Readers of Tolkien will recognize the word “eucatastrophe” – the term the great fantasy author coined to describe the sudden turn towards joy and salvation at a point in the plot when all seems lost. It’s the eagles over the horizon, the echoing crack of the Stone Table, the moment in the myth when something of the power of Easter morning resounds in the realm of fantasy.

Through very simple language, Astrid Lindgren convinces a kindergartener of the depth of love that moves us to self-sacrifice and courage – a loyalty beyond blind obedience, intertwined with childlike trust in the Father’s goodness. It’s the love that moves a scared boy to mount his flying horse and fulfill a prophecy.

There can be no eucatastrophe without it.