Romancing Ida

By Géza Gárdonyi

A forgotten Hungarian classic of love, honor, and ambition.

When young Csaba Balogh, a restless journalist with the heart of an artist, is torn between his dream of becoming a painter and his family's financial ruin, a desperate advertisement in the newspaper changes the course of his life. The notice offers a dowry of three hundred thousand crowns to any worthy suitor for a young woman named Ida. For Csaba, this seems less like romance and more like a lifeline-the only way to rescue his sister and reclaim his family's honor.

But Ida is no ordinary young woman. Raised in the strict seclusion of a convent, she longs for freedom, love, and a life beyond the walls of nuns and school girls. Her innocence collides with Csaba's worldly desperation, and together they must navigate society, friends, and each other while under the guise of husband and wife.

Set in nineteenth-century Hungary, Romancing Ida blends social critique with tender romance, exploring questions of duty, desire, and the cost of following one's heart. With G rdonyi's signature psychological insight and vivid realism, this novel stands alongside the great works of European realism, yet retains a uniquely Hungarian voice.

Perfect for readers of Jane Austen, George Eliot, and Tolstoy, this rediscovered novel offers a story at once timeless and deeply rooted in its age-a romance that is as much about the soul as it is about the heart.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0HFHTSCS7
• ISBN13: 9798265606198
• Release Date: August 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 518 Pages
• Weight: 1.17 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.3" x 8.0"