About Becoming Hungarian: A Memoir by Erika Reich Giles
For most of her life, Erika Reich Giles shunned her Hungarian heritage.
Brought to the U.S. as a young child by her parents after the family’s escape from post-World War II Hungary, she longed to become an American. Gradually shedding her Hungarian identity over the years worked until, in middle age, she received a letter from her 91-year-old father that convinced her she couldn’t run from her past forever.
She explored her family’s history and uncovered a story that began in 1948, when Hungary was in the stranglehold of the Soviet-backed Communists, who were sealing the borders, infiltrating the government, and confiscating private property. They seized the Reich Gépgyár, her family’s agricultural machine factory, devastating their lives. She was born in the midst of the ensuing chaos. The family embarked on a daring escape soon after. A series of twists and turns culminated three years later in Billings, Montana, where family secrets complicated a challenging refugee life.
Erika’s quest eventually led her back to Hungary decades after she left, to confront her family’s losses and develop her own relationship with her homeland. Becoming Hungarian, a fascinating story of resilience and discovery, will inspire anyone who has struggled with their identity and tried to come to terms with the past.
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