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An Exchange of Gifts

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When Meanne, a princess of the realm, runs away from her father's castle and an unwanted suitor, little does she realize the hardships and difficulties that lie ahead of her. Loneliness is the worst part -- until she finds a fellow refugee, a boy named Wisp. Together they must make new lives for themselves. Yet they both have secrets -- hidden pasts and magical powers that can tear them apart!

96 pages, Paperback

First published June 28, 1995

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About the author

Anne McCaffrey

478 books7,754 followers
Anne Inez McCaffrey was an American writer known for the Dragonriders of Pern science fiction series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction (Best Novella, Weyr Search, 1968) and the first to win a Nebula Award (Best Novella, Dragonrider, 1969). Her 1978 novel The White Dragon became one of the first science-fiction books to appear on the New York Times Best Seller list.
In 2005 the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America named McCaffrey its 22nd Grand Master, an annual award to living writers of fantasy and science fiction. She was inducted by the Science Fiction Hall of Fame on 17 June 2006. She also received the Robert A. Heinlein Award for her work in 2007.

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5 stars
863 (39%)
4 stars
709 (32%)
3 stars
514 (23%)
2 stars
109 (4%)
1 star
14 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
Profile Image for Don Gerstein.
755 reviews101 followers
July 12, 2018
Though it’s been many years since I have read any of Anne McCaffrey’s work, I had always thoroughly enjoyed her books and thought this short tale would equal what I had read in the past. Sadly, while a decent story, “An Exchange of Gifts didn’t measure up to what I expected.

The plot concerns the relationship of two runaways (Meanne and Wisp) who meet at a rundown cabin in the woods. Though written on a dictionary level that I would consider to be aimed at adults, the tale itself feels more like it was intended for young teens (or even tweens). If this was the case, the lack of strong character building, more explanation during the “reveal” at the end to Meanne, and the sudden rush to the ending would have been forgivable.

Perhaps still forgivable, since Ms. McCaffrey dedicated this book to a granddaughter who was not yet able to read and enjoy it. The clues deliberately scattered through the book indicate to readers of the truth of what is going on, and the overall story possesses the whimsical feeling of the author’s magic at work. Some of the reviews I read previous to purchase spoke of drawings throughout the book. It is a shame these were not included in the digital offering, as they may have granted a better indication of Ms. McCaffrey’s intentions.

So although as an adult I experienced some disappointment, I choose to award stars on the basis of who I perceive to be the target audience, which would be younger readers. While it may expand their vocabularies (not a bad thing), the story should enchant and leave them with a satisfied memory. Four stars.
Profile Image for Len Evans Jr.
1,503 reviews226 followers
June 4, 2018
While not McCaffrey at her very best, this novella was still quite good. This whimiscal story has the feel of a fairy tale, though without a wicked step-mother, big bad wolves or a fairy godmother. I found the simplicity of the story for me made it work better than if it had more complexity. It was light-hearted, humorous at times and an enjoyable read. There were parts of it that reminded me in a very good way of "The Princess Bride". All in all I think the author managed to pack a lot of "punch" into a short 44 pages!
Profile Image for Daughter of Paper and Stone.
624 reviews268 followers
January 9, 2023
Preface

A short book about a girl run away. Who she is and who can she trust are underlying themes of the book. There is a easygoing aspect of magic present in the story. At first I was not even sure if it was truly there. It is an easy to follow the narrative, there is a calm, whimsical ambience to it. It holds the wonder of childhood tales. As an adult, I think it held me quite well; it was almost as if my grandmother were telling me tales once again in the beach house hammock.

————————————————————————————
RATINGS:

Plot : 1.5 📚💫 Sprinkled around.

World Building(Immersion): 1.5 🌎💫 Submerged my feet.

Angst : ❎ No angst.

Funniness: ❎ No funny moments.

Scariness: ❎ Not scary.

Romance: 1.5 💖💫 Barely any. It was cute nonetheless.

Goriness: 1 🫀Some descriptions of blood.

Sadness: ❎ No sadness.

Overall star rating : 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Highly enjoyable.

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🚨🚨🚨MILD SPOILERS 🚨🚨🚨

The Good Place:
▫️Anastasia.
▫️Dalain

The Bad Place:
▪️Greedy forester
▪️The dad, Baron and stepmother combo.

Romance Safety:
Safe. Cute. Very wholesome. Just a kiss and they exchange a sort of blood vows. (Which writing it down now might make one wonder about the wholesome claim, I can assure you that despite the blood aspect everything was sweet).

————————————————————————————
🚨🚨🚨🚨 SPOILERS 🚨🚨🚨🚨

Some ( Very Random) Moments of Notice Along With (Sometimes) My Very Live Reactions Straight From My Notes App to You:

📌A ma…lad oughtn’t to be forced to evil ends,” he said, suddenly very stern and grown-up.
“For evil?” She was aghast.
“I came here where no one would find me.”
Profile Image for deborah o'carroll.
499 reviews107 followers
October 1, 2016
A bite-sized fantasy novella (complete with illustrations) which I quite enjoyed. :) It reminded me a little of The Princess and the Goblin, and The Ordinary Princess, though less fairy-tale-ish, and more realistic/older. (Like YA instead of Children's?)

But it did have an intriguing fantasy element which I liked -- the way the Gifts were woven in was really neat. The mysterious sort of twist to it was interesting.

Meanne (the heroine) was quite well written (although I kind of thought she was a younger teen, and then found out near the end she must be over 18), and Wisp (the hero) I really liked! He was awesome and I liked his twists too. :D

I liked how it wrapped up (though part of me wonders about a few things, since there wasn't time to explore them... but at the same time it just WORKED really well to just have this little glimpse).

Anyhow, a very small fantasy tale which I really enjoyed reading. ^_^
Profile Image for J.S. Burke.
Author 8 books504 followers
February 8, 2021
“An Exchange of Gifts” is a fun, fast read with intrigue and a touch of magic. Most people in this world have a special, magical gift, or ability. When Meanne is denied the opportunity to develop her gift, she fakes her own death and runs away. She soon meets Wisp, another mysterious runaway. Can they hide their secrets from the world . . . and from each other?

McCaffrey was an excellent writer; it would have been nice to watch the magic of Meanne in action. I think this would have been a stronger story if it included more world-building and a few more pages of conclusion. Still, it was fun: 4.5 rounded up to 5.
Profile Image for annapi.
1,963 reviews13 followers
January 10, 2020
Sweet little novella about two runaways, set in a fantasy world where everyone has "gifts" - small magic powers. Meanna is a young lady escaping an unknown past, and she meets Wisp, a young boy escaping a harsh master who beats him. They struggle to make a life of their own, respecting each other's silence on the past left behind, until it catches up to them.

I liked this world, and wouldn't mind reading some more stories set in it, but unfortunately this seems to be a one-off, and a short one at that.
Profile Image for Eric.
896 reviews7 followers
March 9, 2019
Rather good brief tale

Though it would be nice to know if it is part of a larger continuity. In any event, again, nicely done...

Author died in 2011; this short story/novella written/published in 1995.
Profile Image for Alycia.
469 reviews40 followers
August 1, 2018
Hat Challenge for Booktubeathon
353 reviews
June 11, 2015
(Fantasy 1995) This is a very short book (ninety pages) about the princess Meanne, a young princess who runs away from home to avoid an unpleasant arranged marriage. She makes her way to an abandoned house in the forest of her father's kingdom, and begins her life. The next day she is joined by a young man who has also left his home. They set up the house, combining their skills (he is a hard worker and good salesman, she is able to grow plants, fruits and vegetables quickly) and learn to live a new way. There is magic, friendship and growth in this sweet story which made it very fun to read.
Profile Image for Mark.
113 reviews
December 6, 2018
Nice short story, but the ending felt a little too abrupt (although it was a happy ending). Even though this story has six chapters, chapter six is literally only a few paragraphs long.

Also, the text of the ebook must have been scanned in from a print copy and not proofread. In addition to the various typos, there's one clear instance near the end where the main character's name, Meanne, is mistakenly spelled Mearme, an obvious goof from the word recognition software.
Profile Image for Courtney.
437 reviews2 followers
March 26, 2009
Interesting little fantasy story, but not up to McCaffrey's usual par. I was disappointed there wasn't more to this book.
Profile Image for Kenya Starflight.
1,655 reviews21 followers
June 13, 2019
Anne McCaffrey has long been one of my favorite authors, but somehow I missed this slim little volume of hers. And while I'm far more used to her writing epic, unique, well-realized science fiction sagas, I found this fairy tale -- written for a granddaughter of hers -- to be a charming fantasy outing from her. It's unexpectedly sweet, and while a little predictable I couldn't help but love both it and its characters.

Meanne is a princess who seeks to run away from her father's castle to escape an unwanted suitor. At first she's certain it will be easy to make her own life for herself in an abandoned hut in the woods... but soon discovers "roughing it" isn't easy, even for a princess with a magical gift for growing plants. Thankfully, a wandering boy named Wisp happens upon her cabin, and the two manage to strike a friendly truce and build a cozy little life for themselves. But both Meanne and Wisp are hiding secrets from each other... secrets that could shatter their fragile friendship once and for all.

McCaffrey has a knack for slowly revealing details of the world she builds instead of just info-dumping on the reader. That's present in this book as well -- while the setting is a standard fantasy kingdom, she adds her own unique elements to make it stand out, in the form of magical Gifts every citizen gets. The writing is well-done, though I always expect good, strong writing from McCaffrey, and while the story can be a little predictable at times that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable.

The characters are likable as well. Meanne, in particular, is wonderful to follow -- she starts out as your typical rebellious princess, but realizes just how spoiled and pampered she is and manages to grow and learn over the course of the story. Wisp is a bit more flat in terms of character, but he has a feisty yet charming personality that makes it hard NOT to like him. Other characters are pretty much just props, but help to flesh out the story.

The edition of the book I read had accompanying illustrations -- which I found okay, but not anything grand. They're a nice addition, but the story didn't need them..

A charming fairy tale from a master of her craft, "An Exchange of Gifts" is a good read for older kids and younger teens who may not be ready to leap into "Dragonriders of Pern" or "The Tower and the Hive" or McCaffrey's other epic series. If you enjoy The Princess Bride, you'll probably also enjoy this volume.
Profile Image for Diane.
1,225 reviews58 followers
April 4, 2018
3.75 on Amazon; 3.25 on Goodreads. Mainly cute, but hasty ending after revelations.

I read this cute little fairytale-esque novelette years ago (I'll clarify here that there are only Gifted humans involved, to avoid misleading you into expecting fey or such), and I picked it up recently on sale for Kindle. I enjoyed it still, but not enough to be willing to round up to 4 stars on Goodreads — too bad we can't do half stars! ETA: The Kindle edition lacks the illustrations (incl. borders) of the original little hardcover.

I like the way the leads each learn skills from the other, as they make their new life. Of course, we the readers see through to part of "Wisp"'s true nature and Gift, often to humorous effect, long before "Meanne" finds out. What bugs me a little this time, though, is part of why Wisp gets angry at Meanne: it's sort of blaming the victim, though I can't say more w/o telling Wisp's secret. Then, when they've barely adjusted to the newly-revealed realities, we're given a hasty HEA. I simply wish there had been more.

Writing-wise, McCaffrey is a reliable choice, and the conversion to digital is fine. I caught one odd typo/ OCR glitch (youil for you'll), but no worries that it's shoddily done, as I've seen reviews complaining of on some of her other digital re-releases.
Profile Image for Tammy J Rizzo.
77 reviews6 followers
June 4, 2018
Surprisingly free of surprises.

I could only give this book four stars because I grew up on Pernicious books and love Ms. McCaffrey worlds.

I still love her world's, but I have come to the realization that all of her stories are the same. There are no surprises anymore in her writing, which makes me sad. I loved her books as a pre-tee,and well into my adulthood. The I started studying the craft of writing and realized that all her books are the same story, though set in either well built worlds, or take place in lazily borrowed fantasy worlds with an Insert Standard Character Here cast. There are no surprising twists to be found in her writing.

If you love Ms. McCaffrey and her worlds, though, this is a quick read with a comfortable familiarity, with which to spend an hour or two.
Profile Image for Bruce Dinsman.
1,542 reviews3 followers
April 17, 2020
I read several reviews on GoodReads while I was checking on this little book, and I have one thing to say to the critics: it is a children's book. Get over your criticism compared to her other works. The dedication to her granddaughter who can't read YET should have been your first clue. This is a well written little story. My only negative is that there wasn't more. I understand that the author wrote a lot of short works for SciFi magazines and the like, most of them were later worked into novels or compiled as short story volumes (Chronicles of Pern: First Fall, etc). I've always enjoyed Anne McCaffrey and insist that she is indeed a science fiction Fantasy writer (check all the Wikipedia articles for this little dispute).
Profile Image for Susan Otto.
832 reviews9 followers
June 10, 2020
Another awesome fairy tale

This story is an awesome fairy tale about two people running away. One has been beaten because he refused to use his gift to create an illusion of an good man resulting in marriage. The other is not allowed to use her gift of growing healing herbs and plants because she is a princess. They become fast friends until they discover who they really are. What is to become of them now?

Characters are unusual, intriguing, and charming. The ploddy's the fast paced drama with a twist. Are gifts that are inherited worth sharing. Each person has their own unique personalities, talents, gifts, and quirks which is freely share creates a bond that is timeless. And that is why I enjoyed this book so much!

Highly recommended.

bookwormsuzy
150 reviews2 followers
July 9, 2018
Exchange of ideas

I have read all the dragons of pern series many years ago and loved reading and enjoyed reading each and everyone. I am not up to date with all the other books. But I'm adding to my collection even as we "speak".
An Exchange of Gifts was okay, but just too short for me personally. I felt the story could have given a lot more. It seemed empty, like something was missing.



2,061 reviews7 followers
August 31, 2018
A story of two runaways

Meanne and Wisp run away from their homes as they were unable to who they truly are. They meet for the first time in the hut that Meanne knew of in the forest from a visit there as a child. Together they build a life that they want but it is all threatened when heralds come to the nearby village.
This is a lovely gentle story though the trite (but unexpected) ending spoils it somewhat.
Profile Image for Denise.
258 reviews
May 2, 2019
Written in 1995, McCaffrey presents us with a princess who wished for independence and the ability to follow her passion. A wonderful novella, I only wish it were longer. I was left wanting more world building and character development. I also would have preferred more a buildup to the romantic ending, which seemed more obligatory than a natural development. It is really a lovely story, it just needed a bit more development. I wish to know more about Meanne and Wisp, where they went from there and what happened next. As a simple, short tale, though, it is lovely and engaging.
Profile Image for Sandra D.
28 reviews1 follower
December 25, 2017
A very short cute story. I enjoyed all the characters, and the simplicity of the story all together. My only problem was that the ending was a bit rushed. I would have loved it if different aspects of it was explored a bit more. I also love the pages border illustrations, it really added to the story.
Profile Image for Linda.
Author 13 books58 followers
May 6, 2018
This charming novella has been sitting in the bookcase for ages and I decided to read it again as I didn't remember it. Memory refreshed, I would give it 3.5 stars. The characters are interesting and, typical McCaffrey, it has an intriguing plot. However, the ending seems hurried after the big reveal.
Profile Image for Dina Bushrod.
596 reviews11 followers
May 27, 2018
A very entertaining short story

This is the first non-dragon book I've read from Anne McCaffery. Although I missed the dragons, I loved this different but sweet story of a young Princess who runs away just so she can be her true self. Read of her learning to cope with a peasants life and the boy who helps her along the way
Profile Image for Valerie.
610 reviews2 followers
November 5, 2023
McCaffrey was one of my favorites as a young teen, and I'm having some fun revisiting now. I don't think I read this as a kid, but it's the type of story I would have loved then: headstrong princess rejecting her rank, mysterious strangers. It's perhaps a bit simplistic by comparison to a lot of modern fantasy, but the fairy tale rings true and the illustrated pages are a nice touch.
1,028 reviews
December 19, 2023
What’s the cost of being true to yourself?

Meanne’s stepmother won’t let her use her special Gift. Will Wisp showing up at the hut where she’s hiding help or hinder her? Will they both be able to be true to themselves? Enjoy their scary but thrilling tale and their growing friendship!!!
5 reviews
July 7, 2024
Anne McCaffrey always takes me on a grand adventure and this is no exception. She seamlessly blends a great plot with believeable characters that ring true with each action and word. She is able to keep you hanging on to find out where everything goes without being totally predictable, there is always little surprises leading to that great feeling when you reach the end of the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews

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