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The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson


This is a wonderful book and I would really like to thank the Surrey Library service for putting it under my nose on the 'recommended' table.  I was surprised to see that it was first published in 1993, as both the author and the title are new to me and it really should be considered a classic that is known by readers everywhere.  Maybe it is and I just haven't been looking in the right direction.

The quality of the writing stands out right from the start and there is a gentle humour running through it that demands you read every word with care.  It's set in Austria in the period just before World War Two and we meet the Berger family, who are partly Jewish so suddenly find themselves in great danger.  Most of the family get away to England as planned, but daughter Ruth misses the student transport and is stuck alone in Nazi-occupied Vienna.

Ruth is an intelligent girl but much of her personality has been influenced by characters in novels and operatic works and she lives her life according to worthy principals that are only really useable in novels.  She knows she has to get out of Vienna, and is determined to be strong and resourceful, so makes ridiculous plans that involve swimming through deep water with her rucksack held above her.  Fortunately an old family friend, Quinton Somerville, finds her in time to offer a more workable solution and they both make it to England unscathed.

Ruth gets back together with her family and they set up home in cheap rented accommodation in Belsize Park, London, while Quin returns to his grand family home on the coast of Northumbria.  Ruth and Quin had not planned to meet again but when he returns to his work as a university professor in London, he finds Ruth has been given a place on his course and becomes one of his best students.

Since arriving in London Ruth has been waiting for news of her fiance, Heini, who is a very talented classical pianist, and she has been his devoted assistant who selflessly thinks only of his needs.  Heini is a man of many needs as all his energy must be preserved for piano practice so Ruth has grown used to protecting him from any distractions.  Other members of the family might think Heini rather demanding but Ruth assures them that his musical talent is more important than anything she might want.

The combintaion of Jewish refugees living in London and the predudice and snobishness of the English aristocracy provides plenty of scope for gentle humour, and the plot revolves around family dynamics and the many different guises of love.  The writing style is confident and clever and I'm going to chalk this up as another of my favourite books.
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