Goodbye Danube

About the Book

Benci, Irene, and their four children live in Budapest, Hungary. In the fall of 1956, they find themselves, along with the rest of the country, caught in a revolution that is ignited by young men and women. Fed up with a communist regime that has ruled since World War II, they march in protest, determined to rid their city of total control from a government with no conscience. Because Benci is a former soldier and a college professor, his life is threatened if he doesn’t report for duty to fight his fellow citizens. Ignoring those orders, Benci and his family prepare to flee. Hundreds have already died in what started as peaceful demonstrations. A neighbor’s twelve-year-old son is killed for the “crime” of looking out a window. Their neighbors look to Benci for guidance. He is a man who is a world-champion fencer, which has earned him a celebrity status among his countrymen. Reluctantly, he takes on the challenge to lead about two dozen citizens—men, women, and children. Along the way, they face death several times and a frightening walk across a swaying bridge made of nothing more than planks and rope. Keeping the children safe and protected from the realities of their situation becomes the harshest, most emotional role Irene has ever played as a mother. Irene’s entire world has always been devoted to her children—Mara, ten; Vera, eight; Andow, seven; and Gari, five. Now more than ever, they need her the most. Once they arrive safely in Austria, everyone rejoices—that is, whoever is still alive. Of the two dozen who started out on this long journey, only fifteen remain. Irene cannot share the jubilations; she is heartbroken. Their freedom forced her to abandon her homeland and forsake her family, especially her mother, Gitta, who proclaimed that she was too old to make such a journey. “My slowing you down could end in disaster for you and the children. No, it’s better that I stay here.” The story continues until the children are young men and women. Because of Irene’s fear of strangers due to years of not being able to trust anyone, she refuses to attend functions at Rutgers University, where Benci is employed. She will not allow a stranger to babysit her children, which leads to a bitter divorce; and Irene, though devastated, never accepts any responsibility for the failed marriage.

About the Author

This book “Goodbye Danube” would be my debut book. Although I’ve written another. I’m also working on a third book, “Framed Pictures”, which is about a mother, and daughter. One lives in New York, while the other lives in Orlando Fl. Each of them will face their own crisis at the same time. The struggle to see each other again is the basis for this story.