Publisher's Synopsis
Flames of Straw tells the story of a Transylvanian-Hungarian family's turbulent life through the twentieth century in a novel of three books depicting three generations of the Zenta family up to its shattering conclusion on New Year's Day 2000. In the course of a root-seeking trip from London to Transylvania, Adam accidentally stumbles upon information regarding his grandfather Titus' excommunication from the Church many years earlier. He begins an investigation in which he uncovers the astonishing history of the Zenta family. During Titus Zenta's graduation from the Military Academy of Budapest he receives the Sword of Honour from the Emperor-King and meets the beautiful Hollywood actress Sarah Dombay. Titus becomes torn between the glamour of the capital and his service to the Austro- Hungarian Empire in World War One. It can only end in tragedy … The story continues with Nicholas, who endures the Second World War under somewhat luckier stars-but his challenge comes from the retreating Germans from the Eastern Front. Anger and compassion drive him to heroic deeds during the Holocaust, only for him to become the target of the communist secret police. The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 forms the character of Adam, who, after his escape from Hungary following the anti-communist uprising, becomes a successful psychiatrist in London's fashionable Harley Street. His life is driven by his love of beautiful women, and as he becomes involved in the world of espionage and Eastern Bloc politics, can we hope for a happy ending?
