Official Review: The Reluctant Refugee by George M Decsy

[That Reviewer]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Reluctant Refugee" by George M Decsy.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Where do you call home, and who do you call father? Is home the place where you were born or where you grew up? Is your father the man who released his seed into your mother or the man who groomed you? These questions kept repeating in my head as I read George M. Decsy's compelling story in The Reluctant Refugee. Decsy's tale kept me glued to the book's pages from start to finish.

The book began with Ati (George Decsy's native name) being informed of his biological father's ill health. His father resided in Hungary — his native country that he had left since he was nine years old — but they hadn't met. He was confused about what to do. He had always asked his mother about his father since she talked about him fondly. She also spoke about how they were so in love. If that was the case, why had she left him? Would his father be happy to see him? Was he ready to exhume and discover things that may have been buried for decades?

This memoir was written by someone who experienced wars and unrest in his native country, Hungary, and was then faced with being a refugee in England. He had to live with a mother who didn't have a steady man in her life. Having a stable life was far-fetched, and being a refugee made it worse. Do people recover from these kinds of experiences?

The author shows how we are all products of our family, geography, and upbringing. It is easy to make a child imbibe what you believe as a parent. Often, children grow up into the same mold as their parents — sometimes without asking questions.

The story takes the reader through the captivating and somewhat gruesome experience of a refugee. The author highlights specific social issues such as parenting, education, and religion. The author's very descriptive writing gives the reader a clear mental picture of his story. The book's descriptive nature is what I like most.

Another thing I liked about the book was the tenacity of Gita. She was like a single mother but was resilient, foresighted, and tenacious. She was willing to go through pain to get her children out of Hungary's uncertain and terrible situation. To me, she appeared to be an intelligent woman; she knew how to use circumstances in her favor. However, she could sometimes use dubious means to get what she wanted.

The author's writing style was descriptive and straightforward, making it easy to follow the story. However, there were a few niggling issues that obstructed my reading flow. First, the author had a way of getting into different accounts of the past without warning. You could be in the present, and suddenly you would be reading about a past event without prior notice. It got me lost sometimes, and I had to go back to understand what happened entirely. Mostly, the book contained past stories that would help the reader understand the author's present situation. Transitioning without prior notice was what I disliked most about this book.

Secondly, there were abbreviations that I didn't know what they stood for. I guess the author expected them to be familiar and popular. A glossary should have been added to explain some of the book's abbreviations, such as AVH, RCC, JC, etc.

Finally, I encountered a couple of typographical errors that a professional editor should have picked up. Looking at the book in perspective, I rate it three out of four stars. I recommend this book to those who enjoy memoirs and seek closure after a traumatic experience. There were war scenes and killings described in the book. They were not too gruesome, though. So, those who may be affected by this could tread with caution.

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The Reluctant Refugee
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[Eutoc]

Thanks for the honest review. I've equally seen books that make use of abbreviations without explicitly notifying the reader. I'm glad it didn't hinder you from the nice contents of the book.

[RHD]

This story seems unique. It's something interesting. Parenting and who's the real parent has been an issue for the longest time. Good job on the review.

[Tabbi+20]

Fear of finding out what happened between his parents, not being able to decide to meet his father,moving to another country and seeing his mother's unstable relationships. Sounds traumatizing for the author. Thanks for the warning on errors and the review as a whole.

[Bertha Jackson]

This sounds like an interesting book about a mother who does what she needs to in order to protect her children. Thank you for your review.

[Chigo Nwagboso]

....... That's not an easy one for the protagonist to live without knowing or seeing his father before. It's not always balanced being raised by a single parent. Great ed at review!

[Chigo Nwagboso]

....... That's not an easy one for the protagonist to live without knowing or seeing his father before. It's not always balanced being raised by a single parent. Great review!