Clouds Over Markota

by Kathleen Hegedus

An American fighter pilot; a Hungarian farmer's daughter; for the rest of the world the end of the Second World War meant peace, but in Eastern Europe the trouble was just beginning. Endre and Ilonka's lives are on a collision course and will inevitably become intertwined through their shared jeopardy as they struggle to survive not only the war, but also the brutally oppressive Soviet occupation.

Doubt. Dream. Dare. If they never jump, they'll never fly.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, War, Novels, Literary Fiction, Hungarian Literature

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 27, 2015

About the author

Kathleen Hegedus holds a Master of Arts degree from California State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alberta. Her studies in creative writing include numerous writing courses and a writing mentorship with the University of Toronto.

Reviews

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's a walk through a turbulent time in the history of Hungary, well told through the eyes of Erno and Ilonka. The two young boy characters, Lajos and Sanji, are also very entertaining. They inject a touch of levity that helps to make this portrayal of life in rural Hungary more personal.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

My grandparents fled Hungary in 1956 like Erno and Elonka in Clouds Over Markota. This book brought a part of my history to life for me. Someday, I hope to travel to Hungary.

[Fermentum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another interesting book. More stuff I want to research. WW2 in Hungry, The Russian Front, The Arrow Cross Party,Soviets killing Jews, Horthy.... So much blood shed.

[Barbara White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clouds Over Markota took me to WWII in Hungary. The story is so believable that I felt as though I were a voyeur in the lives of the main characters. Clouds Over Markota would be a great companion book in history classes that study Hungary after WWII. Thanks to Goodreads First Reads for a copy of this book. I highly recommend reading it.

[Babajaga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to a Goodreads giveaway which I was lucky to win, I discovered a great book that I might not have otherwise come across. A real page-turner. Interesting story, characters that I cared about, plus an excellent way to learn something about Hungary's history. I highly recommend this book!

[Lucy Meeker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was very interesting and would recommend for adults as well as young teens. Won a copy in a goodreads giveaway.

[Krysia Corden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read!

This book is really well written. I couldn’t put it down but also didn’t want it to end. Kathy really makes the characters come to life.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won my copy of this book in a Firstreads giveaway. This story did not disappoint, and is one of the few novels about the second world war I've read that didn't make me sad or depressed. There were still Nazis, dictators, and cruel soldiers, but there was more of a "this is going to be okay in the end" kind of feel.