The Songs We Hide - by Connie Hampton Connally (Paperback)

About the Book

In communist Hungary, a peasant loses his land, a young mother loses her baby's father, and both are scared into silence-until music brings them together to face the agonizing tests ahead.

Book Synopsis

In 1951, a grim hush has settled over Hungary. After a lost war and a brutal transition to communism, the people live under constant threat of blacklisting, property confiscation, arrest, imprisonment, and worse. In this milieu of dread, the best land of Péter Benedek's peasant family is seized and his life upended. Moving to Budapest for a manual labor job, Péter meets Katalin Varga, an unwed mother whose baby's father has vanished, most likely at the hands of the secret police. Both Péter and Katalin keep their heads down and their mouths clamped shut, because silence is the only safety they know. The two have something in common besides fear: they are singers whose very natures make the silence unbearable. When Katalin starts giving Péter voice lessons, they take an intrepid step out of hiding by making music together. Little by little they tell each other what they cannot tell others. In their bond of trust, they find relief and unexpected happiness. Yet the hurts and threats in their lives remain, waiting. As harsh reality assaults them again, is hope even possible? Facing their hardest trials yet, Péter and Katalin learn to carve dignity and beauty out of pain.

Review Quotes

"This is a haunting, character-driven novel with a simple plot, despite the dramatic events occurring in the background. [...] I was impressed with the depth and scope of Connally's research. She has captured not only the turbulent political climate of post-WWII Hungary but also the essence of Hungarian culture. Highly recommended."

--Historical Novel Society

"Connally's exploration of Mátyás Rákosi's Hungary is both thorough and heart-breaking. She does a remarkable job of portraying emotion and the reader feels everything her characters do, from the constant fear of being arrested or blacklisted to the small moments of joy they are afforded by music and family."

--Reader Views