Fever at Dawn

By: Péter Gárdos, Elizabeth Szász - translator

Narrated by: Arthur Morey

In this improbably joyous novel about two recovering concentration camp survivors, love is the best medicine.

July 1945. Miklos is a twenty-five-year-old Hungarian who has survived the camps and has been brought to Sweden to convalesce. His doctor has just given him a death sentence — his lungs are filled with fluid and in six months he will be gone. But Miklos has other plans. He didn't survive the war only to drown from within, and so he wages war on his own fate. He acquires the names of the 117 Hungarian women also recovering in Sweden, and he writes a letter to each of them in his beautiful cursive hand. One of these women, he is sure, will become his wife.

In another part of the country, Lili reads his letter and decides to write back. For the next few months, the two engage in a funny, absurd, hopeful epistolary dance. Eventually, they find a way to meet.

Based on the true story of Péter Gárdos's parents, and drawn from their letters, Fever at Dawn is a vibrant, ribald, and unforgettable tale, showing the death-defying power of the human will to live and to love.

one of audibles BEST narrators!

Arthur Morey makes this a great listen. And there's a nice switch up @ the end. A lovely memoir to the author's parents.

Sweet and Tender, Sliver of Horror

Enjoyed this audio book with no previous knowledge of the author or storyline. The resilience of human nature is well plumbed here but in a manner less Pollyanna and more Little Red Hen. Worth the time it takes to listen.

A exceptional love story!

A wonderful love story beautifully told by the son of two Hungarian POW survivors. A read for those like me who want the stories of the people of this period of time in history.