The Star of Kazan Award-winning by Eva Ibbotson (author)

A grand and sweeping adventure set in 19th century Austria, from best-loved author Eva Ibbotson. In the romantic city of Vienna, twelve-year-old foundling Annika lives contentedly, learning the art of pastry-making under the affectionate eyes of the two servant-women who fostered her as a baby. But when she suddenly inherits a trunk of costume jewellery, the mysterious and majestic Edeltraut von Tannenberg appears. Claiming to be Annika’s aristocratic mother, she takes her away to live in a strangely decrepit rural mansion. At first, Annika is enthralled by the sophisticated stranger. But it’s not long before she finds herself embroiled in a morass of secrets, rife with danger…

“A magnificent piece of storytelling, which positively luxuriates in the extraordinary twists and turns of the plot.” Books for Keeps

“For great story-telling look no further than Eva Ibbotson.” Sunday Times

Product Details

Format

Paperback

ISBN

9780330418027

Accelerated Reader

AR book level: 6.1; Middle years; 16.0 points

Other details

388 pages

Condition

New

Author/Illustrator

Eva Ibbotson

Eva Ibbotson is the award-winning author of many books for children and adults. She has a daughter and three sons, who showed her that children like to read about ghosts, wizards, and witches “because they are just like people but madder and more interesting.”

She was born in Vienna, in Austria, but moved to England with her family when the Nazis came to power. After training to be a physiologist which she didn’t enjoy because she didn’t like doing experiments on animals, Eva got married and had four very nice children.

Her first children’s book, The Great Ghost Rescue was published in 1975, and she is best known for titles like Journey to the River Sea and The Dragonfly Pool. Eva died in 2010, aged 85.