ARGONAUT BOOKS

Bela has never had much luck. His mother abandoned him at birth to go to work in Budapest, leaving him in the care of the dubious 'Aunt Rozika', a former prostitute who now runs a foster home with equal parts hauteur and cruelty. Victimised and almost starved by his guardian, Bela is caught trying to steal a pair of shoes; his mother is called and she reluctantly takes him with her to Budapest. Once in the capital, Bela manages to secure a position at a grand old hotel, and it is here that a more privileged lifestyle seems to extend a hand to him. But his new lifestyle offers both pleasures an...Read More