Guide to the classics: The Wind in the Willows — a tale of wanderlust, male bonding, and timeless delight
Like several classics penned during the golden age of children’s literature, The Wind in the Willows was written with a particular child in mind. Alastair Grahame was four years old when his father Kenneth — then a secretary at the Bank of England — began inventing bedtime stories about the reckless ruffian, Mr Toad, and his long-suffering friends: Badger, Rat, and Mole. Alastair, born premature and partially blind, was nicknamed “Mouse”. Small, squinty, and beset by health problems...
Source: theconversation.com