Strangers in Budapest by Jessica Keener

Having been an ex pat in Zurich for three years, I truly appreciated Keener’s capturing of the psyche of the stranger. Living in a city both as a tourist and a resident is filled with contradictions – you can’t help being drawn to a city’s history and struggle to reconcile its brutal past.
There is a feeling of escapism and hiding that permeates the book and creates a very tense mood. I praise Keener’s ability to achieve this.