Eva Miklos Mitchell

Distant Lights Eva Miklos Mitchell

Turmoil following the Hungarian Revolution in 1956, compelled a nine-year old girl's family to abruptly flee their native country, hurling them into an unknown future. This account of the family's escape and the girl's memories of it, and her life in Hungary lead to an emotionally charged true story. The family successfully reached Austria on their second harrowing attempt, and lived there in refugee camps for the next five months. Mesmerized by the freedom and adventures she found there, the young girl was unprepared for the challenges and responsibilities awaiting in her adopted country, Canada. She recounts her personal experiences as a young refugee, and how her difficulties adjusting to her new life were compounded by her parents' rigid grip on old world values, which they strictly imposed on their children.