The Morning Gift

by Eva Ibbotson

The Morning Gift didn't quite live up to my expectations. I thought A Song for Summer was phenomenal and this simply wasn't as good. I think it was a bit predictable and Ibbotson seemed to skip right over what should have been a much larger part of the story and a great climactic conclusion.

The characters were a little hard to like. Ruth was a little infantile in her I Can't Believe How Blue The Sky Is attitude. I had a hard time remembering she was twenty years old. Quin was a benevolent character, but it seemed he felt no true passion when helping others, only obligation. He seemed quite detached. It really bothers me when characters keep holding back and instead of just saying, Hey, I don't want a divorce, I love you, Quin and Ruth had to dance around, playing this self-deprecating game of denial.

I do very much enjoy Ibbotson's writing. I think her words and imagery are beautiful and her style is unique and a little reminiscent of a different time period. She also makes it very easy to keep track of a large amount of characters.

I wouldn't read this again, but I am willing to give her another chance to impress me again.