Today's Chat with Sarah features Erika Bekesi author of Noemi's Father.
To view the official review, click
here.
To view the book on Amazon, click
here.
*****************************************
1. What was your first writing experience like?
From early on, I was an avid letter-writer. When I was in high school, my friends asked me to write love-letters or break-up notes for them, and I knew then that I wanted to write.
2. When you’re writing, what is your schedule like?
No schedule. I am free to sit down to write any time of the day or whenever ideas come to me.
3. Your book is called Noemi’s Father. It’s set right after World War II. Why this time period?
Actually, the story takes place before, during, and after the war. I was always fascinated by and saddened to hear of personal tragedies and triumphs of people around me.
4. The story is in Hungary, which is between Germany and the Soviet Union. How did you choose the country?
Hungary is in the center of Europe, bordered by the former Czechoslovakia, Ukraine, Romania, the former Yugoslavia and Austria. I was born in Hungary and lived there until I was 19 years old.
5. What makes the book different from other books set around World War II?
The book is based on a true story of a married couple. He witnesses combat firsthand, gets captured, and has to survive the Siberian Gulag. She must protect her family and home against invaders and liberators, all the while assuming he is dead.
6. The reviewer raves about the characters, stating that they are “assiduously real.” How did you make your characters so lifelike? Are they based on real characters?
Yes, they are as real as they can be; they were my parents, and their story was told around the fireplace and at the dinner table for years.
7. What do you most want your readers to learn through this novel?
I wanted to show the ugliness of war, and how innocent people are swept into cruel choices and face their consequences. I also wanted to show that you can always find kindness in the human heart, no matter what side you’re on, and there is no limit to the human spirit to overcome tragedies, and to find peace and love again.
8. Is there another book in the works?
Yes, I am putting together a trilogy of the 1956 Revolution in Hungary. It’s about the plot to overthrow the Soviet dominance, which failed, and how the country had to endure the cruel punishment afterward. It’s also a backdrop to a love story.
9. What’s your favorite book to read?
I have several. I love to read about different cultures, and one of those books was written by MM. Kaye about India, “The Far Pavilions,” and the other is “Embers” by Sandor Marai.
10. When you’re traveling, do you listen to the radio, CDs, Pandora or a book on CD?
I have an extensive collection of operas and classical music that I listen to on a long drive. I also listen to a classical station on satellite radio. I love the feel and touch of books and to read them with my full concentration. I would rather not get distracted during driving.
11. What’s your favorite way to relax?
Other than writing, I love to be outdoors to create gardens on a large scale. Last fall, I finished a healing-garden, before that I created a rose-garden and a section with wildflowers for bees.
