“A Long Look Back…” by Tom Tottis
A gripping biography about Julia, a young Hungarian woman and her son, Tommy, brought up in the wind of Nazism
Based on a true story
About the Book:
Told that she must not have children, Julia stubbornly ignores all advice and risks her life to have a son, Tommy.
In the following years and decades both mother and son are forced by circumstances to draw upon their determination, courage, wit and self-preservation to survive.
Tragedy and death, personal and emotional loss, the horrors he witnessed in the war make Tommy an adult by the age of 10 and shape Tommy’s character.
He risks his life in 1956 and escapes from Communism that has risen from the ashes of Fascism.
Working hard in a new country he must deal with different obstacles. From Budapest in the ‘twenties, to London in the ‘nineties, this is a family saga of three generations, ravaged by two wars and adverse circumstances.
Ultimately, the story proves that there is always hope, even against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, provided one has courage, resilience, and mental stamina.
Excerpt from the Book:
“The bombing had continued in several waves, the bombers chased by searchlights. Huge fires started in the wake of the raid turning the colour of the clouds above glowing pink, illuminating the night.
Gradually the droning sound got louder and suddenly a flare lit up about far ahead high up in the sky, its brightness too much for the human eye. Descending steadily the blindingly bright light reflected downwards by the white parachute made the buildings below it clearly visible. It was a purely residential area. The droning had become very loud, the bombers following the plane dropping the flares.
‘God help the people in those houses,’ Julia said. She was shaking. Sándor embraced both Julia and Tommy. ‘We are all in God’s hands.’”
About the Author:
Shortly before the two-month siege of Budapest at the turn of 1944-45, circumstances separated the author, at the age of ten, from his parents. He witnessed the horrors of the Nazi regime and the battle for Budapest.
After that, he grew into adulthood enduring the tyranny of the so-called ‘socialist’ system, leading to the unplanned Hungarian uprising in 1956.
Arriving as a refugee to Great Britain at the age of 21, in December 1956, the author set about establishing an existence through hard work. His resolution and his stamina rewarded him with managerial positions in industry for over two decades before he retired at the age of 60.
Tom felt compelled to write this story because of its historical content. Until this day the people in the West know little of what actually happened before and after 1945 to countries and people who finished up behind the Iron Curtain (apart from the tragedy of the Warsaw ghetto). Individuals who lived through those events are now very thin on the ground.
A Long Look Back… is available in paperback from Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Long-Look-Back-Tom-Tottis/dp/1907756906
It is also available in e-book format from Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Long-Look-Back-Tom-Tottis-ebook/dp/B00XN8047U
Press/Media Contact Details:
New Generation Publishing
Tel. 01234 712 064
E-mail: info@newgeneration-publishing.com