I struggled with how to properly convey my thoughts about this book.

"Fever at Dawn" is a fictionalized account about the love story of author Peter Gardos's parents, Miklos and Lili, who are both Holocaust survivors. After being liberated from their separate concentration camps, Miklos and Lili are each taken to Sweden where they are sent to recuperate in hospitals. Miklos learns that having survived the Nazis, he has developed a virulent tuberculosis which will claim his life in 6 months or less. Deciding he has no time to lose, Miklos begins a letter writing campaign to introduce himself all the displaced Hungarian Jewish women in Sweden, which is how he meets Lili.

While their real-life story deserves 5 stars, the book doesn't quite measure up. There were moments of whimsy, humor, and at times a feeling of hope, but in general the book felt choppy and dull. Originally written in Hungarian, it seems that something -- the language, tone, or flow -- was lost in translation.

2.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I thought this was a bit odd. It's very stiffly written - or perhaps its a translation issue. The topic is an interesting one - and autobiographical - the two protagonists meet as pen friends in Swedish hospitals where they've been sent from Hungary after the war. But there are some key things missing - like any kind of emotional depth, that makes the story feel simplistic rather than complex. ( )

L’autor explica la història d’amor dels seus pares basant-se en les cartes que es van intercanviar quan l’any 45, una vegada alliberats dels camps d’extermini i greument malalts, estan en diferents hospitals de campanya a Suècia. Una història preciosa i conmovedora. ( )

Es una historia de amor para la eternidad. Este libro loco y alegre, con su sombrío ambiente de posguerra, es una historia triiste con final feliz. ( )

Julio de 1945. Miklós, un superviviente húngaro de Belsen, llega a un campamento de enfermos en Suecia. Aquejado de tuberculosis pulmonar, los médicos aseguran que le quedan pocos meses de vida. Pero él tiene otros planes: confecciona una lista de ciento diecisiete jóvenes húngaras convalecientes en distintos hospitales de campaña por toda Suecia, y escribe obsesivamente a cada una de ellas a la sombra de un árbol. Tiene la certeza de que una de esas mujeres se convertirá en su esposa.

A cientos de kilómetros de allí, Lili lee su carta, decide contestarle, y tras una intensa correspondencia deciden encontrarse. Solo tienen tres días por delante. Tres días en los que confirman que están enamorados. Pero deberán enfrentarse a aquellos que piensan que no pueden estar juntos.
Péter Gárdos ha escrito esta inolvidable novela basándose en las cartas intercambiadas por sus padres. Una historia verídica asombrosa sobre cómo el amor puede burlar a la muerte.