Siege 13
CBC Books | CBC | Posted: February 9, 2017 1:44 AM | Last Updated: February 16, 2017
Tamas Dobozy
In December of 1944, the Red Army entered Budapest to begin one of the bloodiest sieges of the Second World War. By February, the siege was over, but its effects were to be felt for decades afterward.
Siege 13 is a collection of thirteen linked stories about this terrible time in history, both its historical moment, but also later, as a legacy of silence, haunting and trauma that shadows the survivors. Set in both Budapest before and after the siege, and in the present day — in Canada, the U.S. and parts of Europe — Siege 13 traces the ripple effect of this time on characters directly involved, and on their friends, associates, sons, daughters, grandchildren and adoptive countries.
Siege 13 won the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize in 2012. The book was shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award for fiction in the same year.
From the book
His reputation for outrage extended even to the world of children's literature, which is no easy thing. When Görbe gave readings it wasn't rare to see a crowd of a hundred or more in attendance, and not the usual moms and dads and kids and teachers, but people you'd never have expected — Brooklyn hipsters, businessmen in blue suits, specialty booksellers with stacks of first editions Görbe would sign and they'd sell at inflated prices (they all had to put a wad of bills on his outstretched palm before he signed anything), and even some skeletal blondes cradling tiny dogs that trembled so bad they looked as if they were going to disintegrate. Each one was crazy about Görbe, many knew him personally, and when they lined up to have books signed he made sure to say something memorable to every one, statements so outrageous I was sure someone would either burst into tears, either that or assault him. Instead they only laughed or turned to friends and said, "See! What did I tell you?" and Görbe nodded almost imperceptibly, made a flourish with his pen, and handed back the book.
From Siege 13 by Tamas Dobozy ©2012. Published by Thomas Allen.