This Rebel Heart

Ages 12 And Up, Grades 7 And Up

A tumultuous tale of the student-led 1956 Hungarian revolution set in a colorless post-WWII Budapest—where the magical Danube river has plans of its own—from Sydney Taylor Honor winner Katherine Locke.

“A haunting, beautiful read that centers queer Jewish characters.” —BuzzFeed

In the middle of Budapest, there is a river. Csilla knows the river is magic. During WWII, the river kept her family safe when they needed it most--safe from the Holocaust. But that was before the Communists seized power. Before her parents were murdered by the Soviet police. Before Csilla knew things about her father's legacy that she wishes she could forget.

Now Csilla keeps her head down, planning her escape from this country that has never loved her the way she loves it. But her carefully laid plans fall to pieces when her parents are unexpectedly, publicly exonerated. As the protests in other countries spur talk of a larger revolution in Hungary, Csilla must decide if she believes in the promise and magic of her deeply flawed country enough to risk her life to help save it, or if she should let it burn to the ground.

With queer representation, fabulist elements, and a pivotal but little-known historical moment, This Rebel Heart is Katherine Locke's tour de force.

Story Locale:1956 Budapest

About the Author

Katherine Locke (they/them) is the author of The Girl with the Red Balloon, a 2018 Sydney Taylor Honor Book and 2018 Carolyn W. Field Honor Book, as well as The Spy with the Red Balloon. They are the co-editor and contributor to It's A Whole Spiel: Love, Latkes and Other Jewish Stories, a contributor to Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens and Out Now: Queer We Go Again, and co-editor of This Is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us. They are also the author of the picture books Bedtime for Superheroes and How to Be Friends with a Dragon. They can be found online at KatherineLockeBooks.com and @bibliogato on Twitter and Instagram.

Author Residence: Philadelphia, PA