Fernando Arizpe Arizpe itibaren Sher Garh, Pakistan
Wow. This is a powerful novel. Julie Orringer has written a hefty (600 + pages) novel about Hungarian Jews during the 1930's and 40's. The main character, Andras Levi is a gifted architecture student studying in Paris. His brother, Tibor, is a medical student and younger brother, Matayas is still struggling to find his place in the world. Andras' life is complicated when he falls in love with a mysterious woman in Paris. Their lives intersect with a myriad of interesting Parisian characters and, of course, all of their lives are disrupted by the outbreak of WWII. The characters are intricately drawn and the reader is swept up into the feel of life in Paris and Budapest in the late 1930's. The relationship of the three brothers is especially well developed and they are soulful, loving and loyal The middle of the novel sags just a bit and becomes a bit overwrought and then there appears to be a mad dash to the finish. Anyone with even a modicum of knowledge of European history knows that Hungary was virtually destroyed by the end of 1945 so it's VERY hard to put the book down. Who lives? Who dies? Who is betrayed? Who is redeemed? Orringer is a skillful writer and this novel delivers!