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Goodbye to Budapest
Budapest, 1952. When Katalin and her father, Márton, are woken by the ringing of the doorbell in the dead of night, it can mean only one thing. The Secret Police have come to arrest him on charges of subversion. But Katalin knows her father is innocent.
Since the end of the war Hungary has been occupied by the conquering Soviets who have imposed Stalinist communism with an iron fist. Ordinary people live in fear of the dreaded Secret Police, the AVO, who employ torture and tyranny in the pursuit of the communist ideal. Suspicion and betrayal are rife.
But there is still hope. The death of Stalin is a spark that ignites a fuse. For the first time it seems that change is possible.
In October 1956, a student-led demonstration soon turns into a bloody battle to overthrow the hated communist regime. Confronted by Soviet tanks, young and old take to the streets, armed with Molotov cocktails, bravery and cunning.
Katalin and those she loves must fight for freedom. They must fight to survive.
Packed with authentic historical details, Goodbye to Budapest is a panoramic novel of courage, sacrifice and the indomitable human quest for freedom.
Since the end of the war Hungary has been occupied by the conquering Soviets who have imposed Stalinist communism with an iron fist. Ordinary people live in fear of the dreaded Secret Police, the AVO, who employ torture and tyranny in the pursuit of the communist ideal. Suspicion and betrayal are rife.
But there is still hope. The death of Stalin is a spark that ignites a fuse. For the first time it seems that change is possible.
In October 1956, a student-led demonstration soon turns into a bloody battle to overthrow the hated communist regime. Confronted by Soviet tanks, young and old take to the streets, armed with Molotov cocktails, bravery and cunning.
Katalin and those she loves must fight for freedom. They must fight to survive.
Packed with authentic historical details, Goodbye to Budapest is a panoramic novel of courage, sacrifice and the indomitable human quest for freedom.
313 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 12, 2019
About the author
Margarita Morris
11 books59 followersShortlisted for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award in 2014 with her first novel, Oranges for Christmas, Margarita Morris brings a love of history to her writing.
Margarita studied languages at Oxford and it was as a student that she visited Berlin and saw at first hand the effects of the Berlin Wall on this divided city. Years later this experience led her to write Oranges for Christmas about a family trying to escape from Communist East Berlin.
Other passions include the Victorian era. The Sleeping Angel was inspired by the haunting beauty of Highgate Cemetery and the urban legends that surround it. In her Scarborough Fair series, historical mysteries meet contemporary thrillers.
Scarborough Fair #1
Scarborough Ball #2
Scarborough Rock #3
Margarita is married with two grown-up children. She lives in Oxfordshire.
Find more about Margarita Morris at her website at margaritamorris.com
Margarita studied languages at Oxford and it was as a student that she visited Berlin and saw at first hand the effects of the Berlin Wall on this divided city. Years later this experience led her to write Oranges for Christmas about a family trying to escape from Communist East Berlin.
Other passions include the Victorian era. The Sleeping Angel was inspired by the haunting beauty of Highgate Cemetery and the urban legends that surround it. In her Scarborough Fair series, historical mysteries meet contemporary thrillers.
Scarborough Fair #1
Scarborough Ball #2
Scarborough Rock #3
Margarita is married with two grown-up children. She lives in Oxfordshire.
Find more about Margarita Morris at her website at margaritamorris.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
June 28, 2024
“If communism is ethically superior to capitalism, as Marxist philosophers claim, why does it have to be imposed through fear and tyranny?”
Historical fiction, if it’s done well, augments my understanding of past events by giving me a first person perspective. The characters may be fictional but the context and the backdrops are anchored in real events. What Simon Mawer did for my perception of the Prague Spring and Stephen Crane did for my perception of the American Civil War and John Steinbeck did for my perception of the Great Depression, Margarita Morris does for my understanding of the Hungarian Revolution.
Historical fiction, if it’s done well, augments my understanding of past events by giving me a first person perspective. The characters may be fictional but the context and the backdrops are anchored in real events. What Simon Mawer did for my perception of the Prague Spring and Stephen Crane did for my perception of the American Civil War and John Steinbeck did for my perception of the Great Depression, Margarita Morris does for my understanding of the Hungarian Revolution.
September 1, 2019
Goodbye to Budapest
What can I say about a book that deals with the 1956 Hungarian uprising? I was 10 years old living in Budapest during that fall. My parents tried to shield me as much as possible from reality, I was not allowed out on the street. When fighting broke out, I was staying overnight with an aunt and it took days until I was quickly whisked home. My brother 10 years older than myself was one of the students fighting for freedom. He also said goodbye to Budapest and left Hungary along with my two aunts and their families. So, this novel was obviously much interest to me. The author did a good job describing the events that led to the uprising and the uprising itself. Andrassy ut 60, where Marton was imprisoned is now a museum of the atrocities committed there by both the fascists and the communists.
I was surprised the author doesn’t seem to have Hungarian origins, but obviously did a lot of research on the subject. The book is well written, now I will also read Oranges for Christmas. Overall a 5 star book for me, strongly recommend for historical fiction fans.
What can I say about a book that deals with the 1956 Hungarian uprising? I was 10 years old living in Budapest during that fall. My parents tried to shield me as much as possible from reality, I was not allowed out on the street. When fighting broke out, I was staying overnight with an aunt and it took days until I was quickly whisked home. My brother 10 years older than myself was one of the students fighting for freedom. He also said goodbye to Budapest and left Hungary along with my two aunts and their families. So, this novel was obviously much interest to me. The author did a good job describing the events that led to the uprising and the uprising itself. Andrassy ut 60, where Marton was imprisoned is now a museum of the atrocities committed there by both the fascists and the communists.
I was surprised the author doesn’t seem to have Hungarian origins, but obviously did a lot of research on the subject. The book is well written, now I will also read Oranges for Christmas. Overall a 5 star book for me, strongly recommend for historical fiction fans.
September 5, 2021
A little slow to start, but this piece of historical fiction mirrored a true story I’ve grown up hearing all my life. This story hit very close to home as I’m a first generation American to Hungarian parents and grandparents. They also said goodbye to Budapest as they fled their country and homeland during the 1956 revolution - with nothing but the clothes on their backs. I cannot begin to imagine. I am thankful for all the hardships they overcame so they could build a better life for themselves and for future generations. 🇭🇺🇺🇸
December 6, 2023
O ficțiune istorică despre revoluția ungară care pe mine nu m-a impresionat în mod deosebit.
Dacă ești cititor de ficțiune istorică probabil vei fi încântat să afli cum a început revoluția lor dar mai mult nu te va impresiona.
Condițiile de viață și atmosfera generală sunt întâlnite în multe alte romane ale genului, ba chiar am auzit aceleași povești de la ai noștri.
Mi-au plăcut în schimb intercalările dintre perspectivele personajelor fără însă să-mi transmită suficiente emoții.
Dacă ești cititor de ficțiune istorică probabil vei fi încântat să afli cum a început revoluția lor dar mai mult nu te va impresiona.
Condițiile de viață și atmosfera generală sunt întâlnite în multe alte romane ale genului, ba chiar am auzit aceleași povești de la ai noștri.
Mi-au plăcut în schimb intercalările dintre perspectivele personajelor fără însă să-mi transmită suficiente emoții.
July 30, 2019
I found this a most riveting family story set during the dark days of the 1956 Hungarian uprising. Whether you lived through that time, as I did, or if this is a new slice of modern history for you, you will be gripped by this heart wrenching tale.
October 6, 2021
I sought out this book to understand more about my late mother's life as a teenager in Soviet controlled Hungary and her escape to a refugee camp in England, where she chose Canada as her new home in 1957. I deeply regret not writing my mom's story especially so my nephew would better know his grandmother and our side of the family's roots. I am happy Margarita Morris did.
While this story is a work of fiction, it is steeped rich in facts and mirrors exactly what my mother shared with me about the years following world war II when Hungarians celebrated freedom from Nazi fascism only to be under the iron fist of harsh, communist Soviet rule. My mom recited how so many Hungarians initially thought socialist programs would bring prosperity and equality to all peoples of Hungary. Capitalism was continuously denounced and soon landowners including her mother, were stripped of their farm lands, orchards and vineyards. People worked in factories for pittance of pay, barely enough to pay for food. Line ups were long for food stores and shelves were bare. Factory workers were forced to continuously listen to communist propaganda, the only Hungarian music that could be played was traditional gypsy songs and all newspapers were controlled by the party. People lived in fear of the AVO, the secret police who arrested anyone they believed was not supportive or respectful of the party. Neighbours turned neighbours in if it meant maintaining a good standing with the party or ensuring their families safety.
The story begins in 1952 in Budapest. Katilan is asleep in the middle of the night in the apartment her and her father Marton share. They are awakened by the doorbell insistently ringing and Katilan is instantly filled with dread. It can mean only one thing. Communist leader Rakozi's secret police are here to arrest her professor father on false charges of subversion against the communist party. Katalin knows her father is innocent but feels the terror of knowing how many people have been arrested on completely false claims.
She does not know where her father has been taken or who she can trust to find out. She turns to a colleague of her father's, Professor Novak, who she hopes can help her but quickly realizes there is a reason this man and his wife stopped coming to visit her father and late mother years ago. They respond very coldly, upset that she has shown up at their home and she is asked to never return. She does not know if it is because they are afraid and don't want to get involved or if they know more information then they are offering. Consumed with worry over her father, Katalin knows she must continue to go to the school where she teaches in order to maintain her sanity and the apartment. Weighing on top of the anxiety she has over her father, is a suspicious supervisor at the school who questions Katalin about a student who lives in the same complex as her. Because the boy is outgoing and demonstrative, the supervisor equates his personality to a family upbringing that is subversive to the party. Budapest is under a dark cloud of suspicion, fear and paranoia and it's how the party ensures loyalty.
Marton has been brought to the headquarters of the secret police on Andrassy avenue in Budapest. He is thrown in a windowless cell with a wood plank for a bed and nothing else. The only time he's allowed out of the cell is to be taken to a toilet and to repeatedly type everything about his life for the AVO to review and discard. Breakfast is a piece of bread and dinner is watered down soup. He wracks his brain to think of what could've possibly lead to his arrest. He knows he has not committed any crime but he is trying to think what the AVO could even use as a reason for his arrest. "After the injustices of years under the fascist dictator Horthy, and then the brutality of the Arrow Cross Party during the war, he thought the communist leaders wanted the best too. Now he's not so sure."
This riveting story follows Kaitlan's quest to find where her father has been taken and her father's courage to survive a 25-year sentence of hard labour for a crime he has not committed and one that his accusers never reveal to him. This one family's emotional roller coaster of survival, finding love and trust in a culture that will betray each other to save themselves, finding courage, resilience and never losing hope for the future is a story of redemption and survival.
Anyone that does not know the story of how young Hungarian university students and every day residents fought to defeat their freedom against all odds, without any intervention from the rest of the world, needs to read this novel. It presents an accurate account of what happened post-war in Hungary, how innocent citizens were denounced and imprisoned and how a student led demonstration offered hope and influenced ordinary people to rise up and fight against a regime.
My mom was only 16 years old during the Hungarian uprising. Because she was involved with a young university student who was a freedom fighter, she knew it was imperative that she leave her homeland. She managed to escape with her sister under the threat of being shot and made her home in Canada. She never returned to Hungary. She forged an amazing life in Canada, and was the proudest Canadian; eternally grateful that she was accepted as a refugee. She was a trail blazer who worked hard to build businesses and employ others as her way of thanking Canada for her freedom. She would've loved this book...it is her story and the story of so many Hungarians who fought the good fight for a better life.
While this story is a work of fiction, it is steeped rich in facts and mirrors exactly what my mother shared with me about the years following world war II when Hungarians celebrated freedom from Nazi fascism only to be under the iron fist of harsh, communist Soviet rule. My mom recited how so many Hungarians initially thought socialist programs would bring prosperity and equality to all peoples of Hungary. Capitalism was continuously denounced and soon landowners including her mother, were stripped of their farm lands, orchards and vineyards. People worked in factories for pittance of pay, barely enough to pay for food. Line ups were long for food stores and shelves were bare. Factory workers were forced to continuously listen to communist propaganda, the only Hungarian music that could be played was traditional gypsy songs and all newspapers were controlled by the party. People lived in fear of the AVO, the secret police who arrested anyone they believed was not supportive or respectful of the party. Neighbours turned neighbours in if it meant maintaining a good standing with the party or ensuring their families safety.
The story begins in 1952 in Budapest. Katilan is asleep in the middle of the night in the apartment her and her father Marton share. They are awakened by the doorbell insistently ringing and Katilan is instantly filled with dread. It can mean only one thing. Communist leader Rakozi's secret police are here to arrest her professor father on false charges of subversion against the communist party. Katalin knows her father is innocent but feels the terror of knowing how many people have been arrested on completely false claims.
She does not know where her father has been taken or who she can trust to find out. She turns to a colleague of her father's, Professor Novak, who she hopes can help her but quickly realizes there is a reason this man and his wife stopped coming to visit her father and late mother years ago. They respond very coldly, upset that she has shown up at their home and she is asked to never return. She does not know if it is because they are afraid and don't want to get involved or if they know more information then they are offering. Consumed with worry over her father, Katalin knows she must continue to go to the school where she teaches in order to maintain her sanity and the apartment. Weighing on top of the anxiety she has over her father, is a suspicious supervisor at the school who questions Katalin about a student who lives in the same complex as her. Because the boy is outgoing and demonstrative, the supervisor equates his personality to a family upbringing that is subversive to the party. Budapest is under a dark cloud of suspicion, fear and paranoia and it's how the party ensures loyalty.
Marton has been brought to the headquarters of the secret police on Andrassy avenue in Budapest. He is thrown in a windowless cell with a wood plank for a bed and nothing else. The only time he's allowed out of the cell is to be taken to a toilet and to repeatedly type everything about his life for the AVO to review and discard. Breakfast is a piece of bread and dinner is watered down soup. He wracks his brain to think of what could've possibly lead to his arrest. He knows he has not committed any crime but he is trying to think what the AVO could even use as a reason for his arrest. "After the injustices of years under the fascist dictator Horthy, and then the brutality of the Arrow Cross Party during the war, he thought the communist leaders wanted the best too. Now he's not so sure."
This riveting story follows Kaitlan's quest to find where her father has been taken and her father's courage to survive a 25-year sentence of hard labour for a crime he has not committed and one that his accusers never reveal to him. This one family's emotional roller coaster of survival, finding love and trust in a culture that will betray each other to save themselves, finding courage, resilience and never losing hope for the future is a story of redemption and survival.
Anyone that does not know the story of how young Hungarian university students and every day residents fought to defeat their freedom against all odds, without any intervention from the rest of the world, needs to read this novel. It presents an accurate account of what happened post-war in Hungary, how innocent citizens were denounced and imprisoned and how a student led demonstration offered hope and influenced ordinary people to rise up and fight against a regime.
My mom was only 16 years old during the Hungarian uprising. Because she was involved with a young university student who was a freedom fighter, she knew it was imperative that she leave her homeland. She managed to escape with her sister under the threat of being shot and made her home in Canada. She never returned to Hungary. She forged an amazing life in Canada, and was the proudest Canadian; eternally grateful that she was accepted as a refugee. She was a trail blazer who worked hard to build businesses and employ others as her way of thanking Canada for her freedom. She would've loved this book...it is her story and the story of so many Hungarians who fought the good fight for a better life.
May 19, 2021
Excellent reading! Thanks to my friend, Janni, for finding this gem - I never would have discovered this one on my own.
If you are a fan of historical fiction (so very accurate!) with wonderful character development and a moving and touching story line, this book is for you. My partner is Hungarian and lived in Hungary until 1963, so I was able to 'fact check'; he was also able to give me the correct pronunciation for many of the Hungarian names and places - I was not doing a good job at that at all. I would try and he would say "give me the book" lol - hey, it's a lot of consonants and not easy to gramatically decipher.
I just love a book where I learn and in spite of having a Hungarian partner, I knew nothing about the student-led uprising of the Fall of 1956. I also had no understanding of the iron-fisted rule of Communism and the fear in which people lived. Reading this now also shed alot of understanding on how my partner felt last year in 2020 when we (he) had to stand in line to get into grocery stores and live in fear of running out of necessities such as water and toilet paper (I was in charge of the pets' foods and meds). Definitely an excellent addition to my "COVID READING" shelf.
Besides all of this, I loved and had such an attachment to the main characters - Katalin, Marton, Zoltan, Sandor, Roza. The author did such a wonderful job of telling their personal story, I would highly recommend it.
If you are a fan of historical fiction (so very accurate!) with wonderful character development and a moving and touching story line, this book is for you. My partner is Hungarian and lived in Hungary until 1963, so I was able to 'fact check'; he was also able to give me the correct pronunciation for many of the Hungarian names and places - I was not doing a good job at that at all. I would try and he would say "give me the book" lol - hey, it's a lot of consonants and not easy to gramatically decipher.
I just love a book where I learn and in spite of having a Hungarian partner, I knew nothing about the student-led uprising of the Fall of 1956. I also had no understanding of the iron-fisted rule of Communism and the fear in which people lived. Reading this now also shed alot of understanding on how my partner felt last year in 2020 when we (he) had to stand in line to get into grocery stores and live in fear of running out of necessities such as water and toilet paper (I was in charge of the pets' foods and meds). Definitely an excellent addition to my "COVID READING" shelf.
Besides all of this, I loved and had such an attachment to the main characters - Katalin, Marton, Zoltan, Sandor, Roza. The author did such a wonderful job of telling their personal story, I would highly recommend it.
March 14, 2023
all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: A tale of a regime that Orwell warned us about. Eyes and ears in the walls, ready to tell on slightest misstep. Ridiculous five-year productivity plans that didn’t care about the humans under it’s weight, filled with lies to both the people, and those higher up, lies of how fine everything is, what abundances starving people have. A tale of human struggle and the need to survive, see tomorrow alongside the loved ones, family and friends. Blood and gunpowder in the air, a tale of revolution, broken lives, families, home just gone…
My Opinion: A very well written book, so very easy to read that I finished it the same day I started it. It’s told from several perspectives, a bunch of very different characters, from those who worked for the regime, to those whose names ended up on the enemy lists just because it cleared someone else’s name. This book is a must read to those of us who hope to congratulate our neighbors once the Soviet Zombie topples once and for all, and they uproot the rotten scum off the face of their beautiful countries (Belarus and Hungary being just the two most obvious ones). And even more so to those Hungarians who forgot where the path they’re on now actually leads, where they’re being led. Best of luck to you, Hungary, those of you there who have not forgot, and who know better, despite being silenced by the ruthless regime. Hope to see you on the right side of the history soon.
So, who are ""they" mister Orban refers to?...
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: A tale of a regime that Orwell warned us about. Eyes and ears in the walls, ready to tell on slightest misstep. Ridiculous five-year productivity plans that didn’t care about the humans under it’s weight, filled with lies to both the people, and those higher up, lies of how fine everything is, what abundances starving people have. A tale of human struggle and the need to survive, see tomorrow alongside the loved ones, family and friends. Blood and gunpowder in the air, a tale of revolution, broken lives, families, home just gone…
My Opinion: A very well written book, so very easy to read that I finished it the same day I started it. It’s told from several perspectives, a bunch of very different characters, from those who worked for the regime, to those whose names ended up on the enemy lists just because it cleared someone else’s name. This book is a must read to those of us who hope to congratulate our neighbors once the Soviet Zombie topples once and for all, and they uproot the rotten scum off the face of their beautiful countries (Belarus and Hungary being just the two most obvious ones). And even more so to those Hungarians who forgot where the path they’re on now actually leads, where they’re being led. Best of luck to you, Hungary, those of you there who have not forgot, and who know better, despite being silenced by the ruthless regime. Hope to see you on the right side of the history soon.
So, who are ""they" mister Orban refers to?...
May 16, 2020
The author paints a powerful, honest picture of what life was like in Hungary during Soviet rule. My grandma left Budapest in the mid 1950s, but never really spoke about what she had witnessed. Through this book I’ve learnt a great deal about my own origins, and I appreciated the realistic descriptions of these true historic events.
The story itself is a little long winded at times, and the British colloquialisms tore me from the picture of Hungary I painted in my mind as I read along. However the writing is powerful, balancing the horrors and oppression of the time while weaving the theme of hope throughout the pages.
The story itself is a little long winded at times, and the British colloquialisms tore me from the picture of Hungary I painted in my mind as I read along. However the writing is powerful, balancing the horrors and oppression of the time while weaving the theme of hope throughout the pages.
April 28, 2023
Read this on my trip to Budapest so it was especially interesting as I did not know a lot about the communist era there or the 1956 uprising. I thought it was well written and the characters were interesting. I had some trouble keeping track of who was who and because I was listening and it was difficult to go back and figure it out.
February 28, 2020
Ok, so this is fiction (obviously). And it's clearly fictional as you read through it. However, I really enjoyed learning about the Hungarian Revolution, and the depiction of the battle in the streets of Budapest made it come alive for me.
4.5/5, rounded down for predictability.
4.5/5, rounded down for predictability.
September 28, 2022
La momentul când a apărut “Rămas-bun, Budapesta!”, mi-am spus că vreau să îi aflu și eu povestea, mai ales că vorbește despre revoluția ungară, despre care eu nu aveam niciun habar 🫢, astfel mă educam și învățam ceva în plus. Așa că n-am stat mult pe gânduri și am pus mâna pe ea datorită celor de la @editura_corint ☺️.
Am descoperit povestea lui Katalin și a tatălui ei, Márton, care, într-o seară, sunt treziți de sunetul soneriei, ceea ce nu prevedea nimic bun în anul 1952, când populația Budapestei și nu numai era sub comunism, iar Poliția Secretă teroriza oamenii de rând.
Patru ani mai târziu, începe lupta pentru libertate și se încearcă răsturnarea regismului comunist. Îm acești patru ani, urmărim cum evoluează povestea celor doi și încercările la care sunt supuși…
Mi s-a părut interesant să aflu despre Revoluția ungară, cum ziceam, nu aveam habar 🫢, dar am simțit, cumva, impersonală povestea și a lipsit emoția pe care ar trebui o ficțiune istorică să o transmită (vorbesc strict referitor la mine). Posibil să se fi datorat asta redării la persoana a treia și nu întâia sau să fie doar impresia mea 🤷🏻♀️, oricum a fost un plus pentru mine lectura, am învățat ceva nou și asta nu poate decât să mă bucure ☺️.
Katalin a fost nevoită să se descurce singură o perioadă, fără tatăl ei, în acele vremuri nu a fost deloc ușor să n-ai un sprijin, mai ales când toți sunt cu ochii pe tine și încearcă să te vândă ca să le fie loc mai bine. De cealaltă parte, Márton a trăit o perioadă greu încercată din momentul arestării, deși era nevinovat, frământat de grija pentru fiica sa lăsată în urmă. Atât unul, cât și celălalt nu și-au dorit decât un singur lucru: libertatea…și au luptat pentru ea, dar și pentru supraviețuire.
Nu doar românii au trăit vremuri de chin sub regimul comunist, ci și alte țări, iar dacă nici tu nu știai despre Revoluția ungară, îți recomand titlul ☺️, pe mine m-a luminat puțin în această privință.
June 16, 2021
Some of the most lifeless characters I have ever encountered, twinned with an uninspiring plot and a writing style that has no trace of originality meant this was one of the worst books I’ve read in the last few years. The plot is poor, the historical detail could be better researched through wikipedia and overall it felt like a creative writing project from a high-school student.
Additionally, when I updated my profile to say I reading this book an unknown person left a ‘review’ that is not accessible when clicked the link provided. It seemed rather strange to me, especially when considering that this book has a very high review rating (hardly any one- or two- star which even the classics have), that the book itself is printed and published by Amazon and that Goodreads is owned by Amazon…
Additionally, when I updated my profile to say I reading this book an unknown person left a ‘review’ that is not accessible when clicked the link provided. It seemed rather strange to me, especially when considering that this book has a very high review rating (hardly any one- or two- star which even the classics have), that the book itself is printed and published by Amazon and that Goodreads is owned by Amazon…
May 17, 2020
I too remember.
The story is very close to my experience of the Revolution, except I was only 13 years old. My family also escaped on the train the author described. We crossed into Austria on November 25, 1956 and it was unusually warm, especially my three layers of clothes I was wearing.
The story is very close to my experience of the Revolution, except I was only 13 years old. My family also escaped on the train the author described. We crossed into Austria on November 25, 1956 and it was unusually warm, especially my three layers of clothes I was wearing.
July 30, 2019
Stunninh
To be free is so compelling as to be willing to give up one''s life. The freedom fighters during the uprising in Hungary were just that. This book will bring tears to your eyes as you learn the fate of Katalin and her family
To be free is so compelling as to be willing to give up one''s life. The freedom fighters during the uprising in Hungary were just that. This book will bring tears to your eyes as you learn the fate of Katalin and her family
August 1, 2019
I was in every heart-wrenching moment of this book ... living and breathing each celebration and heartbreak ... definitely 5 stars!!!!
August 11, 2019
Interesting journey
Good subject matter but average writing. The transitions were choppy. An incredible time in history but I do not think the author gave it justice.
Good subject matter but average writing. The transitions were choppy. An incredible time in history but I do not think the author gave it justice.
June 13, 2020
I was interested in reading about this time in history, and was gripped at the beginning but it just really lost momentum and I gave up before finishing. I just wasn't invested in the characters.
November 27, 2021
Wonderful historical fiction account of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution with innumerable characters to cheer for and loath. After reading non-fiction accounts of the Revolution, this story brings to life the day to day existence of those who endured these heroic and horrific weeks. The author paints indelible scenes of the fighting but also family life, the ever busy coffee houses, and constant fear from the Secret Police and worry over loved ones. Many Hungarians died, some fled, most fought, and many stayed; they all suffered. The story grabs you from the first chapter when the AVO officers come pounding on Katalin’s door in the middle of the night to take her father Márton away all the way to the bittersweet ending. Márton’s character embodies perhaps the finest and most generous traits and is truly someone you root for. And the author skillfully describes so many other characters you can totally envision standing before you. I highly recommend reading.
January 13, 2023
Citesti despre Revolutia maghiara si nu poti sa nu ii admiri pe vecini, si sa nu te intrebi cum au ajuns acum asa prieteni cu rusii.
Mi-a placut sa citesc o carte cu nume unguresti si cu bulevarde pe care m-am plimbat, dar facand abstractie de ele, evenimentele din prima parte ar fi putut avea loc in orice oras, din orice tara din blocul fost comunist. Partea a doua e cu Revolutia lor din 1956, despre care nu stiam atatea amanunte, asa ca au fost binevenite.
In afara informatiilor istorice, cartea e destul de simpluta si imi aduce aminte de Ruta Sepetys cu "Sfarsitul soaptelor. Decembrie 1989".
Exemplarul meu se numeste "Ramas-bun, Budapesta!", editura e Corint si din cauza noii politici a Goodreads-ului de a interzice adaugatul de carti daca nu esti librar, vom citi multe titluri in romana care nu au corespondent pe site-ul lor. Era suficient motorul de cautare, cel mai prost din lume, dar se vede ca e intotdeauna loc de mai rau.
Mi-a placut sa citesc o carte cu nume unguresti si cu bulevarde pe care m-am plimbat, dar facand abstractie de ele, evenimentele din prima parte ar fi putut avea loc in orice oras, din orice tara din blocul fost comunist. Partea a doua e cu Revolutia lor din 1956, despre care nu stiam atatea amanunte, asa ca au fost binevenite.
In afara informatiilor istorice, cartea e destul de simpluta si imi aduce aminte de Ruta Sepetys cu "Sfarsitul soaptelor. Decembrie 1989".
Exemplarul meu se numeste "Ramas-bun, Budapesta!", editura e Corint si din cauza noii politici a Goodreads-ului de a interzice adaugatul de carti daca nu esti librar, vom citi multe titluri in romana care nu au corespondent pe site-ul lor. Era suficient motorul de cautare, cel mai prost din lume, dar se vede ca e intotdeauna loc de mai rau.
June 18, 2023
4.5 Stars
I grabbed this book last year while I was in Budapest. A local Hungarian bookseller recommended it to me and said that it was an excellent factionalized story around the Hungarian Revolution on 1956.
It was incredibly powerful and has caused me to learn so much more about this beautiful country and their people’s fight for independence. Full of hope and heartbreak, Goodbye to Budapest tells the story of a family and their acquaintances in both sides of the fight during the uprising and how it will effect their futures.
Reading this made me miss Hungary and now I want to go back and spend more time there, visiting the history Museum, the House of Terrors and spend time learning more about this point in history.
Highly recommend for historical fiction fans!
I grabbed this book last year while I was in Budapest. A local Hungarian bookseller recommended it to me and said that it was an excellent factionalized story around the Hungarian Revolution on 1956.
It was incredibly powerful and has caused me to learn so much more about this beautiful country and their people’s fight for independence. Full of hope and heartbreak, Goodbye to Budapest tells the story of a family and their acquaintances in both sides of the fight during the uprising and how it will effect their futures.
Reading this made me miss Hungary and now I want to go back and spend more time there, visiting the history Museum, the House of Terrors and spend time learning more about this point in history.
Highly recommend for historical fiction fans!
December 9, 2022
I started reading the book on a flight to Budapest, its beautifully written and loved how the author was pointing to different landmarks around the city then getting to see them in real life the next day 🙂 The book was very predictable for me, main characterdevelopmentvery similar to any book writtenfor yhe same era, hence the 3 star rating. My takeaway from the book is the added knowledge of the real historical events that happened in 1956 when Hungarians tried to win their freedom from the Soviets.
December 26, 2020
Having a sister and niece who live in Budapest who we have visited a couple of times, I could visualize the locations in the story which added to my enjoyment of the story. It's not a happy story, but it brings history to life especially for those of us who don't know as much about the history of Hungary as we do about some of the other Warsaw Pact countries.
June 7, 2021
A very informative account of the lead up to the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and the uprising itself. It was told through an engaging storyline involving several people from different perspectives of Hungary life at that time.
April 30, 2024
Characters clearly defined. Well written, I enjoyed the read.
February 17, 2021
Read this in a day .... hard to read with so much death and suffering. Gripping and very moving.
May 3, 2021
I read this to prepare for a trip to SE Europe in the fall and learned so much about the time when Hungary was controlled by Russian communists. The book caught my attention on the first page, which begins the story of an arrest in the middle of the night of one of the main characters. It matched stories I heard from a man in Croatia, who told my travel friend and I about Yugoslavia times, when “the night would eat you.”
July 8, 2022
It's a book that will stay with you. It's a bit depressing, but it is about a revolution/uprising. I did really like this book. I learned a lot, too, especially since while reading, I had to look up further information.
July 17, 2024
Well written- wove in and out and was intrigued. Shed tears at the end- did not have any knowledge about Hungry in the war- highly recommend.
August 1, 2022
In 1950’s Hungary, a knock on the door in the middle of the night is something to fear. You don’t need to be guilty to fall under the radar of the secret police. And so when the dreaded AVO come for her father, Katalin is convinced of his innocence.
I always enjoy fiction that teaches me something about the world I was born into, and this was where Goodbye to Budapest excelled, providing me with eye-witness accounts of the build-up to the Hungarian Uprising, through the eyes of Katalin and her family and friends, who have only two recently lived through changes wrought by the second World War.
I always enjoy fiction that teaches me something about the world I was born into, and this was where Goodbye to Budapest excelled, providing me with eye-witness accounts of the build-up to the Hungarian Uprising, through the eyes of Katalin and her family and friends, who have only two recently lived through changes wrought by the second World War.
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