The Portent

Duncan Campbell, a young Scotsman, is burdened by "second sight," a hereditary gift manifesting as a terrifying auditory omen of a horse with a dangling shoe. Seeking a reprieve from these supernatural afflictions, he accepts a tutoring position at Hilton Hall in northern England. There, he becomes fascinated by the daughter of the house, a woman whose waking life is defined by a strange mental vacancy, but who possesses a profound and hidden soul while in a state of somnambulism. As Duncan attempts to bridge the gap between her two identities, he realizes that his ancestral legacy may have followed him across the border. George MacDonald (died 2008) was a significant literary figure of the 20th century. Their work has endured across generations and continues to be read and studied worldwide. Fantastical literature has always allowed writers to explore human truths through the lens of the impossible and the magical. The Portent draws on mythology, folklore, and pure invention to construct a world that illuminates our own.