About the Author
Eva Szilagyi was born in Monor, Hungary, and raised in Southern California. Her connection to her Hungarian roots and her family’s history inspired her to preserve the story of what her family endured during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.
The book/ The Eleventh Arrow
The Eleventh Arrow
A True Story of Courage, Family and Survival
The Eleventh Arrow tells the true story of Eva’s family and their struggle to escape communist Hungary following the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.
Based on the story passed down by Eva’s mother, Terezia, and supported by historical research, the book follows an ordinary family caught in extraordinary circumstances as they risk everything in search of freedom.
It is a story of courage, sacrifice, hope and the strength of a family determined to survive.
The Eleventh Arrow is more than just a historical account; it’s a tribute to resilience, hope, and the enduring strength of family bonds in the most challenging of times.
Meet Terezia and József Szilágyi
Married July 8, 1950
Standing in front of the church where they had just been married.
Front row, left to right:
Tomi — Baba’s younger brother
Baba — Terezia’s friend
David — József’s friend
Terezia and József Szilágyi
Momiba — Terezia’s mother
Erzsi — Terezia’s sister
Back row, left to right:
Dezső — József’s brother
Icu — Dezső’s girlfriend
An unidentified man leaving the church
Laci — Erzsi’s husband
Terike — József’s mother
The other people in the photograph were leaving the church service.
The Holy Crown of Hungary
At the end of World War II, Hungary’s Crown Guard carried the Holy Crown of St. Stephen and the nation’s coronation treasures westward to prevent them from falling into Soviet hands. The Crown was eventually entrusted to the United States for safekeeping and was later stored at Fort Knox, where it remained for decades.
In 1978, President Jimmy Carter’s administration returned the Crown to Hungary—while the country was still under communist rule and Soviet troops remained on Hungarian soil.
The decision was deeply controversial among many Hungarian-Americans. Some believed that such an important symbol of Hungarian nationhood should not be returned until Hungary was once again free of Soviet control.
For many Hungarians, the question was simple: Why return Hungary’s sacred Crown while Hungary itself was still not free?
This link takes you to the Audiobook page.
EvasBookStore.com 