Title: Fighting The Tide

Author: Robert Bordas

Publisher: HiStories Books

Genre: Eastern European Literature, Historical European Fiction, Historical Fiction

Pages: 344

Anna Onisko is fighting to reclaim custody of her daughter, a battle made all the more difficult by the political upheaval and uncertainty of postwar Hungary. It is 1946, and the country is still reeling from the devastation of World War II. Just two years earlier, German forces had occupied Hungary, and by late 1944, the Soviet Red Army had advanced into the country, bringing with it a brutal siege of Budapest that lasted nearly two months.

By February 1945, Soviet forces had taken the capital, leaving much of the city in ruins and Hungary under Soviet military occupation. Hungary was now navigating a precarious postwar existence under Soviet influence, with its political independence diminished and its future uncertain.

It is against this unsettled backdrop that we meet Anna, whose daughter, Veronika, remains separated from her and is being raised by her grandmother. With a country struggling to find its footing after war and occupation, Anna faces a deeply personal battle: winning back the child who has been taken from her.

This will not be easy.

Anna has worked hard to regain her independence after divorcing her abusive husband and fulfilling her dream of owning her own fashion shop, which she has named after her daughter. However, the political climate of the time seems to intrude on her personal life at every turn. “I have no interest in politics,” Anna repeats, but politics has an interest in her.

In an effort to win back Veronika, she is told that she must join the Communist Party, which would require her to give up her shop and get a job. Not only is her shop her most prized accomplishment, but it is also her sole means of earning the money to pay a lawyer to try to get her baby back.

“My business also provided the means to finance the lawyer. The idea of giving this up and finding employment just seemed crazy. Teachers were paid miserably; I had tried that and failed.”

If that weren’t a stumbling block enough, Anna is also fighting off the interest of two men: her ex-husband Miklós, a police officer who beat her, and Tibor, a train conductor who is married with four children. Miklós is playing the “let’s-be-a-family-again” role, and although Anna likes Tibor for having “all that Miklós lacked,” Tibor is acting like he doesn’t have his own wife at home. They both pop up on occasion like a rash she can’t get rid of.

And that’s not all.

Later, after saving money and paying Dr. Kollár, the lawyer who would help her get Veronika, she discovers that his attorney’s license had been suspended and that it might have had something to do with his helping her.

“No attorney in their right mind would take up your case with what’s going on now. We’ll return to you some of your advance payments that Dr. Kollár hasn’t used and close our contract. You are on the right path to gaining the sympathy of the new regime with your worker profile. An explicit commitment to the leading political party could pave the way…”

Listen, Anna is fighting for her life ya’ll!

She’s a mother attempting to remain true to her anti-political views amid a highly political period while also holding on to her dream of being an entrepreneur and gaining custody of her child.

I loved Anna’s work ethic and determination to hold onto her independence. She knows how to take care of herself and those around her. When her shop had to close, she worked at a sugar factory, sold produce from Aunt Magda’s garden, and even knitted sweaters for her co-workers for the holidays. Anna refused to be distracted, even when her friend sniffed out that she did actually like Tibor.

“You like that chap, don’t you? Wouldn’t it be better–”

“Tibor has not yet divorced. I have my own child to mind. I won’t take care of his four children.”

I know that’s right, girl!

Nothing was going to stop this mother from holding onto her dignity and getting to her daughter. When Anna’s passport to visit was denied, she reapplied repeatedly.

Fighting the Tide spans the years from the 1940s through 1970. It is a lengthy read with many details. While I do not think all of the details were as necessary as some, I found the book to be well written.

The history of how post-war treaties returned Hungary’s borders to Soviet-backed communist control is a valuable lesson for anyone looking to review that period. For example, Anna’s friend Marika’s family falls on hard times, and Karcsi is demoted due to the nationalization of his factory. This also means the family must give up their company apartment.

Meanwhile, her other friend Bözske, who is married to Dr. Némedy (loyal to the party), lives in luxury.

It reminds me of why I’ve always loved historical fiction. It has a way of teaching you without preaching. If done well, it shows you what’s going on through the characters’ actions and dialogue, dropping you into their world.

I loved how journaling helped Anna to cope. She buys two journals, red for reality. Green for hope. She begins documenting her struggles, dreams, and sorrows for her daughter.

This is book two in a series based on stories inspired by the author’s mother. While I have not read book one, this one is its own story and can be read as a standalone.

Ratings

• Plot Movement / Strength: 4/5
• Entertainment Factor: 4/5
• Characterization: 5/5
• Authenticity / Believable: 5/5
• Thought Provoking: 5/5

Overall: 5/5

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