In 1990s Hungary, the nation must confront the wounds of its past before it can move forward. Ilona finally gets a phone—a seemingly ordinary event with profound meaning. Under the Communist regime, she was denied this privilege because of her husband’s involvement in the 1956 Uprising and her son’s escape in 1974. Now, as her son Emil returns to Budapest, Ilona hopes he will help reclaim what was taken by the Communists. However, Emil’s passion for art clashes with her aspirations, leading to potential disaster.
 
Through flashbacks to the Russian army arriving in 1945 and the uprising in 1956, the novel recounts the dark events from which a nation must first heal.  It is hard not to be moved to tears by what Ilona and her family had to endure. Her story is one that she shared with countless others and serves as a reminder to what happens when democracy collapses. Ilona is a poignant tale that explores the longing for success and the disconnect that can happen when the past is not reconciled.

In the scramble for wealth and power amid the rubble of communism in Hungary, Ilona Gets A Phone is a moving and powerful book that explores the longing for success and the disconnect between people who love one another.