Memory Book

One Woman's Self-Discovery in the Mist of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy

Found in an antique store while the author was on a short vacation to Budapest, the small leather book—filled with watercolors, drawings, and messages—turned out to be a memory book. At the turn of the twentieth century, many Eastern European girls kept memory books as keepsake albums, in which to record advice and remember special events. This particular one contained evergreen truisms and aphorisms written to the the book's owner, Amálka, when she visited places that few Americans know. Driven by curiosity and concern, the author undertook a multi-year journey into the heart of Old Europe and deep into centuries of art, history, and war. The result is a personal exploration of Austria-Hungary and the countries divided up by the Peace Treaty of Trianon at the end of World War I. Here she spreads a message of love in our time and helps Amálka's story live on.