Dragomán György - A fehér király

The White King by György Dragomán is one of the most successful international novels of contemporary Hungarian literature, translated so far into thirty languages. Published by Magvető Kiadó in 2015, the novel tells a harrowing story from the perspective of an eleven-year-old boy, who watches his father being taken away before his eyes to a labour camp on the Danube Canal.

The story centres on everyday life under dictatorship: how a child experiences fear, scarcity and powerlessness, while trying to find support in friendship, play and the small signs of hope. The child's point of view reveals the absurdity and cruelty of the adult world with particular force.

Bound in hardcover with a protective dust jacket and weighing 350 grams, the book is recommended to readers who enjoy literary fiction and seek sensitively yet powerfully written novels about human lives. It is an excellent choice both for reading and as a gift.