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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
Hungarian Rhapsody by Dr. Amanda Adams is a literary historical novel that follows Cheska Halasz, a young music student at Letham School of Music in 1954 New York, in her first semester while coping with incidents of ethnic hostility and bias from Professor Smith. Cheska’s counselor, Abe Silverman, supports her through these issues, including a physical altercation Abe has with Smith. As Cheska builds friendships and balances demanding practice and studies, Abe organizes a surprise Thanksgiving visit from Cheska’s parents. Cheska also maintains a close connection with her former teacher, Mr. Zeldof, who is hospitalized. Over the semester, Cheska progresses musically, prepares for recitals, and negotiates complicated social and cultural dynamics within the school community, with Abe and her friends offering ongoing support throughout her experience.
Hungarian Rhapsody by Dr. Amanda Adams is a slow-burning, thoughtful story that is told effectively through a third-person point of view, a perspective that gives us steady access to all the characters thoroughly. This is critical since the story is character-driven and leans into their arcs as opposed to working with a hard-boiled plot. The setting is wonderful. I especially enjoyed being placed in New York during the winter, and there's a lovely scene where Cheska and Lydia shop for a brass menorah in the Lower East Side. Adams uses intelligent metaphors, such as a store owner commenting about Abe being like the Shamash candle, which was a strong moment that stayed with me. Adams keeps the focus tight and the writing clean in a storyline that builds organically through people and places, which classic literary aficionados will appreciate.
