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Sep 20, 2012J_Smee rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I picked up this novel as part of an effort to broaden the genres I read (I've never read anything that could be counted as either historical or romantic, so to combine the two seemed a good idea). The plot of this book is formulaic, but what really distinguishes the book is the fresh, energetic and sometimes humorous style of Eva Ibbotson. Her vocabulary is precise and imaginative and her prose style is quick-witted and fun. Both Guy and Tessa, the main characters, appear to be people who can do anything they put their minds to (they take this shared ability to completely different places/careers in their lives). Ibbotson's descriptions of 1920s Vienna and Pfaffenstein are enchanting. Rather than trotting us up to the locations and explaining "there's a courtyard here and a gateway there", she takes the time to share with us the formulation of these places throughout history, sort of like starting at the center of these multi-century architectural triumphs and growing outward until we have a complete and complex view of the locations. This helps the reader to understand the love the characters have for their homes and country. It also impresses upon us an understanding of the weight of European nobility and familial history that falls on the shoulders of our main character Tessa. By turns, it is easy to see why she both rebels against the stodgy aristocracy of her upbringing and grows sentimental at the prospect of losing her childhood home. Ibbotson's breezy prose style also accomplishes the difficult task of bringing life to even the most minor characters. Tessa's coworkers in the opera company are both hilarious and sympathetic as they struggle to do even the most minor tasks without the everpresent Tessa at their sides (she usually shows up within 2-3 seconds to help out, but in those agonizing seconds, Ibbotson reveals just how devoted to and dependent upon Tessa the opera company is). Overall, this book is a pleasure to read. I have a feeling I can guess the ending, but Ibbotson has set it up so that I'll be laughing and crying right along with the characters as they hurtle on to their inevitable destinies.