Katalin Street Summary
Magda Szabo

Katalin Street Overview

Katalin Street by Magda Szabó was originally published in 1969 and first translated into English in 2008. The story follows three families in Budapest Hungary—the Elekes family, the Biró family, and the Held family—as they undergo the sociopolitical upheaval of World War Two and the subsequent Soviet regime. The characters suffer profound tragedies throughout these years, and their relationships to themselves and others change irrevocably. The novel explores themes of family, love, tragedy, aging, and the personal tolls of political events.