Readers of Europe 2022 – Hungarian recommendation

Recommendation by the Permanent Representation of Hungary to the EU

Book selected: The Bone Fire by György Dragomán

György Dragomán’s subtle, masterful work 'The Bone Fire’, wraps a grandmother-granddaughter bonding tale around an interrogation of what freedom really means.

Living in a post-Communist ex-Soviet state, thirteen year old Emma is taken from an orphanage by a grandmother she has never met. Her grandmother is a local witch whose home she shares with the ghost of her dead husband. 

Post-war, Emma’s new community is a melting pot of troubles. A combination of people living in constant fear of informers and secret police. Destabilized from living in the long shadow of the Soviet Union, revolution follows revolution. Dragomán subtly shows how easily those fighting for freedom can turn on each other once their goal is reached.

Drowned in memories, nothing is forgotten. There are stories about her grandfather. Whispers that he was an informer for the previous regime. There are rumors about her grandmother. Distrusted because of her strange powers. An impending witch hunt looms which could have catastrophic consequences for all.

Amidst all this political upheaval, this is a coming of age tale of a young girl in the fog of adolescence. Emma struggles to fit in with the popular girls in her school. Some spit acquisitions about her grandfather. Saying little and weighed down by the absence of loved ones, she strives to get to grips with what people think of her. With who she is and what she could be.  

Although magic is at the core of this book, the word magic is never uttered. Yet it is very present in almost every aspect of daily life. Emma learns the ways of her grandmother. An eerie figure who tells fortunes from coffee dregs, and can cause and heal pain at will.

Meticulously paced and written in a very interesting style, there are long blocks of unbroken text with no quotation marks or line breaks for dialogue. An almost inner monologue of the thoughts of a teenage girl.

Bleak, heartbreaking and enchanting, like any good tale of magic should be.  

György Dragomán (1973) was born in Transylvania and moved to Hungary when he was fifteen. His first novel, The White King, has been translated into more than thirty languages and went on to win the Sandor Márai Prize and the Jan Michaelski Prize. Dragomán lives in Budapest with his wife and two children.

If you’re looking to unearth Hungarian literary gems, discover more via Eureka, the online catalogue of the Council libraries.

About the Readers of Europe campaign

The year 2022 has been designated the European Year of Youth. The Council Library has therefore chosen to devote its annual Readers of Europe initiative to young people, putting the focus squarely on new and emerging European literary talent.

The permanent representations to the EU have once again been invited to recommend books from their countries to read over the summer, with the third edition of our Readers of Europe campaign. The theme for this year’s campaign is ‘Discover something new’, the idea being that every permanent representation selects a book from their country by an author who has published their first work within the last five years. We will then promote these selections over the summer on the Council Library blog.

Europe is awash with exciting young authors. Dive into this selection and discover stories that hum with fresh ideas and luminous prose. Novels that ask piercing questions about humanity. Stories that are edgy and beautiful, gripping and unsettling. Stories worthy of a place in any library.

So find a comfy place to sit back and relax as we showcase some of Europe’s promising literary talent. Join us as we once again encounter the Readers of Europe.

This post does not necessarily represent the positions, policies, or opinions of the Council of the European Union or the European Council.

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