An Exchange of Gifts [Hardcover]

Anne McCaffrey (Author), Pat Morrissey (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1995

A runaway princess and a poor young boy try to make a new life for themselves without revealing their pasts or the magical powers they possess.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

McCaffrey's latest is a sweet, romantic fantasy set in a realm where each person is born with a gift that determines their future. Meanne, who is not allowed to practice her gift of making plants grow and thrive--because it is so "unsuitable for a princess of the Blood Royal to insert her royal hands in common dirt" --runs away to a deserted, run-down forest hunting lodge. Unschooled in many of the practicalities of setting the hut to rights, she is delighted when a boy named Wisp shows up and joins forces with her. Readers may suspect it before Meanne does, but Wisp has a frightening gift that works a great change for Meanne yet bodes well for their future together. This is an enticing little book, made more so by Pat Morrissey's delicate line drawing that frames each two-page spread of text, and McCaffrey fans of all ages will adore it. Sally Estes

Product Details

• Hardcover: 228 pages
• Publisher: ROC (Penguin) (November 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451455207
• ISBN-13: 978-0451455208
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,727,084 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Anne McCaffrey, the Hugo Award-winning author of the bestselling Dragonriders of Pern® novels, is one of science fiction's most popular authors. With Elizabeth Ann Scarborough she co-authored Changelings and Maelstrom, Books One and Two of The Twins of Petaybee. McCaffrey lives in a house of her own design, Dragonhold-Underhill, in County Wicklow, Ireland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but too darn short!, October 14, 1998

By 

A. Gentilcore "agentil" (Salt Lake City, UT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Exchange of Gifts (Hardcover)

I'm usually a really big fan of Annie, but lately some of her books have left me feeling cheated. I think her publisher is pushing her too hard to crank out the books too fast and she is skimping on material. Basically this was a delightful short story, but it isn't even close to being a book. With the addition of a couple of other stories, this could have been a nice book. If I were you, I would check it out from the library, but don't spend the money on this one.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A nice book, January 13, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: An Exchange of Gifts (Hardcover)

I must admit that I had high expectations for this book after reading the Dragonriders and Harpers series. This was a very cute book but by no means superb. I find the price exorbitant for such a little book, and it would be much better to get it through the library system. All things told, it kept me interested for a couple of hours.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars another great, June 24, 2006

By 

Elizabeth Slater (North Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: An Exchange of Gifts (Hardcover)

This is one of McCaffrey's shorter stories for juveniles. It is about a princess who runs away to avoid an arranged marriage with a much older man. The princess uses her knowledge of flora and fauna in order to escape and survive - but her knowledge is all gleaned from books, so it is more difficult than she believes. However, she perseveres, and she is joined by a waif of a boy who has been beaten and starved. They form a friendship that enables them to survive in the woods on their own - but without either knowing the other's past. I took this to be a story about trust, faith, and love.