Enemies of the People: My Family's Journey to America

Life in a brutal regime remembered 60 years later

I found this story strikingly close to home, as I am also a Hungarian, the same age as the author. My mother and I escaped in 1956, and like the author, I grew up in a strange new world, having to learn English and the customs of a different culture. In her book, Kati Marton reveals the brutality, stupidity and moral bankruptcy of the post-war Soviet-inspired regimes. Although her parents revolved in different circles from mine, the results were the same - we were always in fear of our lives, wondering when the dreaded AVO (secret police) would storm into our apartment in the middle of the night.

But the fear and despair notwithstanding, life goes on, children are raised and people still find time for love and hope.

This book would be a very useful primary source for for the the descendants of the escapees of this regime, illuminating life under a sick totalitarian system.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Highly Recommended

I enjoyed reading this book. Although it is non-fiction, it read like a novel and kept me engrossed throughout. I learned a lot about the post-Nazi years in Eastern Europe.

A chilling reminder of protected freedoms

I saw Kati Marton on a television show talking about her book and that interview prompted me to read this book. I am very glad that I did and I would recommend this book for anyone interested in Cold War history, refugee stories, or even seeking family histories. Ms. Marton was driven to find her parents stories and it was evident that there was a great deal of piecing together of guarded information that she had to obtain in Hungary. She uncovered stories and details about her parents that she would have never known. I wonder how her relationship with each of her parents would have changed if she had known everything that they had gone through. It is a remarkable story about protecting family and the extremes a parent would do for their children. The book also reminded me of how I take for granted my rights as a US Citizen.

A new look at post WW2 Hungary

A carefully researched book about a family's struggles to maintain a normal life in abnormal conditions of Hungary after world war 2. A worthwhile reading for those that know little about the abuse of power in that part of the world.

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