Sun, Jun 29
|Barnes & Noble The Grove
Liar's Paradise
Erika Fabian shares her new book, an autobiographical novel that tells the remarkable survival story of herself, her mother Piry, and her sister Judith, during the WWII Nazi occupation and subsequent Communist dictatorship.
Time & Location
Jun 29, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Barnes & Noble The Grove, 189 The Grove Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90036, USA
About
Set in Hungary between 1933 and 1956, this autobiographical novel tells the remarkable survival story of Erika Fabian, her mother Piry, and her sister Judith, during the WWII Nazi occupation and subsequent Communist dictatorship.
The first part of the book, Surviving Hitler, describes how, through help from Christian friends, Piry Fabian is able to obtain Christian birth certificates for herself, her daughters, Judith and Erika, and a friend, Irene, and “hide in the open.” They live through the war in constant hunger and fear that they might accidentally reveal their true identity.
The second part of the book, Surviving Stalin, chronicles through the lives of Piry and her family, the nightmare of living under a communist dictatorship in Hungary. Yet Piry manages not just to survive but even thrive due to her clever but illegal activities. This section also includes their attempted escape to Austria, their capture, and prison life in 1953, during the year Stalin died.
The third part of the book, Surviving Revolution, deals with the family’s post-prison life in Hungary. It narrates mostly about Erika’s beginning career as an actress and her first love. Witnessing the revolution in the fall of 1956 and the renewed Soviet occupation of Hungary, prompts Erika’s and her family’s escape to Austria. The story ends with their flight to the USA on Christmas Eve.
RSVP HERE