The Price of Freedom

In the oppression of post-WW2 communist Hungary, people live in constant fear of the secret police and in a rigidly imposed social order that allows precious little room for personal growth or free political expression. Out of this climate erupted one of the most dramatic flashpoints of the post-war era, the Hungarian revolution in 1956. This attempt of a people to regain control over their collective political destiny from a foreign ideology was crushed soon after it began by an overwhelming military effort from the Soviet Union. However, the Hungarian revolution stands today as one of the most poignant and authentic examples of a people’s quest for democracy and autonomy in modern history. This is the story of one young man’s quest to help free his country, and to build a life for himself that he knew would be impossible to achieve in his homeland. Imre’s story gives the personal side of a historic event that is often described in a broad, impersonal, international relations context that ignores the personal drama and heroism that is so evident in this novel. His story culminates with his arrival in Canada and his efforts to earn a living for his family and establish himself in a new country.