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The Star of Kazan
La naissance d'Annika est un mystère. Abandonnée dans une église en pleine montagne, elle a été élevée par une famille excentrique de Vienne. Sa vie bascule lorsque sa vraie mère réapparaît et l'emmène vivre en Allemagne, dans son château morne et glacé. Heureusement, Annika trouve l'amitié auprès du jeune palefrenier, Zed, un gitan passionné par les chevaux et qui rêve de rentrer à la prestigieuse école d'équitation de Vienne.
405 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 1999
About the author
Eva Ibbotson
61 books2,295 followersEva Ibbotson (born Maria Charlotte Michelle Wiesner) was a British novelist specializing in romance and children's fantasy.
She was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1925. When Hitler came into power, her family moved to England. She attended Bedford College, graduating in 1945; Cambridge University from 1946-47; and the University of Durham, from which she graduated with a diploma in education in 1965. Ibbotson had intended to be a physiologist, but was put off by the amount of animal testing that she would have to do. Instead, she married and raised a family, returning to school to become a teacher in the 1960s. Ibbotson was widowed with three sons and a daughter.
Ibottson began writing with the television drama 'Linda Came Today', in 1965. Ten years later, she published her first novel, The Great Ghost Rescue. Ibbotson has written numerous books including The Secret of Platform 13, Journey to the River Sea, Which Witch?, Island of the Aunts, and Dial-a-Ghost. She won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize for Journey to the River Sea, and has been a runner up for many of major awards for British children's literature.
Her books are imaginative and humorous, and most of them feature magical creatures and places, despite the fact that she disliked thinking about the supernatural, and created the characters because she wanted to decrease her readers' fear of such things.
Some of the books, particularly Journey to the River Sea, also reflect Ibbotson's love of nature. Ibbotson wrote this book in honor of her husband (who had died just before she wrote it), a former naturalist. The book had been in her head for years before she actually wrote it.
Ibbotson said she dislikes "financial greed and a lust for power" and often creates antagonists in her books who have these characteristics. Some have been struck by the similarity of "Platform 9 3/4" in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books to Ibbotson's The Secret of Platform 13, which came out three years before the first Harry Potter book.
Her love of Austria is evident in works such as The Star Of Kazan and A Song For Summer. These books, set primarily in the Austrian countryside, display the author's love for nature and all things natural.
She was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1925. When Hitler came into power, her family moved to England. She attended Bedford College, graduating in 1945; Cambridge University from 1946-47; and the University of Durham, from which she graduated with a diploma in education in 1965. Ibbotson had intended to be a physiologist, but was put off by the amount of animal testing that she would have to do. Instead, she married and raised a family, returning to school to become a teacher in the 1960s. Ibbotson was widowed with three sons and a daughter.
Ibottson began writing with the television drama 'Linda Came Today', in 1965. Ten years later, she published her first novel, The Great Ghost Rescue. Ibbotson has written numerous books including The Secret of Platform 13, Journey to the River Sea, Which Witch?, Island of the Aunts, and Dial-a-Ghost. She won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize for Journey to the River Sea, and has been a runner up for many of major awards for British children's literature.
Her books are imaginative and humorous, and most of them feature magical creatures and places, despite the fact that she disliked thinking about the supernatural, and created the characters because she wanted to decrease her readers' fear of such things.
Some of the books, particularly Journey to the River Sea, also reflect Ibbotson's love of nature. Ibbotson wrote this book in honor of her husband (who had died just before she wrote it), a former naturalist. The book had been in her head for years before she actually wrote it.
Ibbotson said she dislikes "financial greed and a lust for power" and often creates antagonists in her books who have these characteristics. Some have been struck by the similarity of "Platform 9 3/4" in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books to Ibbotson's The Secret of Platform 13, which came out three years before the first Harry Potter book.
Her love of Austria is evident in works such as The Star Of Kazan and A Song For Summer. These books, set primarily in the Austrian countryside, display the author's love for nature and all things natural.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 735 reviews
October 15, 2011
Eva Ibbotson weaves an old-fashioned adventure around a young foundling called Annika. Abandoned in a church on the slopes of Mt. Dorfelspitze, the baby is adopted by a pair of friends: Ellie, the cook and Sigrid, the housemaid. They take her back to their owners’ house in Vienna. Annika is a happy, industrious child.....learning to cook Viennese delicacies from Ellie, keeping the house sparkling clean and doing a multitude of odd jobs for the eccentric professors who are the owners of the house. Her spare time is spent enacting mock-plays with her friends Pauline and Stephan. She also manages to pay frequent visits to a dying old lady who was formerly known as the wonderful actress ‘La Rondine’.
She only has one wish…that her birth mother sweeps in one day and says, ‘Where is she? Where is my long lost daughter?’. And here the adage of “Be careful what you wish for, it just may come true” comes into full play. Very soon, an aristocratic lady named Edeltraut von Tannenberg comes to claim Annika and swoop her off to a cold and desolate castle in Germany.
Fitting into a new scenario is always tough, but for Annika who has been used to a warm and friendly Vienna, her new home throws up many nasty surprises. Unfriendly relatives…lies and secrets…dreary food...dank climate...things are not as Annika imagined her new life to be.
The only bright speck is the new friend she makes called Zed, a Romany stable boy. But as the mystery shrouding her new family deepens, Zed is accused of robbery...robbery of a trunk which was left to Annika by ‘La Rondine’. Annika is torn between her faith in Zed and her surprising loyalty to her cold mother. In Vienna her old family is missing Annika terribly and also come across some unpalatable facts …which could put Annika’s life in grave danger.
A simple story…a predictable mystery and a plot oft-repeated. But what makes Star of Kazan so engrossing is the absolute love and affection with which Eva Ibbotson describes the splendour and grandiose of a vintage Vienna : the ancient but much-loved Emperor Franz Joseph with his ‘mutton-chop whiskers and bald head’...the extravagant waltzes streaming out of the cafes...the decadent opera houses...the sinfully rich confectioneries bursting with aroma and taste...and of course the pride of Vienna : The dancing Lipizzaner Stallions.
You are soon transported to a magical city that seems to hum with colour, light and vitality. This is a book to be savored and enjoyed at a leisurely pace.
Eva Ibbotson triumphs yet again!
She only has one wish…that her birth mother sweeps in one day and says, ‘Where is she? Where is my long lost daughter?’. And here the adage of “Be careful what you wish for, it just may come true” comes into full play. Very soon, an aristocratic lady named Edeltraut von Tannenberg comes to claim Annika and swoop her off to a cold and desolate castle in Germany.
Fitting into a new scenario is always tough, but for Annika who has been used to a warm and friendly Vienna, her new home throws up many nasty surprises. Unfriendly relatives…lies and secrets…dreary food...dank climate...things are not as Annika imagined her new life to be.
The only bright speck is the new friend she makes called Zed, a Romany stable boy. But as the mystery shrouding her new family deepens, Zed is accused of robbery...robbery of a trunk which was left to Annika by ‘La Rondine’. Annika is torn between her faith in Zed and her surprising loyalty to her cold mother. In Vienna her old family is missing Annika terribly and also come across some unpalatable facts …which could put Annika’s life in grave danger.
A simple story…a predictable mystery and a plot oft-repeated. But what makes Star of Kazan so engrossing is the absolute love and affection with which Eva Ibbotson describes the splendour and grandiose of a vintage Vienna : the ancient but much-loved Emperor Franz Joseph with his ‘mutton-chop whiskers and bald head’...the extravagant waltzes streaming out of the cafes...the decadent opera houses...the sinfully rich confectioneries bursting with aroma and taste...and of course the pride of Vienna : The dancing Lipizzaner Stallions.
You are soon transported to a magical city that seems to hum with colour, light and vitality. This is a book to be savored and enjoyed at a leisurely pace.
Eva Ibbotson triumphs yet again!
August 28, 2008
This is a sweet story. In general I like Eva Ibbotson's books, but honestly, this one really stood out to me. I love how she catches you off guard with details you didn't think mattered. The main character is kind and you can really sympathize to her, and the overall plot is well developed. It's not too hard of a read, and the words flow easily. I really think you should read this book- it's one of my favorites.
September 19, 2019
Eva Ibbotson has a unique gift for lovable characters, evocative settings and intricate roller-coaster plots. I know the Professors, I know Pauline and Stefan and I know Gudrun and Mathilde... and I know la Rondine. There are always a lot of characters in Eva Ibbotsons (as there are in life, yes?), and they always, no matter how insignificant they are to the plot, have a bit of backstory and a lot of personality.
She is brilliant at really painting a picture in the reader's mind. I now have 'travel to Vienna' on my bucket list - it sounds like a little slice of Heaven, and right up my street. And I shivered at the description of Spittal - I could see the glassy grey lake with Zed galloping across the landscape, I could feel the coldness of the grey and gloomy weather in my bones as I read.
And the plot! There is a little unnerving foreshadowing but I imagine that a first time reader, particularly one of eleven or twelve, would be absolutely blown away as the twists unravel and everything finally makes sense. This is such a well-crafted mystery and a very original idea. The tension builds and right up until the ending there is an impending danger that all may be lost, and because we have come to love these characters so dearly, our beating heart feels as though it is at stake. The ending is dramatic and extremely satisfying. I recommend this to children as a properly written adventure, and to adults as the same! Nostalgic, exciting, and pure escapism. I loved every page.
She is brilliant at really painting a picture in the reader's mind. I now have 'travel to Vienna' on my bucket list - it sounds like a little slice of Heaven, and right up my street. And I shivered at the description of Spittal - I could see the glassy grey lake with Zed galloping across the landscape, I could feel the coldness of the grey and gloomy weather in my bones as I read.
And the plot! There is a little unnerving foreshadowing but I imagine that a first time reader, particularly one of eleven or twelve, would be absolutely blown away as the twists unravel and everything finally makes sense. This is such a well-crafted mystery and a very original idea. The tension builds and right up until the ending there is an impending danger that all may be lost, and because we have come to love these characters so dearly, our beating heart feels as though it is at stake. The ending is dramatic and extremely satisfying. I recommend this to children as a properly written adventure, and to adults as the same! Nostalgic, exciting, and pure escapism. I loved every page.
September 7, 2014
SO AWESOOOOOMEEEE!!! I loved this! It took me a little while to get into it at first, (due to the slow build up) but when the part came about the stolen trunk, I couldn't put it down. From there on everything got so nerve wracking and exciting, I had no idea what to expect! The storytelling's absolutely fantastic.
The ending was a little sad despite everything that occurred... Don't get me wrong I loved it and all, but it was a shame that the mother was responsible for the stolen trunk and screwing up Annika's life, all when Annika was believing in her so much! It was certainly a shock when the truth came out, and another shock when she was dishonest with Annika AGAIN right after that! Like WAH?!?! YOU'RE NOT EVEN HER MOTHER?! *Flips a table over*
Anyhoo, I'm glad the girl escape from that crazy lady's clutches and went back to the people she loves in Vienna, who all love her in return. Her home there seemed like a better place to live anyway. :P (Heck, I'd live there!)
But seriously, poor Annika! :P
The ending was a little sad despite everything that occurred... Don't get me wrong I loved it and all, but it was a shame that the mother was responsible for the stolen trunk and screwing up Annika's life, all when Annika was believing in her so much! It was certainly a shock when the truth came out, and another shock when she was dishonest with Annika AGAIN right after that! Like WAH?!?! YOU'RE NOT EVEN HER MOTHER?! *Flips a table over*
Anyhoo, I'm glad the girl escape from that crazy lady's clutches and went back to the people she loves in Vienna, who all love her in return. Her home there seemed like a better place to live anyway. :P (Heck, I'd live there!)
But seriously, poor Annika! :P
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2021
'Oh God, she had to believe that her mother was good. How did people live if they thought their mother was dishonest?'
-- Chapter 37
Two striking images, among so very many, stand out for me in this novel: one is of a Lipizzaner horse and its rider, working together as one, and the other is of an armoured fist sometimes accompanied by the motto, 'Stand aside, Ye Vermin Who Oppose Us'. And between the two uneasily sits the figure of 12-year-old foundling Annika who finds herself emotionally torn between the community which has raised her and the family she never knew she had.
Brought up at the turn of the 20th century in a Vienna then at the centre of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, she is raised below stairs in an academic household, loved and repaying that love in countless ways. She is quick to learn, to make friendships, to develop and enjoy skills such as cooking. But all the time she harbours dreams of her birth mother coming to claim her, explain her abandonment and then whisk her off to a new life.
But when that day does come and she is taken to North Germany to live in a castle, she finds that dreams are rarely the same as reality -- and in her innocence she is unable to accept that people can be dissembling and not have her welfare truly at heart.
Eva Ibbotson fashioned this novel with all the trappings of traditional fairytale -- the young heroine who finds her situation utterly changed, the acts done out of the kindness of her heart being repaid severalfold, even a young knight on his charger. But the author infuses these trappings with real human beings and sets it all in a landscape which, even if some of the locations aren't real, feel very solid with the telling. It's all placed within a period close to the childhood of Ibbotson's own parents in Austria, and incorporates much autobiographical detail, from the Vienna Eva knew as a child between her birth in 1925 and her departure in 1933 as the Nazi Party came to power, with Eva shuttling between Edinburgh, Paris and London, depending on where her now separated parents were living. It's not hard to appreciate that Annika's desperation for parental love came from an author who yearned for affection from her rather distant parents.
Within the complex narrative several strands interweave like melodic themes in counterpoint: a delight in simple pleasures, sociable activities and honest labour; with Vienna as a character in its own right we enjoy the suburban squares, the parks, the Giant Wheel, the opera and the Lipizzaner horses. Against this we sense the steady advance of technology, the inexorable rise of German militarism, a lack of compassion from certain strata in society, even a calculated cruelty, all of which was to erupt less than six years after this story in the Great War.
Ostensibly this is a historical crime mystery, with missing treasure functioning rather more than as a mere McGuffin -- it includes a necklace of rubies, a butterfly broach studded with blue sapphires, diamond earrings, rings and a jewel from the land of the Tatars called the Star of Kazan -- but the focus is less on the whodunit, or even the how and the why, and more on the cast of characters. So there are the three learned professors, Ellie and Sigrid from below stairs, the great aunt neglected by the Egghart family but with an unusual past, the youngsters from the vicinity who become Annika's friend, the gypsy boy Zed with his own backstory, Annika's newfound brother Hermann; nor must we forget Frau Edeltraut von Tannenberg whose desire to refurbish her dilapidated castle and restore the family's honour leads her to young Annika whom she now says she regrets abandoning in a mountain chapel outside Vienna.
I admired the heart in this story which emphasised the lengths some may go to find love and true friendship; that, and the authenticity of the details with which Ibbotson invested the narrative felt right to me. Even the fictional aspects I found convincing, such as the school at the schloss at Grossenfluss which at times outdid Brontë's Lowood School, and the von Tannenberg's castle of Spittal which belies its name, deriving as it does from the word for hospital as a place of healing. The uncredited map which accompanies this edition shows Grossenfluss and Spittal in the old region of Pomerania, once part of Prussia and now split between Germany in the west and Poland in the east; you will, however search vainly for either location, or that of the spa town of Bad Haxenfeld, even though castles and spas are numerous in this area.
This is, if I may put it thus, a sensual novel. One feels the chill in Spittal and the warmth of the Viennese kitchen; the frugality of the meals in the north contrasts with the richness of the recipes, the dishes and desserts described in the household Annika grows up in; one senses the false emotions and pretended affections Annika gets in some quarters with the genuine feelings she receives in her adopted family. Above all Ibbotson shows due respect for all her characters, even many of the more despicable -- all get their appropriate deserts, even those who we might feel deserved somewhat more just deserts after all their knavery.
And the ending is just perfect -- I defy you not to yield a sigh of satisfaction as you close the final page.
Read
May 17, 2016Ovo je ljubić za devojčice od 10 do 12 godina, jedan kroz jedan - lepo i dobro nahoče, humane kuvarice šašavih profesora, otmene plemkinje sa mračnim tajnama, seksi zagonetni čergarski dečak na konju! Plus carski Beč, valceri, torte, dragulji itd. itd. Vrlo zabavno i potpuno zadovoljavajuće na tom avantura&romantika nivou.
Jedino treba isključiti senzore za nacionalne i etničke stereotipe i svest o tome da se sve dešava oko 1906-1908. pa će svi ovi drugari glavne junakinje za koju godinu junački da izginu.
Jedino treba isključiti senzore za nacionalne i etničke stereotipe i svest o tome da se sve dešava oko 1906-1908. pa će svi ovi drugari glavne junakinje za koju godinu junački da izginu.
April 13, 2023
Eva Ibbotson is one of my absolute best author discoveries of the last several years. It’s only this year that I have started reading her middle grade fiction, and wow! What a treat! Her stories and characters come to life in a unique and wonderful way. The Star of Kazan is a beautifully crafted story — each detail fits into the story perfectly. This book also has one of the best found families I’ve read in a while. Ibbotson is brilliant at creating a small community of eccentric and lovable characters. Trying to capture each character in this book’s big family would take way too long: Ellie, Sigrid, the professors, Stefan, Pauline, Zed, Rocco, Hector, etc. It goes on and on and at the center is Annika, a wonderful and plucky heroine with a love of cooking and animals and a fierce and kindly loyalty to those she loves.
Ibbotson also evokes so well the enchantment of Austria with its rich cultural and musical heritage. A key plot point in this novel is the Lipizzaner stallions. I must pick up Airs Above the Ground now by Mary Stewart to keep on with this theme! This novel is set in 1908 and so there are rumblings of tension already between being Austrian and German and talk of the Fatherland of Germany, especially with a character called Hermann (who has a story arch I loved). I appreciated though that the conflict is kept at a personal level within Annika’s position and family. The settings in the novel are lovely and Ibbotson conveys both the beauty of the countryside and the delight of the city equally well.
Highly recommend.
Ibbotson also evokes so well the enchantment of Austria with its rich cultural and musical heritage. A key plot point in this novel is the Lipizzaner stallions. I must pick up Airs Above the Ground now by Mary Stewart to keep on with this theme! This novel is set in 1908 and so there are rumblings of tension already between being Austrian and German and talk of the Fatherland of Germany, especially with a character called Hermann (who has a story arch I loved). I appreciated though that the conflict is kept at a personal level within Annika’s position and family. The settings in the novel are lovely and Ibbotson conveys both the beauty of the countryside and the delight of the city equally well.
Highly recommend.
January 4, 2010
3.5 stars
This is just a fun, very enjoyable tale of an foundling child, Annika, who was taken in by Sigrid and Ellie, the servants of a trio of professors in Vienna. She has a happy life there with her adopted mother Ellie, her "aunt" and "uncles", and her many friends throughout the town. She daydreams about her mother one day coming for her, until it actually happens and she is dragged off to Germany.
Now, if you know Ibbotson's style, not much in the story will come as a surprise, as her plots are very predictable, but her writing and characters are such that you don't mind, you are just along for the story, to be just as delighted as Annika by Vienna. But lack of surprises aside, there were two things that did bother me and make me wish they had been different.
One: Annika. She was a tad bland and really, terribly lacking in spirit. I realize we are not all fire and grit, but a little proactiveness on her part, even if it was only for the people around her, like Bertha or Zed, who were clearly being ill-treated, would have gone a long way towards allowing me to like her better. Instead, she is so obsessive about doing whatever her newly returned mother wants, even if that means doing things that are mean or lazy, etc. Come on, Annika! Wake up! Even in the end, she still has no spark to her. Give me Zed any day.
Two: I did want a bit of a love story, even if it was just hinted at in the future. I felt like that was skimped on, even though it is there a teeny little tad.
This is just a fun, very enjoyable tale of an foundling child, Annika, who was taken in by Sigrid and Ellie, the servants of a trio of professors in Vienna. She has a happy life there with her adopted mother Ellie, her "aunt" and "uncles", and her many friends throughout the town. She daydreams about her mother one day coming for her, until it actually happens and she is dragged off to Germany.
Now, if you know Ibbotson's style, not much in the story will come as a surprise, as her plots are very predictable, but her writing and characters are such that you don't mind, you are just along for the story, to be just as delighted as Annika by Vienna. But lack of surprises aside, there were two things that did bother me and make me wish they had been different.
One: Annika. She was a tad bland and really, terribly lacking in spirit. I realize we are not all fire and grit, but a little proactiveness on her part, even if it was only for the people around her, like Bertha or Zed, who were clearly being ill-treated, would have gone a long way towards allowing me to like her better. Instead, she is so obsessive about doing whatever her newly returned mother wants, even if that means doing things that are mean or lazy, etc. Come on, Annika! Wake up! Even in the end, she still has no spark to her. Give me Zed any day.
Two: I did want a bit of a love story, even if it was just hinted at in the future. I felt like that was skimped on, even though it is there a teeny little tad.
June 12, 2007
A wonderfully readable mystery by the incomparable Eva Ibbotson. Annika is an orphan who was abandoned as an infant. She is taken in by two servants who work for a family of eccentric professors. She grows up in a servant’s world, surrounded by love, but she yearns to know more about her birth mother. Annika is recruited to care for the elderly relative of an obnoxious family in the neighborhood who are indifferent to their relative’s well being. Annika befriends the old lady, who tells her all about her career as a showgirl and the fabulous jewels that she was given by her admirers. When the old lady dies, she bequeaths her trunk to Annika which is full of her old costumes and fake jewels. Miraculously, one day Annika’s mother appears out of the blue and she turns out to be an aristocrat with wealth and connections. Annika goes to live with her mother and new family, but finds out that things are not quite as they appeared when she first met her mother. The family lives on a large and imposing estate, but the rugs and furniture are threadbare. Annika soon learns that the family has no money, but Annika’s mother seems to have hopes that they will soon be wealthy again. Annika has yet to learn that there is a mysterious and troubling connection between Annika’s inheritance from the old lady and the hopes of her new family. This is a truly wonderful book—perfect for teens who enjoy sophisticated tales such as Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket.
November 11, 2017
A splendid orphan story --- and a good one for reinforcing the idea that we can make our own families. I loved the turn-of-the-century Vienna setting, and there were just the right amount of fairy/folk tale touches. Excellent for 10-13 year old girls, but also for adults who like old-fashioned stories.
Jim Trelease (of the Read-Aloud Handbook) recommended this book to me about 7 years ago. I have chosen it for my 11 year old Book Club this year and I'm anxious to see how the girls enjoy it.
January 2012
I've just reread this book for the above-mentioned Book Club -- and I think that I like and admire it even better the second time.
I really noticed how clever Ibbotson is with the details, and once again I'm struck by how she plays with (and subverts) the fairy tale plot and themes. Her loving tribute to Vienna inspired me to start reading Stefan Zweig's "The World of Yesterday." One of the children in my Book Club said, of the beginning of the book, that "Annika was really happy but she didn't know it." That comment has really stayed with me. How often is that the case? That we don't recognize our golden times when we are living them.
Jim Trelease (of the Read-Aloud Handbook) recommended this book to me about 7 years ago. I have chosen it for my 11 year old Book Club this year and I'm anxious to see how the girls enjoy it.
January 2012
I've just reread this book for the above-mentioned Book Club -- and I think that I like and admire it even better the second time.
I really noticed how clever Ibbotson is with the details, and once again I'm struck by how she plays with (and subverts) the fairy tale plot and themes. Her loving tribute to Vienna inspired me to start reading Stefan Zweig's "The World of Yesterday." One of the children in my Book Club said, of the beginning of the book, that "Annika was really happy but she didn't know it." That comment has really stayed with me. How often is that the case? That we don't recognize our golden times when we are living them.
March 9, 2017
I liked the parts of this story that took place in Vienna. The author made it sound beautiful and charming. Also, the food sounded delicious. The parts that took place in Germany were boring. Not much happens there in this story.
The MC, Annika, was all right, but I didn't connect with her. I did enjoy getting to know the Professors, though. They became more likeable as the story went along. Unfortunately, they weren't much involved with this story. I didn't like Annika's family. They were quite horrible. Indifference is what I feel for the other characters.
The MC, Annika, was all right, but I didn't connect with her. I did enjoy getting to know the Professors, though. They became more likeable as the story went along. Unfortunately, they weren't much involved with this story. I didn't like Annika's family. They were quite horrible. Indifference is what I feel for the other characters.
February 11, 2013
I usually like Eva Ibbotson so I wanted to give this book a try. Of all the Ibbotson I have read, this has been my least favorite. I am not sure what elements really turned me off. Maybe it was the predictability, maybe it was the decisions Annika made that just didn't make any sense to me. Her idea of a mother and the actions of a mother up against the experience of living with her foster mother should have been cut and dry to me. I couldn't understand the misguided sense of loyalty. That spoiled it for me I guess.
November 10, 2014
Just as good as her book The Dragonfly Pool...I might have even liked the story better. Overall, great story, well-written, great characters... a really nice read
February 28, 2019
Enjoyed this book although not as much as Journey to the River Sea.
July 14, 2007
Hmm...Eva Ibbotson wrote this as a tribute to Vienna, the country she grew up in, and sure enough, I only liked the sections that took place in Vienna, not in Germany. I found the part of the story that takes place in Germany miserably depressing. Sadly, the Vienna section is only the first 80, and last 50 pages of the over 400 page book. I wasn't in the mood to read a depressing story, so I skimmed the rest of the book, because I was interested in seeing what happened.
The story is about a girl named Annika, who as a baby, is found abandoned in a church by 2 maids. The maids raise her, and despite how happy she is with them, and her life in Vienna, she still dreams of the day that her mother will come to get her. Her mother does come to get her one day, and takes her to her mansion in Germany, but things are not as they seem. In fact, they are much much worse.
Great characters, interesting plot, enough intrigue to keep me reading (well, skimming) to find out what happens, just a really depressing story.
The story is about a girl named Annika, who as a baby, is found abandoned in a church by 2 maids. The maids raise her, and despite how happy she is with them, and her life in Vienna, she still dreams of the day that her mother will come to get her. Her mother does come to get her one day, and takes her to her mansion in Germany, but things are not as they seem. In fact, they are much much worse.
Great characters, interesting plot, enough intrigue to keep me reading (well, skimming) to find out what happens, just a really depressing story.
May 26, 2021
Reading the title of the book, I imagined it to be a Fantasy book given its title as well as the cover image which invokes a sense of magic and mystery. The book in fact a historical fiction/ mystery novel which is set in early 20th Century in Vienna which was a part of the Austro Hungarian and German empire at the time. However given the evocative description of the neighbourhoods in Vienna, the Spanish Riding school, brooding castles in the German countryside and food delicacies, it could very well pass for a fantasy novel as well!
The novel reads more like a mystery novel with elements of suspense, adventure and even a bit of horror which makes for an interesting read. I like how the story takes unexpected turns, while at the same all the little details and hints fit together and has a satisfactory payoff at the end. The character development is really good with some really memorable character. I particularly liked the worrying professors and the antics they got upto!
The novel is also set in a historical context and makes references to historical figures and famous locations in Vienna and is written in a very evocative way. It's clear from the writing that the author is drawing on her own childhood exepriences growing up in Vienna which gives it a very authentic feeling to it. The book is also very interesting in that even though its written in 1999, it has the feel of a 'classic' novel and one can easily mistake the book as having been written much earlier.
Another interesting point was even though the book is meant for children, it does touch on some interesting themes. One in particular was the attitude towards servants and the expected patterns of behaviour which I haven't seen covered in that way in any other novel.
Recommendation
Overall, while I felt that in some places the novel could have been a bit shorter if it didn't go into a few sub plots which didn't seem to fit too well into the main story, I found the characters and storytelling to be very well done and if you like a good mystery set in a historic period, this might be a novel for you.
The novel reads more like a mystery novel with elements of suspense, adventure and even a bit of horror which makes for an interesting read. I like how the story takes unexpected turns, while at the same all the little details and hints fit together and has a satisfactory payoff at the end. The character development is really good with some really memorable character. I particularly liked the worrying professors and the antics they got upto!
The novel is also set in a historical context and makes references to historical figures and famous locations in Vienna and is written in a very evocative way. It's clear from the writing that the author is drawing on her own childhood exepriences growing up in Vienna which gives it a very authentic feeling to it. The book is also very interesting in that even though its written in 1999, it has the feel of a 'classic' novel and one can easily mistake the book as having been written much earlier.
Another interesting point was even though the book is meant for children, it does touch on some interesting themes. One in particular was the attitude towards servants and the expected patterns of behaviour which I haven't seen covered in that way in any other novel.
Recommendation
Overall, while I felt that in some places the novel could have been a bit shorter if it didn't go into a few sub plots which didn't seem to fit too well into the main story, I found the characters and storytelling to be very well done and if you like a good mystery set in a historic period, this might be a novel for you.
November 25, 2018
Eva Ibbotson really gets you glued to her books
December 2, 2019
On a roll here with Eva Ibbotson's delightful middle-grade/YA novels. This one has it all: hidden treasure; an abandoned child; a suspicious cast of relatives and a very special horse and his boy.
June 29, 2019
Una bella storia.
Sì perché questa è la storia di una bambina abbandonata alla nascita, che però, proprio grazie a questo trova la sua vera famiglia, l'unica e la sola che le vuole bene.
È una storia di buoni valori, ma non stereotipati.
Un libro che i bambini dovrebbero leggere perché insegna ciò che è davvero importante.
Nonostante ormai non sia più una bambina, e da diverso tempo direi, è stato un piacere leggere questa storia.
Lo stile della Ibbotson è sublime! Si diverte ad esasperare i caratteri dei personaggi creando splendide caricature ai quali dona un tocco personale per far capire al lettore se quel personaggio è buono o cattivo.
Leggere questo libro è stato un po' come ritornar bambini. E ogni tanto ci vuole.
Sì perché questa è la storia di una bambina abbandonata alla nascita, che però, proprio grazie a questo trova la sua vera famiglia, l'unica e la sola che le vuole bene.
È una storia di buoni valori, ma non stereotipati.
Un libro che i bambini dovrebbero leggere perché insegna ciò che è davvero importante.
Nonostante ormai non sia più una bambina, e da diverso tempo direi, è stato un piacere leggere questa storia.
Lo stile della Ibbotson è sublime! Si diverte ad esasperare i caratteri dei personaggi creando splendide caricature ai quali dona un tocco personale per far capire al lettore se quel personaggio è buono o cattivo.
Leggere questo libro è stato un po' come ritornar bambini. E ogni tanto ci vuole.
January 23, 2015
Reading Eva Ibbotson's The Star of Kazan is like falling into pile of clean sheets warm from the clothes dryer. A welcome coziness, especially after the bout of mediocre-to-terrible books I read at the start of the year.
It's always interesting to me to read literature aimed at a much younger audience, especially when it's my first time reading it. There is a different "weight" of storytelling involved, and the telling emphasizes sensory engagement.
I don't have any lens of nostalgia through which to view this book. I rather wish I did, because I'm sure it would have become a favorite if I had read it in childhood. It has all the ingredients for a youthful daydream--parade horses and old castles, secret treasures and escapades with (shockingly well-portrayed) gypsies, cruel school headmistresses and food. So much food.
A warning: have a snack handy while you read this book. You'll get hungry.
I found no real flaw in The Star of Kazan. It's a simple but a delightful book, warming without being saccharine. It recalled how I felt about the Little House books, before having it pointed out how terrible this family is.
The book is a bit of a mystery, but the reader will most likely have it solved at once. Then it's only a matter of the characters catching up. Annika's perspective on the world is fun to share, especially once you learn to take her assessments with a grain of salt. (Best was her ongoing belief that the aristocracy in whose company she has landed live in cold houses and eat plain food on purpose, to toughen themselves up, when a more cynical eye would have noticed that these "aristocrats" were really just paupers.)
The Star of Kazan lacks staying power. For all of its gentle virtues, it's not a memorable read. I didn't put it down with strong mental images lingering, no reverberating lines of dialogue, no world-shifting perspective. It's just a pleasant book. If I were ever so unfortunate as to have children, however, I'd want a book like this on the shelf for younger readers to find and fall in love with.
There are worse things than a book about found families, horses, baking, and communities taking care of their own.
It's always interesting to me to read literature aimed at a much younger audience, especially when it's my first time reading it. There is a different "weight" of storytelling involved, and the telling emphasizes sensory engagement.
I don't have any lens of nostalgia through which to view this book. I rather wish I did, because I'm sure it would have become a favorite if I had read it in childhood. It has all the ingredients for a youthful daydream--parade horses and old castles, secret treasures and escapades with (shockingly well-portrayed) gypsies, cruel school headmistresses and food. So much food.
A warning: have a snack handy while you read this book. You'll get hungry.
I found no real flaw in The Star of Kazan. It's a simple but a delightful book, warming without being saccharine. It recalled how I felt about the Little House books, before having it pointed out how terrible this family is.
The book is a bit of a mystery, but the reader will most likely have it solved at once. Then it's only a matter of the characters catching up. Annika's perspective on the world is fun to share, especially once you learn to take her assessments with a grain of salt. (Best was her ongoing belief that the aristocracy in whose company she has landed live in cold houses and eat plain food on purpose, to toughen themselves up, when a more cynical eye would have noticed that these "aristocrats" were really just paupers.)
The Star of Kazan lacks staying power. For all of its gentle virtues, it's not a memorable read. I didn't put it down with strong mental images lingering, no reverberating lines of dialogue, no world-shifting perspective. It's just a pleasant book. If I were ever so unfortunate as to have children, however, I'd want a book like this on the shelf for younger readers to find and fall in love with.
There are worse things than a book about found families, horses, baking, and communities taking care of their own.
October 23, 2020
This book won the Nestlé Children's Book Prize. Oh dear. I was brought up with Rosemary Sutcliffe, Geoffrey Trease, The Weirdstone of Brisingamen – Andre Norton. This won an award? A dastardly crime is committed. A young girl is deprived of great wealth by conniving aristocratic criminals in old Vienna, the old corrupt Vienna of grand-dukes and dreams of empire. And yet, at the end, no one is guilty, no one gets their comeuppance. The villains are honest, hard-working thugs who have unfortunately come on hard times. They could be Conservative Members of Parliament, for heaven's sake. My heart goes out to little Annika, losing all those jewels, but, what can I say, woman, get a backbone. You've been swindled by crooks – and they're laughing at you. Never mind the white horses and Zed – he's sponging off you as well. Grab the jewels and scarper, love. There's a world war coming and you really would want to be in America when that happens. 'Strewth, where's a heroine when you need one?
December 23, 2020
this is the only eva ibbotson historical i had my own copy of when i was little, & i never felt v strongly about it -- i read it once, & then it got lost under the pile of other, brighter, bigger stories.
re-reading it now felt like reading an entirely new book, & i'm v glad i did, even though the sort of pleasure i got from it was soft & worn & unobtrusive. it's not a book made for me, specifically, to love, but it's hard not to like it w all the sincerity in the world -- it's so earnest & so serious about friendship and kindness and family and home ! & it made me a little misty-eyed at least three times, but especially with "the world was so beautiful in those days" & "honestly, it still is," and with the image of strewing flowers over vienna. just a book with a Big Old Heart !
re-reading it now felt like reading an entirely new book, & i'm v glad i did, even though the sort of pleasure i got from it was soft & worn & unobtrusive. it's not a book made for me, specifically, to love, but it's hard not to like it w all the sincerity in the world -- it's so earnest & so serious about friendship and kindness and family and home ! & it made me a little misty-eyed at least three times, but especially with "the world was so beautiful in those days" & "honestly, it still is," and with the image of strewing flowers over vienna. just a book with a Big Old Heart !
May 18, 2016
I loved the subtle humor in this. It got me from the first chapter, when Ellie (a middle-aged cook) is hiking up a mountain with her friend Sigrid, and stops in a church to, as she tells it, pray for her dearly departed mother that she dreamed about last night. Sigrid rolls her eyes and says "I told you not to wear those new boots on the hike."
I'll admit I picked it up partly because the protagonist's name is Annika, but this exceeded my expectations. It's atmospheric (historical fiction set in Viena), and I couldn't help loving Annika and her friends and found family. Fantastic book, thought it did get a little darker than I was expecting for this age group. Ibbotson can definitely write.
I'll admit I picked it up partly because the protagonist's name is Annika, but this exceeded my expectations. It's atmospheric (historical fiction set in Viena), and I couldn't help loving Annika and her friends and found family. Fantastic book, thought it did get a little darker than I was expecting for this age group. Ibbotson can definitely write.
October 15, 2012
Not quite as good as Journey to the River Sea.
Good lyricism and atmosphere.
Boring in bits.
Lacking a strong, in any way, main character. Rather like a sheep, in that she question her "mother" in no way and just followed along.
Side characters were more interesting.
Predictable plot.
Still enjoyable.
Recommended for MG children.
Good lyricism and atmosphere.
Boring in bits.
Lacking a strong, in any way, main character. Rather like a sheep, in that she question her "mother" in no way and just followed along.
Side characters were more interesting.
Predictable plot.
Still enjoyable.
Recommended for MG children.
August 16, 2016
I don't know how Ibbotson does it, but her storytelling can only be described as LOVELY and DELIGHTFUL.
This was a perfectly satisfying and fulfilling read, despite being a children's/middle grade book. I mean, every element of a good story, of good writing, of good telling, literally everything, is spotless.
And there's even some subtle wittiness to boot!
This was a perfectly satisfying and fulfilling read, despite being a children's/middle grade book. I mean, every element of a good story, of good writing, of good telling, literally everything, is spotless.
And there's even some subtle wittiness to boot!
April 30, 2016
One of those sweet old-fashioned reads that you may never have heard of. I liked it muchly.
January 22, 2018
4.5
I would call this a modern classic. It reads like one. Great storytelling, scene building, character development. Vienna comes to life with the author’s words. And so does the rundown Spittal in northern Germany, the other major setting in the book.
There’s a lot of warmth and ease in the storytelling. And the author takes the time to show us Annika’s life, from when she is raised as a foundling by a housemaid and a cook who work in the professors’ house in Vienna to when she thinks she has finally found her true home at Spittal with her mother, one of the great “vons”.
There’s mystery, humor, suspense, drama, and though it takes some time to get started, you’ll find yourself saying “just another chapter”, “just another page” to see what happens next. And it all comes together nicely. There are great adventures and great escapes. Characters discover the value of family, love, and friendship through action. And the importance of honesty and goodwill.
And there are happy endings to be had all around.
As for why the book is called The Star of Kazan, you’ll just have to read it to find out!
I would call this a modern classic. It reads like one. Great storytelling, scene building, character development. Vienna comes to life with the author’s words. And so does the rundown Spittal in northern Germany, the other major setting in the book.
There’s a lot of warmth and ease in the storytelling. And the author takes the time to show us Annika’s life, from when she is raised as a foundling by a housemaid and a cook who work in the professors’ house in Vienna to when she thinks she has finally found her true home at Spittal with her mother, one of the great “vons”.
There’s mystery, humor, suspense, drama, and though it takes some time to get started, you’ll find yourself saying “just another chapter”, “just another page” to see what happens next. And it all comes together nicely. There are great adventures and great escapes. Characters discover the value of family, love, and friendship through action. And the importance of honesty and goodwill.
And there are happy endings to be had all around.
As for why the book is called The Star of Kazan, you’ll just have to read it to find out!
July 8, 2021
Just lovely. Enthusiastically handed to my 12 year old daughter.
This is a story about longing for a fairy tale to happen to you, the fairy tale turning out a lot scarier than you had imagined, and then realising that your life was already a beautiful fairy tale and embracing that with gratitude and joy.
One thing I LOVED was the number of allies the heroine had. She has the usual loyal group of plucky child friends, but she also had no less than FIVE quirky and loving adults going to bat for her. I think the book needed this, as the narcissistic villain was so very(for a child) terrifying in her self-belief and ability to manipulate others.
This is my first Ibbotson and certainly not my last. This is the first book that made me really deeply feel the appeal of Austria. She writes a bit like Mary Stewart in her scene painting. I also loved the role food plays in this book. The joyous artistry of food in Annika’s kitchen upbringing and the role that plays in representing the health and goodness of her childhood .
I probably would recommend the book younger than 12 because of themes of (light) illegitimacy and a false mother figure.
This is a story about longing for a fairy tale to happen to you, the fairy tale turning out a lot scarier than you had imagined, and then realising that your life was already a beautiful fairy tale and embracing that with gratitude and joy.
One thing I LOVED was the number of allies the heroine had. She has the usual loyal group of plucky child friends, but she also had no less than FIVE quirky and loving adults going to bat for her. I think the book needed this, as the narcissistic villain was so very(for a child) terrifying in her self-belief and ability to manipulate others.
This is my first Ibbotson and certainly not my last. This is the first book that made me really deeply feel the appeal of Austria. She writes a bit like Mary Stewart in her scene painting. I also loved the role food plays in this book. The joyous artistry of food in Annika’s kitchen upbringing and the role that plays in representing the health and goodness of her childhood .
I probably would recommend the book younger than 12 because of themes of (light) illegitimacy and a false mother figure.
October 1, 2020
Oh gosh this was delightful. It's the perfect blend of cozy mundane details and outlandish plot twists, with really delicious-sounding food, and exactly the thing you would most like to have happen nearly always happens. And there are many useful life lessons, from scrounging a meal from a nearly-bare cupboard, to taking care of a horse, investigating a suspicious document, or being a good friend.
* note: there are some characters who say bad things about Roma people, but the book itself is pro-Roma.
* note: there are some characters who say bad things about Roma people, but the book itself is pro-Roma.
November 9, 2019
I liked this a lot, despite that it was NOTHING at all like what I expected from the title and the description. I expected jewels and some kind of a high-stakes adventure. Instead, it was more of a "girl and her family" story and the jewels hardly came into it at all.
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