Snow on the Danube

Béla has grown up in a cramped East London flat with his great uncle, once a Hungarian count; as far as he’s concerned his elderly relative is eccentric and annoying. But when his great-uncle dies, Béla is bequeathed a mysterious manuscript – a manuscript that reveals a completely different side to the count. For the first time Béla learns about the horrors his great uncle had to endure during the Second World War. Snow on the Danube evokes the lost world of Budapest during and between two great wars -- and is recounted in the inimitable voice of Count Zoltán Pongrácz: a fussy hypochondriac who becomes an unlikely and compromised hero when the Fascists take over his beloved country and he is forced to rescue his adored, wayward sister Anna. An unlikely comedy, a document of filial love and a compelling portrait of the horrors of war, Snow on the Danube is the story of one man's quest to save everything he loves most: his family, his friends --- and, perhaps, soul.

Excellent story, superb writing!

First of all, I am not a fan of virtual voice- I find it more than a little creepy. However, this one was fairly natural. I am a reader of Shoah literature and this seemed a little different, the main part of the story being set in Hungary and main characters aristocracy. There is a good bit of Hungarian history to be gleaned in this body of work as well as daily life in this country during WWII. The characters are compelling and likable. A worthy read.