The Songs We Hide

Set in postwar Hungary in 1951, The Songs We Hide focuses on Peter and his struggle living with the communists and fascists. Love, jealousy, hatred, and learning are some of the many aspects for characters Peter, Katalin, and their families. I found it very hard to put down, even though I could not personally relate to the characters. However, I did find it easy to put myself in their shoes and to understand the motivation for their actions. The fact that this was a historical fiction book was wonderful because I felt like I was getting a history lesson, while also enjoying a very sweet story. The relationship between Peter and his music teacher, Katalin, is a sweet and pure one that is very uncommon among more modern relationships in other novels. Music played a central role throughout the story, showing the reader and the characters that music has the ability to cause pleasure and pain, which is how many people end up living their lives. The Songs We Hide gets five out of five stars for keeping my attention despite the fact that I usually do not gravitate toward historical-fiction novels.