Several years ago, I mentioned to Diane that I thought The Door Before was my favorite of N. D. Wilson’s books and that Hyacinth was my favorite of his characters. She asked me why I felt that way. I struggled to articulate something tangible. I think I mumbled that it has something to do with how Hyacinth was a reluctant hero. I was never able to really figure out why I felt that way, so I never wrote my review of The Door Before. Years later, I am re-reading the Cupboards books, and I continue to be impressed with Hyacinth.  

When my copy of The Door Before arrived, I had not finished reading the Ashtown Burials books yet. Feeling a little unsure about which order to read in, I decided to stick to publication order. As fortune would have it, Wilson tweeted that someone was asking if “Cupboard 17” led to Sam Miracle. It was like a bell went off in my mind. I instantly realized that these books were all connected. The Cupboards went to where Sam was? Did that mean that the Cupboards connected to Ashtown and Leepike Ridge and Florida (Boys of Blur) as well? And then I read it. And I understood. Please do not read The Door Before until you have read the Cupboards trilogy and the Ashtown Burials trilogy. (At the time of writing this, Silent Bells is not finished yet, so I have not started reading it – I am waiting for all of the chapters to be released.) 

In this “prequel,” we discover the origin of the Cupboards. We learn how and why the magic came into the world and how those cupboards were made. We meet Hyacinth, Mordecai, and Caleb. And we realize that all of these stories are connected. When Wilson built these “worlds,” he was really building one world. 

In every book of Wilson’s middle-grade novels that I have read, the most true magic comes not from witches, wizards, dream walkers, or faeries. It comes from the powerful love of family. The characters in these stories are never fighting for themselves or the unknowable big wide world. They are always fighting for their own. In the most noble and heroic ways they are fighting for their siblings, for the parents, for their children, for cousins, and for those they have adopted into their families. 

This is clear in the Cupboards trilogy. In the Sam and Glory books, it is also clear but it is darker. In the Burials books, the love between the Smith children and their parents is not only the electricity that powers the whole story, but it is also the only weapon that can win against the enemy. In each of the stories, the love that makes them family is also the love that compels them to be willing to lay down their lives for each other. It should remind us of the supreme sacrifice of Christ. And, yeah. It hurts.

There is much more that I could say about Hyacinth. How fantastic she is without being a typical hero. I could talk about the goodness of Mordecai and the wisdom of Caleb. I could talk about the ache of separation from her family that must have seasoned Hyancith’s young life and helped to make her the pillar of strength that she is in the Cupboards books. Or, I could talk about how tragic it is that sweet little Lawrence will become so lost and so alone by the time we meet him in the Burials books. But, the real thing that I want to emphasize is how wonderful it is to get deep and rich back stories on the parents of the heroes of the main books. I love that Wilson lets us see that Henry, and Cyrus, and Antigone come from the most excellent stock. And that these parents are absolutely trustworthy. More importantly, it is lovely to see that these parents have stories of their own. Much like we do in the lives of our children. We were once children too with our own great epics that shaped who we are.

There is so much to love in N.D. Wilson’s fantasy books, you can find more here. And, remember, no smoking in the library. 😉