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'A magnificent novel, tonally flawless, its humour defiant in the face of vast tragedy.' Joan London
Twenty-five-year-old Holocaust survivor Miklós is being shipped from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp to Gotland, Sweden, to receive treatment at the Larbro Hospital. Here he is sentenced to death again: he is diagnosed with tuberculosis and his doctor informs him that he has six months to live. But Miklós decides to wage war on his own fate: he writes 117 letters to 117 Hungarian girls, all of whom are being treated in the Swedish camps, with the aim of eventually choosing a wife from among them.
Two hundred kilometres away, in another Swedish rehabilitation camp, nineteen-year-old Lili receives Miklós's letter. Since she is bedridden for three weeks due to a serious kidney problem, out of boredom — and curiosity — she decides to write back.
The slightly formal exchange of letters becomes increasingly intimate. When the two finally manage to meet, they fall in love and are determined to marry, despite the odds that are against them.
Based on the original letters written by Miklós and Lili (ninety-six altogether), Fever at Dawn is a tale of passion, striving, and betrayal; true and false friendships; doubt and faith; and the redeeming power of love.
About the Author
Peter Gardos was born in Budapest in 1948. He is a multiple-award-winning film and theatre director. As a director he has received more than twenty international awards at major film festivals, among them the Jury's Special Award at the Montreal Film Festival and the Golden Hugo at the Chicago Film Festival. Based on the true story of his parents, Fever at Dawn is his first novel.
Industry Reviews
`Fever at Dawn belongs to the canon of extraordinary true stories about love and war and the power of letters. Dramatic, compassionate and deeply moving, this unforgettable story reminds us that the Holocaust is not only history it's a warning.' * Jennifer Clement *
`A magnificent novel, tonally flawless, its humour defiant in the face of vast tragedy.' * Joan London *
'Fever at Dawn is a riveting and high-spirited journey from the brink of death toward life, a novel that asserts the power of love in a world newly devastated by unspeakable hate. With courage, humor, and unfailing emotional honesty, Peter Gardos illuminates the incredible power of the human will-the drive not just to stay alive, but to fight for a life worth celebrating.' * Julie Orringer, bestselling author of The Invisible Bridge *
'The impossibly moving story of two damaged youths who forge from their amour fou a love that will light the decades ahead. With playfulness and charm, with iron conviction, Fever at Dawn will convince you that it's possible not only to survive the worst of human hell, but to transcend it.' * Francisco Goldman, author of Say Her Name *
'Books don't make me cry. Fever At Dawn did. Drawing you in with pathos and playful wit, it squeezes the heart with sorrow and leaves it expanded with joy and love.' * Gabor Mate M. D. , author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts *
`This heart-warming tale, flawlessly translated from the original Hungarian by Elizabeth Szasz, is an uplifting and entertaining read: there is love, there is jealousy and betrayal and there is plenty of humour.' * Bookmooch *
`A triumph of the human spirit over adversity that is very satisfying reading...Amusing and uplifting.' * ANZ LitLovers *
`The strength of this work is not just the compelling story it tells but that it is founded in real-life events. Ultimately, it's an inspiring story about how hope and love can fortify one's resolve even when the struggle for survival is acute.' * Readings *
`A touching account of a strange courtship...Fever at Dawn is constructed around highly visual scenes and sharply but simply drawn minor characters.' * Age/Sydney Morning Herald *
`Whimsical, poignant and completing charming. It will make you like life more when you've finished.' * UK Bookseller *
`It has the sweetness of The Rosie Project and the pathos of The Fault in Our Stars. Better still, it is based on a true story...A book to fall in love with.' * Herald Sun *
`A vital, enjoyable read...There is a timeless quality to Fever at Dawn, a kind of classical romanticism.' * Australian *
`Deeply moving and inspiring...A story of the power of love and poetry at a time and place of enormous deprivation and horror.' * Otago Daily Times *
`Touching...Peter Gardos celebrates the power of love to overcome adversity.' * Who Weekly *
`A poignant, ultimately uplifting story of how the longing for love and family can defy tragedy and terror.' * Sunday Express *
`At once heartrending and lighthearted, this romance covers enormous ground in love and war, joy and tragedy, humor and pathos. Fever at Dawn, with its historical backdrop, will win over many readers.' * STARRED Review, Shelf Awareness *
