The Book of Fathers    by Miklós Vámos Order:  USA  Can Other Press, 2009 (2009) Paperback Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Barbara Lingens Anyone with an interest in Hungary and Hungarian literature should read this entertaining novel (translated by Peter Sherwood). Miklós Vámos has portrayed twelve generations of fathers, and their stories reflect the changing times in Hungary. There is much hardship and poverty, but real people step out of these pages. Certain members of the Csillag family have the ability to see back in history as well as to have some kind of understanding of their own fate. This magical talent keeps us in focus as we traverse through history. We see the family struggling against the economic turmoil and political intrigue of the time. Their endurance and resilience makes their history ever so worthwhile to read, and their ambition to live better leads to some very surprising endings in some of the chapters. Most interesting is the Author's Note at the end of the book. (It might even help to read it first.) It speaks of his interest in his own family history and what prompted him to write the novel as well as providing some paragraphs on Hungarian history. Regarding the language of the book, Vámos explains that he has tried to mirror the growth of Hungarian from ancient to modern. This does not come across in the English translation, but nevertheless the translator must have accurately captured the author's meaning because the language feels exactly right. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Historical books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews