Ibbotson, Eva. The morning gift

When it becomes clear that the Nazis will invade Vienna, the wealthy Berger family flees to London. Twenty-year-old Ruth Berger is mired in red tape and stuck in Austria with no safe passage out. Through luck and coincidence, Quin Sommerville, a colleague of Ruth's father, stumbles upon Ruth, desperate and alone. After pursuing other options, it becomes clear that the only way out is for Ruth to marry Quin and become a British citizen. The marriage is to be a secret and annulled as soon as possible. Reunited with her family, Ruth tries to reestablish a normal life. She matriculates at the university where Quin teaches and winds up in his course. Their simple plan--to marry, annul it, and never see one another again--grows unexpectedly complicated. With breathtaking (or, as Ruth would suggest, breathgiving) twists and turns, Ibbotson takes the reader on a passionate journey filled with love, honor, and secrets. Ruth, who has always been a precocious and curious student of life, must learn the hard way that book learning is no match for matters of the heart. Both Ruth and Quin are headstrong, leading to many miscommunications that propel the action forward. The backdrop of the war infuses the story with a sense of despair and urgency, but that isn't the main focus of the plot. Just as Ruth charms everyone she meets in London, her effervescent personality will leap off the page and charm readers, too. Amanda MacGregor, St. Cloud, MN

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