A princess is locked away on a remote island guarded by a dragon. Many suitors try and fail to save her, but one day a clever boy arrives. So begins ‘The Island of Nine Whirlpools‘, one of Edith Nesbitt’s eight dragon stories in ‘The Book of Dragons’ (1899). The tales may be over a hundred years old, but they contain a timeless quality that ignites the imagination and creates a sense of wonder. Child or adult, these stories are written with such warmth and wit, anyone will find themselves laughing out loud with regular intervals. They may revoke a certain Tolkien feeling, and C.S. Lewis, who read Nesbitt’s books as a child, was clearly inspired by her works.
Edith Nesbit (1858-1924) was an English author of children’s literature and a one of the political founders of the socialist organization, the Fabian Society. She adopted several of her husband’s
Children whom he fathered with other women, and supported her large family by writing and collaborating on more than 60 books.