Having recently run out of new books to read, I chose to reread one of my old favourites, A Song for Summer by Eva Ibbotson. The book is set in the 1930s-40s, and is centred around the life of Ellen Carr, the daughter of an English former suffragette. It begins in her childhood, when she is inspired by her grandfather's Austrian housemaid to one day travel to Austria, and follows her as she pursues this dream, becoming the matron of a forward-thinking, arts-based school, Hallendorf, in the Austrian countryside. Despite the good intentions of the headmaster, an Englishman named Bennet, the children run wild, and instead of his dreams of having an institution famous for its progressive nature, he is mainly left with children whose parents don't have time for them, or who lack discipline.
However, Ellen fixes the contrary nature of the school within her first week of being there, helping the children with their problems, comforting the staff, and, most importantly, reinventing the kitchen. It is not only the school which attracts Ellen, but also the quiet, mysterious gardener, Marek Tarnowsky. As we are drawn deeper into the book, it appears that Marek isn't all he first seems to be. Ellen discovers that he is part of an organisation helping to rescue Jews from various countries and take them to safety. Not only this, but he is also a world-famous composer. From the beginning, Ellen is determined not to fall for anyone, fearing the thought of being blinded by love, but this conviction proves difficult as she becomes more involved with Marek. As both Ellen and Marek have other love interests pursuing them, pathetic Kendrick Frobisher and ageing diva Brigitta Seefeld respectively, their relationship appears to be doomed, despite the fact that they are evidently meant for each other. Another issue is that Marek's close friend, Isaac Meierwitz, falls deeply in love with Ellen, who, in turn is desperate not to hurt either man. Nevertheless, even after many tragedies and hurdles along the way, the book ends with happiness for both, a fitting finale for such a book.
Ibbotson, as always, manages to transport the reader, if not to a fantasy world, at least to a world full of enchantment, where it seems anything could happen. Her portrayal of all the characters, protagonists and antagonists alike, is fantastically unconventional, and throughout the book, her scene setting is truly perfect. Whilst including many other historical facts in the book, it is primarily a love story, and this is clearly Ibbotson's forte. The simple ways in which she conveys the relationship between Ellen and Marek as the story progresses are enough, leaving each reader with enough space to invent other dimensions within both the relationship and their characters. Ibbotson is evidently a master at knowing just how much description to put into a scene, and this is what makes the book so special.
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.
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