The First There and Back Again

On bringing my Hobbits along on the latest trek to and from the Lonely Mountain

Illustration by Jemima Catlin

Over the past few months, I have had the pleasure of experiencing something I’ve been looking forward to for decades: reading the Hobbit with my children for the very first time.

In the leadup to Christmas, I saw a deal on the edition of The Hobbit illustrated by Jemima Catlin and quickly snagged it. I felt that it might finally be time to embark on the latest of countless personal treks to and from the Lonely Mountain, only this time with my own Hobbits in tow. Christmas morning came and the boys opened their presents. To my delight (and also a bit of relief) The Hobbit was met with much excitement and eagerness, and we began to read it together that very night at bedtime.

Illustration by Jemima Catlin

In the interim (and then constantly between that day and now), the boys pored over the illustrations, soaking in the images and the promise of adventure they evoked.

Each night we journeyed a bit further with Bilbo, Gandalf, and the Dwarves. Along the journey, my boys met the Elves of Rivendell, encountered Trolls, Goblins, Spiders, and the Dragon, and watched Bilbo grow into a traveler, burglar, leader, and adventurer.

Just last week we finally came to the end of the tale, coming home with Bilbo to the Shire and completing their very first journey There and Back Again.

I wanted to take today’s newsletter to share some reflections on the experience: what were some of the highlights? Did I choose the right time to introduce the story to our boys? How did reading the story with my children as opposed to just on my own affect my own experience of the tale?

But while I’ll still be speaking without getting too detailed, I’d prefer to keep even these details behind a paywall to help protect my children’s privacy. Thanks for your understanding, friends.

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