Setting: Budapest, Hungry
Time Period: WWII

I’ve read a lot of books set in WWII, but of them all, “Mrs. Tuesday’s Departure” is probably the most unique. Author Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson takes you to Hungry and tells a story of family, illness and deception as the Nazi invades Budapest. With the war closing in on their doorsteps, Mrs. Tuesday tries to take care of her sister, Anna, who is ill with Alhiezmers and a niece, Mila, who’s parents live with them but are too full of themselves to raise her.

I’ve never read a book where a character has Alhiezmers in a WWII setting. It was so fascinating! Mrs. Tuesday’s sister, Anna, was once a professor at the University and very outspoken and passionate about the Nazi. On days she didn’t remember being let go because of her illness, Anna would wander down to the University and use her old classroom to lecture students about stirring up passion in times of war through literature. This gets the family in all sorts of trouble and as each chapter goes by, you wonder what Mrs. Tuesday is going to do to keep Anna and her family safe. On top of that, Mila’s mother, Ilona (her and Anna’s youngest sister) and her husband Bela turn on both her and Anna, causing even more hurt and pain for the already broken family.

“When someone rejects us, no matter how they abuse our love, we hope against reason that somehow they will come back to us.” – Mrs. Tuesday, from page 138

My favorite part of this book was an oft overlooked piece of life played out on the pages of history, and that’s this: if it’s difficult to take care of the ones you love in times of war, how much more for those who have loved ones with illnesses. In today’s world, we are fairly familiar with the stress and grief experienced by family caretakers of ones with Dementia or Alhiezmers. This book gives a small glimpse into what that would be like during the Second World War, when someone saying something unknowingly could mean life or death. A different angle for a WWII book, but one I enjoyed immensely!

Conclusion: This was a wonderful book. Of course, all of the things that happened in it weren’t always wonderful, but they left a meaningful impression on me and caused me to think about the struggles people faced in WWII that’s not often wrote about. In this case, it was Alhiezmers. A very different book, but one that was well rounded and eye opening. I would read it again and recommend it to anyone looking for an unusual World War II read!