Eva Ibbotson

I was very sad to hear, belatedly, of the death of Eva Ibbotson.  The world of fiction for children, teenagers and adults is a poorer place now.  I looked forward to the publication of  her beautifully-crafted novels with great anticipation and re-read older titles avidly.  Her books read as though they were effortless  but I know that that is not true.  Eva wroted and re-drafted and honed every sentence until her language was as close to perfection as it could be.

That she was never awarded the Carnegie Medal is a huge regret for me.  It will be interesting to see if books that won Medals instead of Eva’s stand the test of time.  I think that her Journey to the River Sea and The Star of Kazan will.  I’ve written about the latter previously and I have no reason to change my opinion that it is a jewel of a book.  Read it or Madensky Square over Christmas and you will be transported to Vienna at the turn of the Twentieth Century.  You may not wish to leave.