In the fall of 1941, as the situation for Jews worsens across Europe, Ibolya (Ibi) Grossman learns she is pregnant. She is scared and confused – a baby during wartime? But her husband, Zolti, assures her, "We need this baby, you will see." When András (Andy) is born, Ibi realizes her husband was right. Andy gives her a reason to go on during the worst of times in the Budapest ghetto, and to persevere in their escape from Hungary after the war. In as much as Ibi's story is a tribute to her son, Andy's memoir, written through his own and his mother's memories, as well as her words and silences, is a tribute to her legacy.
In the city of Pécs, Hungary, Ibolya grows up in a blended family with four sisters, learning how it feels to live in poverty. When she moves to Budapest, marries and has a child, her perspective changes - she is young and optimistic - until her husband is sent away for forced labour four months after their child is born.
In the fall of 1941, as the situation for Jews worsens across Europe, Ibolya (Ibi) Grossman learns she is pregnant. She is scared and confused – a baby during wartime? But her husband, Zolti, assures her, "We need this baby, you will see." When András (Andy) is born, Ibi realizes her husband was right. Andy gives her a reason to go on during the worst of times in the Budapest ghetto, and to persevere in their escape from Hungary after the war. In as much as Ibi's story is a tribute to her son, Andy's memoir, written through his own and his mother's memories, as well as her words and silences, is a tribute to her legacy.
