This book is one of my favorites. I picked it up not knowing the author at all and became lost in a touching romance. I now try to find her books wherever I can. This is usually in libraries, because most of her adult books at out of print.

This book is not hard to find used or at a public library. Otherwise, I would hate to get anyone's hopes up. There is nothing worse than saying, "I just read a fabulous book and you will never be able to find it yourself." This novel is set in Europe and South America in the early 20th century before WWI, a time period I would like to see used more frequently. The heroine, Harriet, meets a little boy at an English estate who tells her she must somehow travel to South America and find his lost uncle to redeem his faltering estate. Harriet enters a touring ballet company of "Swan Lake" as a dancer in the corps by running away from the stifling home of her father-professor in Cambridge, England. The troupe travels to South America to perform and there she meets the hero, Rom, the lost uncle. There are some amazing coincidences in this book that you might not accept in a lesser work. There are also some big misunderstandings between Harriet and Rom. However, this novel is so well written by its Viennese author that those plot devices cause no annoyance whatsoever. The author's writing style is quite distinct from an American's or a UK writer's style which I found a refreshing change since those two writing groups tend to dominate the market. There are also many humorous moments and characters that will have you LOL as you read. The prima ballerina and the insect professor, to name two, are absolutely hilarious. I am now trying to find this author's other novels, all of which seem to be out of print and I can only hope that I beat you other auction aficionados to the punch! Thanks to EP and LLF for recommending this over on an online message board. You couldn't have been more right about this novel.

In 1912, Cambridge, Harriet Morton lives in an oppresive household with her dry, clutch-fist aunt and narrow-minded father. Like Anna (of A Countess Below Stairs by the same author), Harriet possesses the pure, luminescent quality that Ibbotson seems to favor in her leading females. Harriet's main joy in her life is her dancing lesson; she is offered a chance to become part of a troupe going to the Amazons. She meets at a neglected Yorkshire mansion an endearing, odd little boy named Henry that begs her to find The Boy; Henry is sure that The Boy is in the Amazons and that he will save the ruined household. Struck with this serendipitious sign, Harriet takes the chance to follow her dream to the far-away land. We meet the bumbling, insensitive suitor, and the tempermental, aging ballerina; we meet Harriet's roommate and friend, Marie-Claude, a beauty who wants to open an inn by the mountains. Sometimes, the secondary characters can "break-or-make" a story; in this case, they perform their roles to perfection.

Like all good books, the plot seems fairly simple until you explain it. I can't go into detail of who The Boy is (surely you must have guessed anyway!) but I will leave in mystery WHO he has become and WHY he is where he is. It wouldn't be fair to compare this book to A Countess Below Stairs, which is what I incline to do. This one is longer, and sometimes does drag on; the agonizing love of Anna and Rupert is not repeated because A Company of Swans is lighter, and more suited to convention (which you will recognize if you've been a long-time romance reader). There is a villain, but unlike the bloodthirstiness in "modern" historicals (is that an oxymoron?) she does not receive her comeuppance as one is used to. But the threads of the story weave together to form an effortless plot and a sweet, charming tale. Rather Dickens-ish in its range of "coincidences" that bring Harriet, the heroine, and Rom Verney, the hero, together, A Company of Swans is nonetheless beautifully written and an engaging read.

I read the book Island of the Aunts by Eva Ibbotson. It was fairly enjoyable though a bit boring in some parts. The story is about 3 aunts who live on a magical island, and are worried about what will happen to the creautres when they die, so they kidnap two children Minette and Fabio. The story then goes on to be about what happens when they come, and problems with the kidnapping. Girls and Boys ages 10 - 13.

I reviewed this book earlier, but I just reread it so I had to review it again.

1. This book looks impressing, but its really just because there are three books inside it. The pages are also thick, so its really not that bad.

2. You should get this book because it is very fresh and refreshing. It seems like you get more out of the book because there are three stories, so there are three plots, three expositions, three rising actions, three climaxes, and three resolutions.

3.Eva Ibbotson uses creative plots to get your attention. I was very surprised at the plots of the stories, but it was a pleasant surprise.

4. You REALLY should GET this BOOK!!!!!!!!

I DEFINETELY recommend this book to you!!!!!!!!!!

This book was really good! I was waiting for the next Harry Potter book to come out when I saw this book. I was really glad I got it. It wasn't just filler. I really liked the way Eva Ibbotson made a whole different world, but it still felt like that world might actually be there. In Island of the Aunts, she shows how important it is to conserve nature and it's wonders. She was able to give that message without being depressing, like other books sometimes are.

Eva Ibbotson's world is a place where imagination abounds and witches and wizards live happily with ogres, hags, mermaids and krakens. In the tradition of Roald Dahl, J.K. Rowling and E. Nesbit, these three novels are packed with crisp humor and droll characters. From the motley band of rescuers searching London for their missing prince in The Secret of Platform 13, to Belladonna, the young witch who needs to do something awful in order to win the hand of a handsome wizard in Which Witch?, to the three kindly old aunts who kidnap children to help care for the creatures living on the Island of the Aunts, these hilarious tales will sweep readers away to a world of pure fantasy and fun.

This is a great introductory set to Eva Ibbotson's entertaining writing. All three are well written, funny and appropriate for younger children. The books are recommended for ages 8 and up, but I think that many younger readers would also understand and appreciate this series, especially if they were read with a parent. Ibbotson does a very nice job of describing the different magical creatures and helping younger readers understand what is going on, but it is not in any way boring for older readers. These three books are not a series and do not share any of the same characters, but are a fun introduction to a wonderful fantasy author! Check these out while you wait for Ms. Rowling to finish the next Harry Potter book!

This is a nice way to own these three books. The stories are not connected and can be read in any order, they do not share the same characters or locations. But they do share a similar whimsical flavor that is hard to describe without reading yourself. I really enjoyed each of these books on their own very much, so much so that I returned to Amazon.com to buy this box set for my Aunt, another adult who enjoys childrens fantasy adventure yarns.

I really loved this book, it wasn't in the shops, but I read it in the college library. I was really annoyed when I read it, because the library closed and I couldn't take it home with me, and I was in early the next day to finish it. It is much better than thousands of soppy romances in circulation. The hero and heroine are proper characters with faults and weaknesses, ones you can love.

This is one my favorite books--it's just right for the person who wants an enjoyable, warm-hearted read. I enjoy romance and happy endings, but with some depth of characterization and intelligence in writing, and this book fits the bill perfectly.

I have recommended this book to many people, and all of them have liked it. Oh how I wish it was still in print so I could buy a copy to keep!

Being close to halloween I chose this book to read for enjoyment as well as a way to fulfill an assignment for a class I am taking. The book jacket told of a young English boy's journey as he tries to help some creepy and strange spirits find a new home after being evicted from their castle where they have spent the last 500 years. Along the way other ghosts, vampire bats and spooks help the young man on his way to Parliament to plead with the government to help the homeless spirits. The unusual array of characters really adds to the story.
I think the story has enough humor and "grossness" to keep young readers entertained. Humphrey the Horrible and his ghost family are an interesting bunch. His father, the Gliding Kilt, his mother,the Hag, his sister, Weeping Winifred, and his brother George, the Screaming Skull together make up the leaders of a band of residence challenged ghouls.
Besides being entertaining the story also has some serious yet subtle messages in it. Most of the ghosts are being misplaced because their old homes and haunts are being destroyed by progress. Old castles are being turned into hotels, haunted houses are being torn down to make subdivisions, and old barns are even being turned into bowling alleys. "Hard to haunt with all those bright lights and bowling balls making all that rachet!" says one ghost. This one underlying plot may make readers think about and form opinions about how progress affects our world.
I would recommend this book for young readers. While not being very scary at all it is entertaining and there may even be a few lessons to be learned.

This is the first book of Ibbotson's that I've read and I enjoyed it. It makes you laugh, makes you think, and makes you care. I think it's a great book for children mainly because it makes them think while having fun. There's enough 'gross'ness to say 'ughhhh!' and laugh, giggle and shows how we can DO something about the world around us if we really cared and tried to contribute positively to it.

It's a well-written book.

This book is one of the last Ibbotson's I read, but i loved it just the same. Parts of it may not be as wonderful as Which Witch? or Not Just A Witch, but it is a great book I would highly recommend it for relaxing fantasy literature. I also find it better in different ways than the other books. The characters seem more

What a mess! The editorial review (excerpt from Kirkus reviews) is about the Eva Ibbotson book Morning gift - set in Vienna and Britain before and during World War II. Great book: 5 stars.

The Diana Norman book is the one about the Saxon heiress. I also read it, but can not remember much about it, thought it was average.

A wonderful story of survival amidst a political war torn backdrop. It is more romantic history than historical romance. It is not a happy ending; it is a fitting ending to a story filled with strong will and strong emotion. It leaves you happy for the heroine. Unforgettable!

This is one of my all time favorite books. I have reread it many times with a great deal of pleasure. It concerns the life of a young Norman heiress named Matilda who is sold off to one husband after another during the violent times of the civil war between King Steven and the Empress Maud. Matilda's first husband presents her with a "morning gift" after their wedding night. She is dismayed at this display of lusty feeling on his part and mortified to think anyone might imagine she is capable of the same feelings. Then she is further dismayed to find that this gift is a swampy bit of fenland in East Anglia where no one speaks her proper Norman French. But it is a rich land filled with sassy, dependable people and it's a great place to hide in times of trouble and trouble is surely coming!

Ive read Countess Below Stairs a hundred times and it's one of my favourite books ever, so when I bought this one I thought it would be as good as that one. But it wasnt. It was kind of boring. I enjoyed, it was good to spend the time, but it was not so great.

I am an avid fan of Eva Ibbotson's children's books, whose descriptions are in between JK Rowlings's and Edith Nesbitt's. This book was slightly less enchanting as her children's fantasies, but there was still that wonderful rich description. I do have to argue against the reviewer who said that few could match her warm, lyrical style; Jane Austen's and Charlotte Bronte's comes close. The plot is a fairly straightforward tale of a young woman who goes to work at a boarding school, so it isn't the most gripping tale, but it's still a wonderful beautiful story. Read it if you love Anne of Green Gables, Jane Eyre, or Ms. Ibbotson's fantasy books, or if you love the English language, or just spend a sophisticated, enjoyable few hours with a great book. Email me if you want more info or have a specific question.

This is the first Ibbotson book I had read and it ties with A Countess Below Stairs as my favorite. The author creates such memorable characters that you can't help wanting the story to go on forever. I loaned this book to a friend and we laugh over the characters like Andromeda, the self regulating baby. I could not put it down. I love to tell my friends about Ibbotson, but it seems like all her books are out of print so you have to get them at libraries. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story mixed with a little romance.

Poor Alex MacBuff! He's being forced to send away his only friends from his castle in Scotland. But his friends are all extraordinary. A Viking, a Victorian governess with webbed feet, a retired vampire, a poltergeist, and a hellhound-all of which are ghosts! They are harmless, but when Alex and his new found friend, Helen, are caught in an evil plot, the spirits reveal some hidden powers!

Whether it was a re-release, or the English version of the same story, this is the same book as Island of the Aunts. You can imagine my daughter's and my disappointment when, just after finishing Island of the Aunts, we opened this-- only to read, ver batim, the exact same opening words.

I was not happy-- there WAS no description in Amazon.com of this book because it was used. (...)

If this is truly Island of the Aunts, then it is a good story. Just beware that publishers like to rename and reissue books to see if they'll sell better.