Eva Ibbotson's books always make me want to go out and become an Austrian pastry chef. No, seriously, her evocation of the grandeur and beauty and FOOD of her childhood are always so vivid and powerful.
This is one of Ibbotson's sadder books, and surprisingly adult for all that it is a YA romance (of the old school), as it takes place during WWII and the threat of the Nazis hangs over much of the story.
That being said, it's in no way a holocaust story, but rather a story about people finding themselves.
Warm, sweet, ever so slightly old fashioned (but in the best way) - Ibbotson delivers the sort of story she's known for, set against the splendid backdrop of a world lost to us over 70 years ago.