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Clouds Over Markota
An American fighter pilot; a Hungarian farmer's daughter; for the rest of the world the end of the war meant peace, but in Eastern Europe the trouble was just beginning. Clouds Over Markota is a semi-biographical historical fiction, part war story, part love story, a glimpse of life in rural Hungary during the oppressive communist years.
Not only is this novel historical fiction but it also has its own history. As a survivor of the Hungarian Revolution and an immigrant from Hungary, my father worked on this manuscript for years, but left it unfinished when he passed away. My research for this novel led me to rent an apartment in Budapest, walk the narrow streets that the Soviet tanks once rolled down, and visit the little town of Markota. Clouds Over Markota is essentially fiction, but the characters are composites of real people I met while travelling in Hungary, and the political events are true to history.
"An engrossing account of daring and hope, epitomizing the noblest of instincts... doing the right thing in the face of terrifying consequences. The authenticity of this story of a family living in a rural Hungarian village, thrust into the midst of battle in the dying days of the Second World War, who chose to save the life of an enemy pilot despite the probability of immediate execution if caught, seizes the reader's attention from the outset and does not let go until the inspiring ending. A great read, written with passion and pace..." (Clouds Over Markota Reader)
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.
Not only is this novel historical fiction but it also has its own history. As a survivor of the Hungarian Revolution and an immigrant from Hungary, my father worked on this manuscript for years, but left it unfinished when he passed away. My research for this novel led me to rent an apartment in Budapest, walk the narrow streets that the Soviet tanks once rolled down, and visit the little town of Markota. Clouds Over Markota is essentially fiction, but the characters are composites of real people I met while travelling in Hungary, and the political events are true to history.
"An engrossing account of daring and hope, epitomizing the noblest of instincts... doing the right thing in the face of terrifying consequences. The authenticity of this story of a family living in a rural Hungarian village, thrust into the midst of battle in the dying days of the Second World War, who chose to save the life of an enemy pilot despite the probability of immediate execution if caught, seizes the reader's attention from the outset and does not let go until the inspiring ending. A great read, written with passion and pace..." (Clouds Over Markota Reader)
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.
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First published August 27, 2015
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About the author
Kathleen Hegedus
7 books71 followersKathleen 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.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 11, 2016
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.
March 9, 2016
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.
October 9, 2016
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.
February 10, 2018
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.
January 23, 2018
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!
March 4, 2018
Was very interesting and would recommend for adults as well as young teens. Won a copy in a goodreads giveaway.
February 15, 2019
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.
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.
June 3, 2020
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.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews