The Morning Gift
by Eva Ibbotson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Eva IbbotsonEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-09-06
ISBN: 0142409111
Number of pages: 416
Publisher: Speak
Book Reviews of The Morning Gift
Book Review: A Marriage of Convenience Story with a Difference
Summary: 5 Stars
Ruth Berger, happy and contented only child of a professor and his wife. Jewish and living in Austria prior to World War II. The extended family meet, briefly Quinn Somerville, a brilliant Archaeologist from Britain who comes and stays for a short time. Just prior to the outbreak of the war he returns at the Professors request to receive an honorary degree from the university. However the Nazi's have taken over and the professor and his wife have fled - forced to abandon virtually everything they own.
The don't realise they have also left behind Ruth, their teenage daughter who was supposed to leave on a student visa only was stopped at the border. Quinn discovers Ruth and realises he can't simply abandon her in the city where violence against Jews is rising. However there is no way to get her out except by marriage. Which they do - a marriage of convenience which he assures her will be anulled as soon as they arrive in Britain. After all, she has her own true love, a young concert pianist, and he has his work.
However annulling the marriage is not that easy - if it is annulled before she is confirmed as a resident she could be deported. And they must not ever see each other either, or that could complicate the divorce. All this must be secret from his family too. Ruth would be only to happy to do this - except due to circumstances she has been accepted to attend the university Quinn teaches at - and she is in his classes, after all fossils are her interest too.
The university is being run by an unpleasant man and his family - including an ambitious wife and her bright daughter. Their dislike of Ruth is obvious - not only as a competitor in intelligence to their daughter, but because she is Jewish.
No matter what Quinn or Ruth do they cannot seem to rid themselves of each other, and it is a wonderful moment when Ruth goes to talk to the detested Freudian psychologist downstairs.
This was a great read. As with all Eva Ibbotson books it is full of twists and turns where intertwined characters are drawn into the plot, not simply as plot devices but characters in their own right = with their own stories to tell - Quinn's Aunt, the Basher (who was quinn's father) and the various Vienese refugees.
Eva Ibbotson seems to specialise in their stories of European displacement to London, but she does it especially well.
The only part I found difficult was the 'Morning Gift' misunderstanding. It wasn't convincing as to why Ruth rejected Quinn, and the plot device of having her run off and then find the Aunt felt forced. However those peices aside didn't affect for me the story as a whole
Ibbotson invests her tales with detail, fey charm and immense good humour. They are thoroughly enjoyable.
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