The Wild Rose

By Doris Mortman

Book Overview

From the old world elegance of Budapest to the opulence of Manhattan and the glittering capitals of Washington, London, and Paris, comes a magnificent story of love and danger, passion and heart-stopping intrigue... Katalin and Steven: even as children in Hungary, they has shared a special bond. Then tragedy struck, cruelly tearing them apart. they would grow up separated by an ocean and an iron curtain... together only in their hearts. Now, after years of work and hardship, Steven has forged a new life in a new land, rising from the coal mines of Kentucky to the corridors of power to become the man who has everything--except the one thing he longs for the most... Now, Katalin has won fame as an internationally acclaimed pianist with an adoring public, a brilliant future, and a handsome, powerful husband. Yet night after night, she gives her most stung performance offstage-when she escapes her barren marriage to lead a dangerous double life... and now, Katalin and Steven have found each other once again--only to discover that walls of deceit still keep them apart. and for Katalin--called The Wild Rose for breathtaking beauty, her defiant spirit, and her unquenchable thirst for freedom--the moment has come when she must risk everything for the man who meant more to her than life itself.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553074199
• ISBN13: 9780553074192
• Release Date: August 1991
• Publisher: Bantam
• Length: 769 Pages
• Weight: 2.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.9" x 6.6" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Vadrozsa (Hungarian for Wild Rose)

I was born and raised in Hungary and lived there during WWII and the 1956 revolution. I was inside the Budapest Ghetto and was liberated by the Soviet Army on Jan 18, 1945. I was also at the square where Stalin's statue was dragged down and that event was probably comp[areable to the fall of the Berlin Wall. I personally had no political problems, and was unaware of Recsk, but my cousin did have a friend who was imprisonned there and the place was a reality. Also there was a very famous opera singer who came in from the west toerform and was not allowed out for years, so Katalin's forced stay is a reality. The book is extremely fascinating, gives a good insight to the life in Hungary during WWII and the Soviet occupation. While fiction, it should be read for it's historical insight and accuracy. As one who lived thought tese tines I higghly recommend to everybody. Great book!!!

something to return to time and time again

Being an avid reader of all types of fiction, especially those pieces that are more than 400 pages, this is a book that I have read so many times that the spine is worn and the pages are dog-eared. "Watching" Katya and Steven and Mat grow up into deep, caring, compassionate people is a rare thing in the main characters of books today. The relationship between Katya and ALL the people in her life is something to envy. Everyone is so passionate about what they believe in and how they feel. It's amazing to watch them interact. I truly recommend this to anyone who likes a well earned ending with lots of character and personality struggle.

An exceptionally good book

If you love history, romance and intrigue, you'll love this novel. You won't be able to put this book down.

Totally entertaining

The history, the romance, the excitement.. all well written. I couldn't put it down.

An amazing new awareness of Hungarian history!

I loved this book! The connection to music was wonderful for me, personally. What I found, though, was an understanding of what the Hungarian people have gone through which was truly valuable to me. I have Hungarian neighbors whom I had no sensitivity towards before I read this book. While seeking my own pleasure in the reading of a novel, I garnered an appreciation for these people that wasn't available to me and I likely would not have looked elsewhere. Thankyou to Ms. Mortman for the human and historical lessons that everyone should be privey to!