The Star of Kazan

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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. Professor Gertrude is the youngest and the only woman. She plays the harp and always smells of lavender water. She suffers from cold feet and needs a hot water bottle to sleep. She is sometimes very anxious, doesn't smile much, and always has bits of food on her skirt. Eva Ibbotson's hugely entertaining The Star of Kazan is a timeless classic for readers young and old. The story takes place over a year in the Austro-Hungarian and German empires in the early 20th century. Certain events are discussed, however, that are set in the late 19th century or other parts of Europe. Though the story is fictional some people and events from actual history are discussed (such as Emperor Franz-Josef and the founding of the German empire). The author, with ancestry from Vienna herself, dedicates the second chapter of the book to discussing life there at that time.

The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson - Fantastic Fiction The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson - Fantastic Fiction

The professors are all siblings and have lived in the same house all their lives. None of them are married and are unlikely to be any time soon. It won the Nestlé Children's Book Prize Silver Award and was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. [1] [2] Setting [ edit ] La Rondine is the Loremarie's great-aunt. Annika used to read to her because Loremarie was disgusted by her. La Rondine told Annika about her life and how she used to be a great actress. She had a chest of jewels she thought to be fake, and as she died without knowing that they were real, she bequeathed them to Annika in her will.urn:lcp:starofkazan0000ibbo_a9e4:lcpdf:9557d039-f6a6-431e-b4aa-9bfb412ba629 Foldoutcount 0 Identifier starofkazan0000ibbo_a9e4 Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t4nm43d1m Invoice 1652 Isbn 1405050845 I don't know how Ibbotson does it, but her storytelling can only be described as LOVELY and DELIGHTFUL. 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. 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 Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson | Goodreads

This is an amazing book that I would recommend to anybody! It is the story of an orphan who goes through a series of identities to last her a lifetime.

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Professor Emil is the middle child. He has a "sensitive stomach" and cannot cope with spicy foods. He is an art expert and is able to tell who painted a picture by looking at the feet of its main subjects. 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. 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. 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! 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.

The Star of Kazan | BookTrust

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. Annika is asked by Loremarie Egghart, a snobby rich girl whom Annika despises, to read to her great-aunt. Annika does so and the two (Annika and Loremarie's great aunt) become friends, telling each other about their lives. Loremarie's great aunt was a famous theatre personality who went by the stage name La Rondine. They become so close that the great-aunt leaves Annika her jewels when she dies, having been told that the jewels are pastings of the real ones which she had sold through a jeweler.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. Annika is the protagonist of the story. A foundling, she is found and taken in by Sigrid and Ellie. She has a real talent for cooking, but she is very trusting. Gudrun is a rather pathetic looking girl who is the daughter of Edeltraut von Tannenberg's sister and cousin to Hermann, whom she worships as a hero. She always wants whatever Hermann desires. Her most rebellious scene is when she ignores her mother and tells Ellie and the professors that Annika has been sent to Grossenfluss. Gudrun is not as evil as her mother, she is just uninformed. Twelve years pass and it is now 1908. For Annika, life in Vienna is perfect. She attends a local school whilst helping the adult maids with the day-to-day duties of running the household, has her friends, Pauline and Stefan, and loves her adopted family (Ellie and Sigrid, and the three professors who they all work for) very much. 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!