
In the turbulent aftermath of the Battle of Mohács, the Ottoman sultan orders the forced relocation of Budan’s Jewish families. Two brothers, David and Joseph, manage a daring escape, wandering through the Danube marshes before returning to a city where their former homes have been handed to other residents. Determined to rebuild their lives, they travel across Hungary, Italy, and the border towns, searching for a place where they can finally settle.
Their journey leads them to the modest village of Bazin, where they are welcomed by Mihály, a soap‑maker known as “Szappanos Mihály.” There the brothers encounter his daughters—Eszter, warm‑hearted and gentle, and Judit, strikingly beautiful yet distant. David is drawn to Ester and soon marries her, while Joseph grapples with his own feelings for Judit, navigating family expectations and the uneasy atmosphere of a community under the watchful eye of the local count, who threatens to curb the brothers’ modest trade in cloth and horses.
Language
hu
Duration
~4 hours (280K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Albert László from page images generously made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library
Release date
2020-10-31
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1880–1948
A Hungarian novelist, playwright, and screenwriter, he moved with ease between the stage and the early film world, building an international career from Budapest to London and Hollywood. His work helped shape popular entertainment in the first half of the 20th century.
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