Reading "The Star of Kazan"

I don't remember how old I was when I was given a book written by Eva Ibbotson called The Star of Kazan, though I probably was in my preteen years. The one thing I know for sure is that as soon as I read the book, it quickly became my favorite. I reread it constantly, sometimes from beginning to end and other times just some favorite snippets. To this day I occasionally skim through it with a smile.

Why it became my favorite, I am not entirely sure. Maybe it was Eva Ibbotson's unique style of writing, that I can only describe as simple yet it sincerely spoke to the reader. Maybe it was the characters, ranging from the hardworking child protagonist with dreams to a boy with Romanian heritage who greatly loves his horse. Maybe it was the story, of a young girl abandoned as a baby who learns what a family really is. Maybe it was the setting, which was Vienna and Germany before the First World War. Or maybe, it was all of the above and many more things that I cannot begin to think of right now.

But I do know that The Star of Kazan gave me a dream. A dream to one day see Vienna, Austria for myself. While I am sure Vienna today is drastically different from Vienna during the early 1900s, I want to see it for myself. I want to walk through the streets and look at the beautiful architecture. I want to wander around the park and see if there is still a Ferris wheel and if possible, ride it. But most importantly, I want to know if Vienna still has trained Lipizzaner horses and if they still perform for people.

I have not yet accomplished this dream, but I can still see it happening one day. Just like how I can still see naming a daughter far off into the future after the main character, Annika.

But even if these dreams of mine do not happen, I will always treasure this book in my heart.