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A review by theliterateleprechaun
When the Summer Was Ours: A Novel by Roxanne Veletzos
5.0
This five-star read is definitely a book to be savoured, observed and appreciated! Set in WW2 Hungary and the turbulent days of the Hungarian Revolution, “When The Summer Was Ours” is a tale of survival, reinvention and the indestructible resilience of first love.
In the summer of 1943, Eva César arrives at her aristocratic family’s estate in the village of Sopron to enjoy her last days as a single woman. Looking forward to escaping her domineering father, Eva spends her time planning her wedding to a Red Cross Doctor, Eduard Kovaks.
Her life takes a change of direction one summer afternoon when she meets Aleandro Szabo, a charming Romani fiddler and artist. Separated by class, circumstance and tragedy, the destiny of these two star-crossed lovers is reshaped and the impact is echoed in three generations of women.
Veletzsos writes so beautifully. Her words seep into your soul affecting every cell and bone in your body; you forget about everything else in life while you are hanging out with Eva and Aleandro. I didn’t want the engrossing tale to end despite feeling the loss and heart ache. The author draws on early experience living in Eastern Europe and bases her characters on real life people; Dr. Andras Seibrigir as Eduard Kovaks, and Kalman Aron as Aleandro Szabo.
I love historical fiction and was excited to read this book set during the Hungarian uprising – a setting rarely used in wartime fiction. I learned about the Romani; not only of their bohemian existence, but also of their cruel fate during WW2. One quarter of Europe’s Roma reportedly perished at the hands of the Nazis.
From rural Hungary in the early 1940s, to Budapest in the late 1980s, to modern-day New York city, this is an epic tale of the impact of war on civilian life, the toll of secrets, the endurance of the human spirit and a reminder that renewal can spring from the ashes. It needs to be on your radar come August 23, 2021.
I was gifted this advance copy by Roxanne Veletzos, Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
In the summer of 1943, Eva César arrives at her aristocratic family’s estate in the village of Sopron to enjoy her last days as a single woman. Looking forward to escaping her domineering father, Eva spends her time planning her wedding to a Red Cross Doctor, Eduard Kovaks.
Her life takes a change of direction one summer afternoon when she meets Aleandro Szabo, a charming Romani fiddler and artist. Separated by class, circumstance and tragedy, the destiny of these two star-crossed lovers is reshaped and the impact is echoed in three generations of women.
Veletzsos writes so beautifully. Her words seep into your soul affecting every cell and bone in your body; you forget about everything else in life while you are hanging out with Eva and Aleandro. I didn’t want the engrossing tale to end despite feeling the loss and heart ache. The author draws on early experience living in Eastern Europe and bases her characters on real life people; Dr. Andras Seibrigir as Eduard Kovaks, and Kalman Aron as Aleandro Szabo.
I love historical fiction and was excited to read this book set during the Hungarian uprising – a setting rarely used in wartime fiction. I learned about the Romani; not only of their bohemian existence, but also of their cruel fate during WW2. One quarter of Europe’s Roma reportedly perished at the hands of the Nazis.
From rural Hungary in the early 1940s, to Budapest in the late 1980s, to modern-day New York city, this is an epic tale of the impact of war on civilian life, the toll of secrets, the endurance of the human spirit and a reminder that renewal can spring from the ashes. It needs to be on your radar come August 23, 2021.
I was gifted this advance copy by Roxanne Veletzos, Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.