Where do I even begin? Perhaps here: while reading Abigail, I barely came up for breath. It is that rare book that totally blots out the real world and substitutes another world that is so genuine and raw and mesmerizing that the twinning of reader and plot soon become complete. I would count it among the five best contemporary books I have ever read – and I have read a lot of books!
First, the title: I assumed Abigail was the name of the book’s protagonist. Not so. Gina Vitay, a headstrong young teen who is the spoiled only child of a reticent and honorable General, is the core of the story. As the tides of battle shift against Hungary and the Axis powers in the mid-1940s, Gina is summarily informed that she will be exiled to a grim religious boarding school fortress in the middle of nowhere—and no amount of pleading will make a difference.
As Gina adjusts to the authoritarian school, part of the intrigue is witnessing the school and the outside events from the perspective of a 14-year-old. The majority of readers will immediately understand the reasons behind the General’s decision (Gina is sure it is because her father wants to remarry and rid himself of her), and they will also recognize what drives the adults who are in charge of her care and quickly guess who can be most trusted.
For Gina, the only one to trust is Abigail, a statue in the outside garden who, for decades, has been the recipient of many heartbroken schoolgirl’s laments and cries for guidance. Abigail actually fixes things for girls in trouble with real, handwritten answers. Obviously, the status is not a supernatural force but what cloistered person has adopted the persona of Abigail? Is it someone who treats Gina and the others with obsequious politeness or someone stern and overbearing? It is a mystery that I solved early on but whether a reader does or not matters little.
What really matters is the journey to self-knowledge and to what values are most essential. Gina will inevitably reach a crucial juncture where her childhood and illusions will be shattered forever she will don the heavy cloak of premature adulthood and that scene will remain among the most memorable I have read. And she will recognize some universal truths: “…how much more special something was if you had had to struggle to achieve it, and how much stronger you were if you faced life as a group, like mountaineers whose very lives depended on an invisible rope linking them together…”
The quality of the writing throughout the book is powerful and propulsive, never calling attention to itself, but through its careful choice of wording, providing a luminous look at a point in time…and in character. It takes an excellent translator to help make this happen and Len Rix was certainly up to the task. I never once felt I was reading a translation. This is a marvelous book and I envy all those who have yet to discover it. My highest recommendation.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Customers who bought this item also bought
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
From the Publisher
|
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iza's Ballad | Katalin Street | The Door | Abigail | |
|
|
||||
| Customer Reviews |
190
|
246
|
3,208
|
855
|
| Price | $14.73 | $15.95 | $12.49 | $11.99 |
| About this book | The profoundly moving story of a mother, Ettie, who moves in with her daughter Iza after the death of her husband. | A heartwrenching tale about a group of friends and lovers torn apart by the German occupation of Budapest during World War II. | An unsettling exploration of the relationship between Magda, an educated and public-spirited writer, and Emerence, an illiterate and seemingly ageless peasant. | A coming-of-age story set in WWII at a strict, Hungarian school for girls. |
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2020
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2020
Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2020
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2020
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2020
Top reviews from other countries
gerardpeter
Coming-of-Age in Hungary
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 3, 2021terence dooley
wartime boarding school story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 17, 2020lennak
A beautiful and captivating story about empathy
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 17, 2020
Ralph Blumenau
Brilliant first half - second half not nearly as good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 13, 2021