A richly imagined story of unexpected love, independence, and belonging - The Morning Gift is a classic WWII romance from Eva Ibbotson. With an introduction from Sarra Manning, author of Diary of a Crush. Eighteen-year-old Ruth lives in the sparkling city of Vienna with her family, where she delights in its music, energy and natural beauty. She is wildly in love with the brilliant young pianist Heini Radik and can't wait until they are married. But Ruth's world is turned upside down when the Nazis invade Austria and her ...
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A richly imagined story of unexpected love, independence, and belonging - The Morning Gift is a classic WWII romance from Eva Ibbotson. With an introduction from Sarra Manning, author of Diary of a Crush. Eighteen-year-old Ruth lives in the sparkling city of Vienna with her family, where she delights in its music, energy and natural beauty. She is wildly in love with the brilliant young pianist Heini Radik and can't wait until they are married. But Ruth's world is turned upside down when the Nazis invade Austria and her family are forced to flee to England, and through a devastating misunderstanding she is left behind. Her only hope to escape Vienna comes from Quin, a young English professor, who unexpectedly offers her a marriage of convenience to bring her back to London. Ruth throws herself into her new life - but a secret marriage is more difficult than she expected, especially as she and Quin find themselves drawn together. 'I have binged on Eva Ibbotson . . . her elegantly written, witty and well-observed fables' - Nigella Lawson, The Times Rediscover Eva Ibbotson, award-winning author of Journey to the River Sea, in her sweeping historical romances, including The Morning Gift, A Song For Summer and The Secret Countess.
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Seller's Description:
Good. The book may have minor cosmetic wear (i.e. creased spine/cover, scratches, curled corners, folded pages, minor sunburn, minor water damage, minor bent). The book may have some highlights/notes/underlined pages-Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included-Safe and Secure Mailer-No Hassle Return.
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Seller's Description:
Missing Dust Cover-Pages and hard cover are intact. Used book in good conditions. Limited notes and highlighting may be present. May show signs of normal shelf wear and bends on corners and edges. Item may be missing CDs or access codes. Ships directly from Amazon.
I have a soft spot for marriage-of-convenience stories, so this isn't the first one I've read. It is unusual to find one set so close to the modern world, however. This tale takes place during the rise of the Third Reich and the onslaught of WW2, and focuses on the plight of an Austrian Jewish girl to a British professor who marries her so he can add her name to his passport and take her to safety in England.
Like Anna in Ibbotson's "A Countess Below Stairs," Ruth is thrust from a world of plenty to one of near-penury. But like the Ruth of Old Testament fame, she doesn't quit just because things are suddenly hard and she's in a new country, surrounded by strangers. The fun is watching as she and Quin navigate the shoals of secrecy around their relationship, fight for balance between anonymity and amity, and question whether or not to stay together or go through with the annulment that is so difficult to procure.