Joseph Kertes

Jacob is a Jewish Hungarian boy living in Canada who reminisces about a Christmas in 1959. He wishes to be British-Canadian, especially during the Christmas season. Because he is Jewish and from Hungary, he did not experience Christmas like the children in Canada did, and he wanted to. Throughout the novel, Jacob begins to realize the importance of his own traditions, even though they may be different than the traditions of those around him. The journey that Jacob experiences with learning the value of his own traditions is something that children could relate to. Children here are from all different backgrounds and cultures, and it is important for them to know that it is okay to be different. Jacob wanted to be like everyone else around him so badly, until he realized how amazing his own traditions were. I loved the message of this story, and although it may not be for everyone, I do believe that it could really impact certain children who may be having similar feelings.… (más)

3.5 When the Russians arrive in Budapest to stop the Hungarian Revolution, there is much terror and bloodshed. Men hanging from lampposts, shot in the street. Young Robert 9.8 years as he points out and his 13 year old brother Atilla, with their family, leave their home, taking a train to their Great Aunt's house in Paris. Along the way they will meet many different people, experience a family heartbreak and separation, until they finally make it to Paris. Once there family secrets are exposed, setting the boys on an a quest with a horrendous consequences.

This is a hard book for me to review, I have so many mixed feelings, but I did like the boys, the family. Atilla has a strange way of addressing his younger brother, though the boys are very close, it took some getting used too for sure. Robert is our narrator and he tends to follow along with whatever Atilla decides. Atilla, very bright, always asking questions, over hears things and wants clarification, so many questions needing so many answers. For the most part I enjoyed many of the characters, the writing meaningful and concise. There was just one part concerning the greataunt's maid and the boys that I felt was unnecessary and couldn't understand the meaning, why it ever had to be there. Such a strange and to me at least off putting scene.

A good story, humorous at times, with tragic undertones, and a book that highlights the cost of war on one particular family.… (más)

This book was picked by the Amnesty Book Club to read in May of 2016. I took me slightly longer to work around to reading it but I am immensely grateful to Amnesty for bringing this book to my attention. The author was born in Hungary and left with his family in 1956 to come to Canada. I knew that many Hungarians had fled their country when the Russian army marched in to quell the Hungarian Revolution against the Soviet-backed government. Wikipedia says 200,000 people left Hungary at that time. This book is about a young Jewish boy and his family who fled the Russian occupiers.

Robert Beck was 9.8 years old when the Russian tanks moved in. He, his brother, Attila, their mother and father and their paternal grandmother together with a cousin and his pregnant wife managed to get away from Budapest into Austria before the borders closed tightly. Prior to leaving though Robert saw men hung in a public square and another man shot through the head, atrocities which made a big impression on the young boy. Then, just after they reached Austria, the pregnant cousin gave birth and died, also right in front of Robert and Attila. These two boys are precocious for their age and extremely curious. There's a great scene where Attila asks a Catholic priest numerous questions about God and religion to the point of rendering the priest speechless. So, in the midst of the horror of displacement, there is humour which relieves the seriousness of the situation. This is not the first time the Beck family has faced danger. During World War II they were put on a train to a death camp but were rescued by their cousin Paul Beck who worked with Raoul Wallenberg to issue Swedish papers to many Jewish Hungarians. During the war Robert's great-aunt Hermina was tortured by the Nazis to force her husband to operate on a Nazi officer. Although fictional these incidents are based upon facts and chill the reader. Robert, who understands most of what is going on but not all, is the perfect narrator as his burgeoning consciousness reflects what outsiders come to learn.

There are some lovely scenes mixed in with the horrific ones plus Robert is endearing in how he views life and interacts with everyone, especially his brother. In the book people are always patting Robert on the head and I know that is exactly what I would do if he was here with me.… (más)