Becoming Hungarian: A Memoir by Erika Reich Giles is a deeply personal account of a refugee from the communist takeover in Hungary in 1948. Erika was just a few weeks old when her parents made the momentous decision to leave everything they owned and knew behind and escape their Hungarian town of Szombathely, near the Austrian border. The family's factory business was commandeered by the Soviet-backed Hungarian communists and they were left with nothing. Fearing that the next step would be their arrest and possible execution or a Hungarian labor gulag, Erika’s parents decided to risk everything with a daytime escape across the border into Austria. Despite the danger, the small family of two girls and their parents did find refuge in Austria but fear of the communists forced them to look further afield for long-term safety. After a three-year wait, they found themselves on a boat to the United States and then a train across the country to Billings, Montana, where they set about reestablishing their lives. Erika grew up as an American and although Hungary intrigued her, she never really knew what it meant to be Hungarian. It wasn’t till many years later that she discovered the need to unravel the family's past.

Becoming Hungarian is a wonderfully enlightening story of how one young girl came to terms with her refugee past and her fascinating, storied family history. I was immediately drawn deeply into this narrative. Author Erika Reich Giles has researched well and was able to vividly paint a picture of a post-communist small Hungarian town and the influence her grandfather and father had on the wealth and prosperity of Szombathely. It was the contrast in their fortunes, from essentially aristocracy to penniless and desperate refugees, that gives the memoir such pathos and poignancy. I was particularly impressed with the stoicism of Erika’s grandparents who chose to stay in their town despite their massive downgrade in status and wealth. Equally, Erika’s mother, with whom she struggled to connect emotionally over the years, displayed immense courage and perseverance when escaping from Hungary with a newborn clutched in her arms. It is easy to understand Erika’s desire to fit into her new town, school, and community and one can empathize with the difficulties she encountered because she was poor and a refugee. Children and even adults certainly can be cruel in these circumstances. I thoroughly enjoyed Erika and her husband’s trips to Hungary to remake connections and discover the foundations of her family and her national identity as a Hungarian. Today, with immigration being such a hot political topic, it does us good to read stories of refugees triumphing over hardship and bigotry. It behooves us to remember that no one willingly becomes a refugee. This is an educational and socially significant journey through one woman’s struggle to find her identity and I highly recommend this very readable memoir.

In her captivating memoir Becoming Hungarian, Erika Reich Giles takes readers on a personal journey of self-discovery and cultural identity. Erika is a first-generation Hungarian-American who grew up in the United States. With a passion for history and a desire to reconnect with her roots, she embarks on a transformative journey to Hungary to uncover the secrets of her family's past. As she digs into her ancestry, she unearths fascinating details about her past through personal anecdotes, historical accounts, and interviews with family members, creating a rich tapestry of her heritage. Giles draws from various sources, including family archives, letters, and interviews, to vividly depict her ancestors' lives and challenges in their homeland. The author's meticulous research is evident throughout the book, blending personal experiences with historical facts to provide a well-rounded understanding of Hungarian culture and history.

In this engaging memoir, Erika Reich Giles shares her experiences of learning the Hungarian language, exploring traditional Hungarian cuisine, and immersing herself in the vibrant cultural traditions of her ancestors. She also writes beautifully about the struggles and triumphs of her family members, shedding light on their immigration journey and the hardships they encountered in their pursuit of a better life. Becoming Hungarian unravels the author’s identity and offers readers insights into the broader themes of immigration, heritage, and the universal search for belonging. The author’s honest and introspective narrative underlines the importance of understanding one's roots. Erika's meticulous research, beautiful prose, and fine sense of character are some of the elements that make this memoir unique.

In her memoir Becoming Hungarian, Erika Reich Giles explores her family's history, tracing their escape from Communist Hungary and subsequent resettlement in the United States. Originating from Szombathely, Hungary, her family fled to Austria, facing separation and discrimination before forging a new life abroad. Battling with her dual identity, Erika searches for truth, discovering long-held family secrets that culminate in a journey to reconnect with her Hungarian roots. Her visit to Hungary, spanning Budapest to Szombathely, and beyond, takes her into the tangled heart of her family's past, fostering connections with relatives and locations of personal family significance. As she wrestles with economic struggles and political changes, Erika finds solace and closure, embracing her heritage with pride and understanding of Hungary's evolving landscape.

Erika Reich Giles takes us first into the tumultuous mid-20th century landscape of Hungary with a family history against the broader political and social upheavals of the time, with a raw and honest look at the impact of Communism on ordinary lives. Through her own experiences, Giles illustrates inherited trauma after being raised in a home where silence and avoidance of authority were valued, struggling with feelings of guilt and conflict when faced with the choice to speak up about the crime she witnessed. I was most shaken when Giles exposed a betrayal within her family's history, uncovering that a close family friend may have collaborated with the Communist regime, forcing Giles to reassess her understanding of trust and loyalty within her inner circle. Accessibly written and very moving, Becoming Hungarian offers readers a genuine glimpse into the human and historical dimensions of migration and resilience.

Becoming Hungarian, a memoir by Erika Reich Giles, tells the story of a Hungarian-American woman who left Hungary with her parents as an infant to escape the rule of the Soviet-backed Communists. In the United States, Erika had always tried to suppress her Hungarian identity to fit in. However, a letter from her father in 2003 ignited a spark of curiosity in her about the past she had been reluctant to deal with for so long. Over phone calls and visits, she began to gather information from her family about their days in Hungary, their escape, and their lives as refugees, first in Austria and later in the United States. Linearly, Erika presents the story of her family and her eventual visits to Hungary, which helped her reconnect with her homeland.

Erika Reich Giles’ Becoming Hungarian is a touching memoir with vivid imagery and a captivating style of narration. It is a must-read for people who are struggling or have struggled at some point in their lives to connect with their roots, regardless of the reason. Alongside the exploration of her Hungarian identity, Erika has shed light on the complexities of her family relationship and how she has chosen to navigate them, adding to the depth of the narrative. One of the most outstanding aspects of the memoir is the author’s keen observation of the world around her and the way she connects its elements to her journey. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys memoirs.