This memoir tells the story of the author's journey from communist Hungary to Canada. Once living in North America she was able to support her former homeland by being part of the consul for Hungary. The story focuses mainly on her difficult journey and how she overcame with perseverance, but includes many details about her life including raising her children and life once she left Hungary. Memoir authors need to find a delicate balance between giving an adequate amount of detail in the personal narrative to help readers connect and gain contextual understanding without it feeling like a dear diary entry or a letter to a friend, at times this book felt a little drawn out and lengthy at times. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Author and the Publisher with providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

It is always difficult to review an autobiography, as it is based on their own version of events, but I found this book to be a really interesting and personal account from the author about her life. The author placed her own story within the broader context of the times she is writing about, so it's the perfect read for those interested in the topic.

I loved the addition of photographs, as they really rounded off the story and put faces to some of the people we learned about. I did think some parts of the story could've been developed further/omitted, but this is just a personal preference.

From Refugee to Consul by Helen M. Szablya
I have no doubt this book will appeal to some. Alas, I am not one. The beginning which why I selected this book sounded interesting. A young woman, her husband and three small children escape from Communist Hungary and make their way to Canada. And from the title one can see Mrs. Szablya rises up to become an Honorary Consul for Hungary in the US.
The story of her rise is hard work, perseverance but nothing extraordinary. The book reads as a very long Christmas letter to friends. A very long, long letter with more babies, (she ends up giving birth to seven children) and the progressive slow success of her husband in the academic community. If I had not chosen to read and review this book, I would have stopped somewhere after the first fifty pages. Besides, the stories of her children growing up, getting married and producing grandchildren, what happens? There are stories about though they are broke, they buy a house, she buys second hand dresses so as to look sexy and fantastic at the faculty cocktail parties and the sex on four separate occasions, she has with her husband in one day. Maybe that is even too much for a Christmas letter!
As she ages and at least some of the children become independent she begins to write about expats from Hungary and is becomes a successful writer. When the Soviet empire dissolves and Hungary becomes a free and democratic country she successfully lobbies for Seattle where they live to have an Honorary Consulate and she becomes the consul.
It is not that her life and those of her children are not outstanding, it is who wants to read this?