The Wind in the Willows
INSPIRED BY THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS
INSPIRED BY THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS
Sequels
William Horwood, whose popular Duncton novels also feature moles as main characters, wrote four successful sequels to The Wind in the Willows : The Willows in Winter (1993), Toad Triumphant (1995), The Willows and Beyond (1996), and The Willows at Christmas (1999). Horwood ably captures the rhythm, style, and spirit of the original story, taking Grahame’s beloved characters on new rounds of comical misadventures. Horwood’s first sequel, The Willows in Winter, maintains Grahame’s emphasis on adventure and loyalty. Toad has settled calmly on the river after the mishaps of The Wind in the Willows, but his reformation lasts only until he discovers the joy of flying airplanes. Toad’s dangerous new obsession coincides with the disappearance of Mole, who vanishes while searching for friends lost in a blizzard.
Toad Triumphant features the first female animal character in the adventures of Mole, Toad, Rat, and Badger—a French sculptress whom Toad falls in love with. While the irascible hero ponders the advantages of matrimony, Mole and Rat stretch the boundaries of their provincial lives by rowing far upstream in search of “the mystery we have called Beyond.” In The Willows and Beyond, modern society encroaches upon the inhabitants of the Wild Wood. When upstream residents pollute the waters and housing developers target the river bank, the heroes relocate to Toad’s property in Lathbury Forest, a bittersweet ending that underscores the dubious benefits of human progress.
Horwood’s final sequel takes place in the span of time between The Wind and the Willows and The Willows in Winter. The Willows at Christmas has Toad disconsolate as he awaits the arrival of Mrs. Ffleshe, the annual houseguest who protects him from his own excesses and at the same time utterly ruins the holiday season. Mole’s attempt to aid Toad goes predictably awry, landing the former in jail and setting the stage for a thrilling escape. All of the Horwood sequels feature delightful cross-hatch illustrations by Patrick Benson, appropriately adding to the magic of Horwood’s text.