be grateful for the lessons learned from the wise woman. The book is inspiring. The addition of the journal questions takes it a step further into life-changing.
Oh, and about that vacation last fall. The one where I planned to read the last seven chapters on the way home? I didn’t get to do that. My son couldn’t wait that long, so he read the rest of the book himself, in the hotel room at night. He was enthralled with the story, and the addition of scary beasts in the woods and fantastical cottages didn’t hurt.
The Wise Woman is definitely not just for girls.
So how do you train a heart to love what is right, pure and true? By soaking up biblical truths and spending time in the company of others with pure hearts. The Wise Woman is a lovely companion.
The Wise Woman with Literary Analysis Journal Questions works well as a family read aloud, where the questions are read and discussed together (the way we used it). It can also be used as a literature and critical thinking course for your homeschooled middle or high school students. It is also a wonderful complement to Stacy’s study of pre-Socratic philosophers, Philosophy Adventure. You can learn more about Philosophy Adventure by clicking over to read my review.
The Wise Woman Print Set
The Wise Woman is filled with beautiful wise words. Words that make you stop and think and take a peek at the window peering into your own heart. Stacy Farrell has created a set of five absolutely stunning prints containing a few of those quotes.
The Quotes
Here are the quotes you’ll receive, beautifully illustrated in this Print Set:
A princess is able to do what is right even should she unhappily be in a mood that would make another unable to do it.
As time went on this disease of self-conceit went on too, gradually devouring the good that was in her. For there is no fault that does not bring its brothers and sisters and cousins to live with it.
There is but one true way, however, of getting out of any position we may be in, and that is, to do the work of it so well that we grow fit for the better.
People are so ready to think themselves changed when it is only their mood that is changed.
But the man who will do his work, in spite of his fear, is a man of true courage.
The images used for these prints are just gorgeous.
You can purchase The Wise Woman Print Set, printed on high quality 8.5″ x 11″ cover stock for $8.95, plus shipping, or as a digital download in PDF format for $7.99.
Home School Adventure Co. publishes two other resources I have not yet mentioned — Philippians in 28 Weeks and the Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal.
We have both products in our homeschool library. Philippians in 28 Weeks is a gentle, but effective method for your family to study and memorize the inspiring book of Philippians. You can read my full review of Philippians in 28 Weeks over at Hip Homeschool Moms.
While I have not yet used the Mere Christianity Journal with Ben (I’m waiting for him to be just a little older), I was a part of the editing and launch process, so I have read it and am very familiar with it. If truly understanding what it means when you say you are a “Christian” sometimes baffles you, then this book is the key to better understanding. The Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal takes what is already an invaluable resource in C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity to a new level, allowing the reader to dig deeper into their own thought processes. As a homeschool mom and truth-seeker, I am delighted to recommend this book to my friends for personal, homeschool or family/small group study.
You can purchase all of the resources published by Home School Adventure Co. from the website.
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