The Morning Gift
Pam February 6th, 2009
The Morning Gift is a charming historical romance first published in the U.S. in 1985, and probably in England prior to that. In style, it has an old-fashioned feel, like something that may have been written right after WWII. The current edition was published by Speak, a teen imprint of Penguin-Puffin. They’ve also released several more of Eva Ibbotson’s historical romances, first published as adult books, for the YA market. I think these novels are a great addition to their list, and may introduce teen readers to this writer. Born in 1925, Ms. Ibbotson is still writing today–she published a book in 2008 called The Dragonfly Pool, more for a middle grade audience. It, too, takes place during the war. She is well known for her books Journey to the River Sea and The Secret of Platform 13, among many others.
Back to The Morning Gift. It tells the story of Ruth Berger, a young Jewish girl living in Vienna when Hitler first comes to power. She is left behind when the rest of her family flees, because of some political activism she had been involved in. In sweeps the dashing Quinton Somerville, brilliant scholar, paleontologist, and adventurer; and when all his other attempts to get her out of the country fail, he marries her. The marriage will be quickly annulled once Ruth is safely settled in Britain, since she is the devoted girlfriend of a soon to be world famous pianist. Continue Reading »
