Young Men Go West

<p><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>This debut nonfiction is a winner of the 19th annual National Indie Excellence Awards.</em></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>On </span><span>October 23 1956 200000 people took to the streets of Budapest Hungary to protest the oppressive communist regime. But when the secret police began killing the unarmed student protestors they fought back.</span></p><p></p><p><span>For almost three weeks the freedom fighters- most of whom were in their teens and twenties- waged guerrilla warfare against the Soviets and Hungarian secret police. They fought bravely even when they knew they didn't have a chance.</span></p><p></p><p><span>Over 190000 people fled Hungary on foot after the revolution including József Kutnyak a 16-year-old from Pécs. He and his brother escaped fearing it would be worse if they stayed. They were caught at the border and had to go on separately not knowing each other's fate.</span></p><p></p><p><span>This is a blended narrative nonfiction account of József's escape and a historical examination of the revolution and refugee crisis. His story is one of both fear and optimism and the collective story of the Hungarians' plight for freedom and sovereignty is one of courage in the face of oppression.</span></p><p></p>