When Ellen Carr, daughter of a militant suffragette and raised to be an intellectual, takes a job in Austria as housemother at the Hallendorf School of Music, Drama and the Dance she simply wants to cook beautiful food. What she finds when she reaches Schloss Hallendorf is an eccentrically magical world occupied by wild children, naked Harmony teachers, experimental dancers and a tortoise on wheels. But idyllic as this life appears, outside the castle Hitler's Reich is already casting its menacing shadow over Europe and the ...
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When Ellen Carr, daughter of a militant suffragette and raised to be an intellectual, takes a job in Austria as housemother at the Hallendorf School of Music, Drama and the Dance she simply wants to cook beautiful food. What she finds when she reaches Schloss Hallendorf is an eccentrically magical world occupied by wild children, naked Harmony teachers, experimental dancers and a tortoise on wheels. But idyllic as this life appears, outside the castle Hitler's Reich is already casting its menacing shadow over Europe and the persecutions have begun. Through her growing friendship with the mysterious groundsman Marek, Ellen ecounters the dreadful reality of flight from Nazi Germany - and, on the brink of war, discovers a passion that will shape her life. In this witty, touching and above all delightful novel, Eva Ibbotson combines an immensely satisfying love story with a gripping account of the gathering storm of war. A Song for Summer is a joy to read.
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Add this copy of A Song for Summer to cart. $1.48, fair condition, Sold by Once Upon A Time Books rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Tontitown, AR, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Speak.
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Fair. This is a used book. It may contain highlighting/underlining and/or the book may show heavier signs of wear. It may also be ex-library or without dustjacket. This is a used book. It may contain highlighting/underlining and/or the book may show heavier signs of wear. It may also be ex-library or without dustjacket.
Add this copy of A Song for Summer to cart. $1.56, good condition, Sold by BookHolders rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gambrills, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Speak.
Add this copy of A Song for Summer to cart. $1.65, good condition, Sold by Your Online Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Houston, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Speak.
Add this copy of A Song for Summer to cart. $1.65, fair condition, Sold by Your Online Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Houston, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Speak.
Add this copy of A Song for Summer to cart. $1.65, fair condition, Sold by Orion Tech rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Arlington, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Speak.
Add this copy of A Song for Summer to cart. $1.65, good condition, Sold by Gulf Coast Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Memphis, TN, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Speak.
Add this copy of A Song for Summer to cart. $1.99, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Speak.
Add this copy of A Song for Summer to cart. $2.48, fair condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Speak.
Add this copy of A Song for Summer to cart. $2.50, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Emerald rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Speak.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of A Song for Summer to cart. $2.50, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Ruby rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Speak.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Ellen is raised by forward-thinking, feminist suffragettes in genteel, academic, and nearly sterile surroundings. There's no lack of love but somehow a great lack of homey comfort, for which she longs. And so she creates a life for herself based on the gifts she has for creating home when surrounded by mere stone and wood. Like Ibbotson's other YA heroines, she is very good, and she is very lovable. But that doesn't mean she won't run into trouble and heartache.
I really enjoyed immersing myself in the Austrian countryside just before Hitler stormed though it. You could compare this in many ways to The Sound of Music, for setting and even for character. Take one mother-figure, add several displaced children, stir in some zany neighbors and academics, toss in the simmering touch of not-quite-attainable romance, and add the looming shadow of the Third Reich.
Ibbotson's prose has a lightly musical quality to it, sometimes layered and sometimes lyrical. I don't think the story itself will hold many surprises, but it is a very enjoyable read.
