Magda Szabó — Abigail with Deborah H. Sussman

Send us Fan Mail (buzzsprout.com/1353874/fan_mail/new)
A literary icon in her native Hungary, Magda Szabó was relatively unknown to English-speaking readers until recent translations of her work opened the door to her powerful storytelling. In today’s episode we focus on her 1970 novel Abigail, which follows a headstrong teenager at an all-girls boarding school during WWII. Dangerous secrets, emotional complexity and an unexpected guardian angel add intrigue to this poignant coming-of-age tale. Our guest, Deborah H. Sussman of the ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, brings her perspective as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor to our discussion about preserving innocence in the midst of darkness.
Mentioned in this episode:
Abigail (bookshop.org/p/books/abigail-magda-szabo/35b58…) by Magda Szabó
The Door (bookshop.org/p/books/the-door-magda-szabo/2469…) by Magda Szabó
Len Rix translations (nyrb.com/collections/len-rix) of Magda Szabó
Photos of the Dóczy High School of the Debrecen Reformed College (commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Debreceni_…)which inspired Matula Academy
Magda Szabó Memorial House (visitdebrecen.com/see-do/szabo-magda-memorial-…)museum
“More Than a Survivor” (transformationnarratives.com/blog/2020/07/09/m…) by Deborah H. Sussman
Villette (bookshop.org/p/books/villette-charlotte-bronte…)by Charlotte Bronte
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (bookshop.org/p/books/the-prime-of-miss-jean-br…) by Muriel Spark
The Holdovers (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holdovers)
The Sound of Music (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sound_of_Music_(film))
2015 Musical production of Abigél (youtube.com/watch?v=Jzuhrf0CF_k) from Ady Teátrum
Trailer for Abigél 1978 miniseries (mubi.com/en/films/abigel/trailer)for Hungarian television
2012 film adaptation of The Door (http://v) starring Helen Mirren

Support the show (patreon.com/LostLadiesofLit339)
For episodes and show notes, visit:
LostLadiesofLit.com (lostladiesoflit.com)

Subscribe to our substack newsletter. (lostladiesoflit.substack.com)
Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit (instagram.com/lostladiesoflit).
Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast (lostladiesoflit.com/contact)