From the first heart thumping chapter of Katherine MK Mitchell’s memoir, detailing the longest day of her life— a covert journey by truck, buggy, and on foot while escaping communist Hungary with her mother— readers will be enthralled with this rollercoaster ride that takes them from Budapest to New York, and Hollywood.
Born Jewish in Nazi occupied Hungary during WWII, she survives being a war baby, becomes a promising ballerina, and then a nationally ranked gymnast in communist Hungary. Her mother’s attempts to get them to Israel on the S.S. Exodus fail. They later make it to the Midwest where she goes from being a star gymnast to refugee dishwasher. Eventually finding their way to New York City, she becomes a model, marries an aspiring actor and they head to the promised land of Hollywood.
Through the good and the bad, and numerous disappointments along the way, she remained grounded and hopeful, and never gave up on following her dream to being accepted as a writer.