You Cannot Forbid the Flower

by Elizabeth Lukács Chesla

Winner, Best Novella - 2023 American Writing Awards
Finalist, Best Historical Fiction
Finalist, Best Debut Fiction

WHEN YOU'VE LOST EVERYTHING, WHAT DO YOU HOLD ON TO?

German-occupied Transylvania, October 1944: Seventeen and in love with a girl he'd never even spoken to, a young Hungarian is forced to fight for the Germans, then flee his homeland after Romania allies with the Soviet Union and wins control of northern Transylvania, liberating it from Nazi rule. A refugee in his own country, he soon finds love in the ruins of Budapest. But life under the ever-watchful eyes of "Father" Stalin and the notorious Hungarian secret police is a new kind of terror. When peaceful protests erupt into violence in October 1956, he joins the uprisers battling the mighty Soviets in one of the most important and tragic events of the Cold War.

In this stunning debut, Elizabeth Lukács Chesla travels back and forth across time to tell the story of her father, a Freedom Fighter who escapes after the Soviet Union's brutal suppression of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Weaving together stories, poems, historical documents, and memoir, she attempts to make sense of the twelve days that defined her father and his homeland. From the history and folklore of Transylvania where her father was born, to the first shots fired on the peaceful protestors sparking the revolution, to the history of the Molotov cocktail, the Freedom Fighters' main weapon against the Soviet tanks, Chesla explores the causes and consequences of the revolution to keep the memory of her father--and the nearly 3,000 rebels and civilians killed in the revolution--alive. An ode to a distant father, language, and homeland, You Cannot Forbid the Flower is a profound meditation on love, loss, and the power of story.

Hybrid | Historical Fiction | Literary Fiction

206 pages, Paperback

Published August 15, 2023

Reviews

[lucy buchman · Rating 5 out of 5]

first book to ever make me cry. so moving, beautifully paced and multifaceted. would recommend to everyone

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so very much. It's hauntingly beautiful, compelling, and her story-telling is absolutely masterful. I read it in one sitting and will read it again.

[Stephen Megargee · Rating 5 out of 5]

With “You Cannot Forbid the flower,” Elizabeth Lukás Chesla brings a fresh voice to historical fiction. In this book based on her father’s recollections, vignettes of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and its prolonged aftermath form a whole that makes for humane, thoughtful and unique reading.

Ms. Chesla’s conversational tone and understated style have the effect of allowing the history and stories that are briefly told, to invite re-reading and contemplation. Memory and its inventions—the stories we tell and choose not to tell—give “You Cannot Forbid the flower” intellectual and emotional depth.

This is a picture of a time, its events, and of family. Along with present-day reflections, it is like a faded, storied tattoo on the psyches of father and daughter, a nation, and the world today.

[Tracie Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ode to uprisers courageously and tenderly unpicks the tangled complexities of a father and a daughter’s sense of displacement, belonging, and identity within the fabric of family and cultural history. You Cannot Forbid the Flower pulls together the threads of a daughter’s relationship with her father and that father's relationship with his multiple identities as father, lover, upriser, revolutionary, and refugee against the chaotic dismemberment of the country that birthed them. Lukács Chesla never flinches as, with exquisite skill, she stitches this powerful, illuminating, completely unique work of truth and imagination from original poetry, first-hand accounts, and primary and secondary historical sources. Warning: this book is addictive. Once read, it lingers like excellent chocolate—delicious, satisfying, with just a bit of an edge.

[Carol Collier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing and heart-wrenching story of the Hungarian Resistance, told in a creative way. The author brings the story of her father to life with such beautiful prose. Pure genius! He is a mystery to her and we travel with her as she uncovers the complexity and tragedies of his life. I love the short chapters and the rhythm it creates for the reader. The writing style gives the reader a more lived experience, as the details of each confrontation with the opposition forces, the Russians, come to life in a more realistic way. We travel between America and Hungary with the author as she unravels this well research story.

[Mickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You cannot forbid the flower" is a line from a poem by a Hungarian poet. In this unique book by that title, author Elizabeth Lukács Chesla combines riveting 20th century history with the story of her father's life and imagined deaths during the Russian occupation of Budapest and the Hungarian uprising of 1956. A creative way to recount the facts of a crucial time in a country's history. Terrific storytelling and strong imagery make this small book well worth reading. It would also make an excellent textbook for high school history classes.

[Karen DiScala · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a journey. A wonderful journey through history, personal struggle, hope and love. There are periods where the narrator deals up surprises, and the historical references were so informative. But beyond the story itself it was the telling of the tale that drew me in. This is one of those books that had me rereading sections because the writing was so beautiful and the description of the author and her father toward the end almost had me in tears. Highly recommend!

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautifully written, inspired, and gripping. With some chapters that read like traditional stories or personal essays and others that come in the form of poems, listicles, and flash prose, this book dances gracefully between genres without losing the clarity or cohesion of a “traditional” novel. Elizabeth Lukács Chesla blends family history with world history and blurs fact into fiction, ultimately arriving at a deeper, more meaningful story than would be possible otherwise.

[Chari Small · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book written by one of the leaders of my writing circle. Liz told the story of the Hungarian revolution in the 1950s using her father as the actor in many different scenarios. The writing in this book is amazing. It's a short book and a quick read. It's also very profound. I hope you read this book.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short novel is clever in presentation and rich in lyrical prose. The author's empathetic view of a period in Hungarian history is told through a fictionalized rendition of her father's life. The endnotes provide additional historical context as well. This is a beautiful read without judgement and filled with imagery that provides emotional connection to the story.

[Samantha Ospelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful story. I learned a lot about Hungary. I didn’t know much about that dark time in its history. And it was made personal by learning about the author’s dad and how his experience affected his life and future family.

[Lance Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I throughly enjoyed this book. The way the author told her father’s story blending history, historical documents and poems was brilliant. It was a quick read for me because I couldn’t stay away from this fascinating story.

[D Schwind · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a real gem! It is a quick read that will leave you wanting more from this talented writer.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully told story of family and revolution. Chesla tells many stories and one story all at once. Very artfully done! I couldn't put it down.