I read a lot of Mor Jokai (in English translation) in my teens — a long time ago — but find him a little overwrought now. However, I am glad I stuck with this book because I became extremely intrigued with — and fond of — Bessy, a spirited but unlucky anti-heroine/heroine with a personality that feels quite ahead of her time in some ways, and completely misunderstood by just about everyone, even by the author-narrator himself who can’t help but see her through a narrow, stereotyped 19th century lens. I couldn’t help rooting for her the whole story through. I also found the Hungarian perspective of 1848 revolutionary actions fascinating and full of historical details I hadn’t known. Overall, this was a good read. The one thing I truly disliked about this audiobook was its narrator. I got used to her strangely sleepwalk-y tone. But I couldn’t get used to her mistakes. She mispronounces so many words, I can’t believe she’s a narrator! I understand that she would botch the Hungarian names and words. She also mangles the French words and that could have been easily avoided. Worst of all, she repeatedly destroys several common as well as less common English words too!! Colonel is pronounced Kernel not CO-lo-nel!! Malapropisms, such as saying calvary instead of cavalry, also crop up now and then. She is truly a poor, unrehearsed and undirected narrator. I had to grit my teeth through the narration so I could just concentrate on the story. Jokai deserved better.