Author’s Note
This novella is a work of fiction, but the inspiration for it comes from actual events and real places.
I visited Budapest in November 2012 and was deeply affected by the horrific layers of history that the city has endured. The Dohany Street Synagogue and the House of Terror were devastating, and once I saw the Holy Hand of St Istvan in the Basilica, I knew what the crux of my story would be. I wanted to give a taste of the grand city in the book but also evoke visions of a day that seemed all too possible given the political situation. Here are some of my sources if you want to investigate further.
Rise of right-wing nationalism in Hungary
We like to think that the horrors of World War II couldn’t happen again, that we are too educated to succumb to ultra-nationalism or
