---
product_id: 171204191
title: "Abigail"
price: "RM123"
currency: MYR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 9
url: https://www.desertcart.com.my/products/171204191-abigail
store_origin: MY
region: Malaysia
---

# Abigail

**Price:** RM123
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Abigail
- **How much does it cost?** RM123 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.my](https://www.desertcart.com.my/products/171204191-abigail)

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## Why This Product

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## Description

desertcart.com: Abigail: 9781681374031: Szabo, Magda, Rix, Len: Books

Review: Extraordinary--one of the best contemporary books I've ever read - Where do I even begin? Perhaps here: while reading Abigail, I barely came up for breath. It is that rare book that totally blots out the real world and substitutes another world that is so genuine and raw and mesmerizing that the twinning of reader and plot soon become complete. I would count it among the five best contemporary books I have ever read – and I have read a lot of books! First, the title: I assumed Abigail was the name of the book’s protagonist. Not so. Gina Vitay, a headstrong young teen who is the spoiled only child of a reticent and honorable General, is the core of the story. As the tides of battle shift against Hungary and the Axis powers in the mid-1940s, Gina is summarily informed that she will be exiled to a grim religious boarding school fortress in the middle of nowhere—and no amount of pleading will make a difference. As Gina adjusts to the authoritarian school, part of the intrigue is witnessing the school and the outside events from the perspective of a 14-year-old. The majority of readers will immediately understand the reasons behind the General’s decision (Gina is sure it is because her father wants to remarry and rid himself of her), and they will also recognize what drives the adults who are in charge of her care and quickly guess who can be most trusted. For Gina, the only one to trust is Abigail, a statue in the outside garden who, for decades, has been the recipient of many heartbroken schoolgirl’s laments and cries for guidance. Abigail actually fixes things for girls in trouble with real, handwritten answers. Obviously, the status is not a supernatural force but what cloistered person has adopted the persona of Abigail? Is it someone who treats Gina and the others with obsequious politeness or someone stern and overbearing? It is a mystery that I solved early on but whether a reader does or not matters little. What really matters is the journey to self-knowledge and to what values are most essential. Gina will inevitably reach a crucial juncture where her childhood and illusions will be shattered forever she will don the heavy cloak of premature adulthood and that scene will remain among the most memorable I have read. And she will recognize some universal truths: “…how much more special something was if you had had to struggle to achieve it, and how much stronger you were if you faced life as a group, like mountaineers whose very lives depended on an invisible rope linking them together…” The quality of the writing throughout the book is powerful and propulsive, never calling attention to itself, but through its careful choice of wording, providing a luminous look at a point in time…and in character. It takes an excellent translator to help make this happen and Len Rix was certainly up to the task. I never once felt I was reading a translation. This is a marvelous book and I envy all those who have yet to discover it. My highest recommendation.
Review: A haunting historical fiction worth your time - This story is a blend of historical fiction and mystery. A young girl is forced to grow up too soon in WW2 Hungary. Szabó does an incredible job writing this yearning and longing. Allegiance is tested, alliances are formed, and it’s written in such a compelling way that you’ll stay up late reading it!

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #57,437 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #317 in World War II Historical Fiction #578 in Small Town & Rural Fiction (Books) #686 in Coming of Age Fiction (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (993) |
| Dimensions  | 5.02 x 0.69 x 8 inches |
| Edition  | Reprint |
| ISBN-10  | 168137403X |
| ISBN-13  | 978-1681374031 |
| Item Weight  | 12 ounces |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 352 pages |
| Publication date  | January 21, 2020 |
| Publisher  | NYRB Classics |
| Reading age  | 13 - 17 years |

## Images

![Abigail - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81irZg4YqTL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Extraordinary--one of the best contemporary books I've ever read
*by J***N on May 17, 2020*

Where do I even begin? Perhaps here: while reading Abigail, I barely came up for breath. It is that rare book that totally blots out the real world and substitutes another world that is so genuine and raw and mesmerizing that the twinning of reader and plot soon become complete. I would count it among the five best contemporary books I have ever read – and I have read a lot of books! First, the title: I assumed Abigail was the name of the book’s protagonist. Not so. Gina Vitay, a headstrong young teen who is the spoiled only child of a reticent and honorable General, is the core of the story. As the tides of battle shift against Hungary and the Axis powers in the mid-1940s, Gina is summarily informed that she will be exiled to a grim religious boarding school fortress in the middle of nowhere—and no amount of pleading will make a difference. As Gina adjusts to the authoritarian school, part of the intrigue is witnessing the school and the outside events from the perspective of a 14-year-old. The majority of readers will immediately understand the reasons behind the General’s decision (Gina is sure it is because her father wants to remarry and rid himself of her), and they will also recognize what drives the adults who are in charge of her care and quickly guess who can be most trusted. For Gina, the only one to trust is Abigail, a statue in the outside garden who, for decades, has been the recipient of many heartbroken schoolgirl’s laments and cries for guidance. Abigail actually fixes things for girls in trouble with real, handwritten answers. Obviously, the status is not a supernatural force but what cloistered person has adopted the persona of Abigail? Is it someone who treats Gina and the others with obsequious politeness or someone stern and overbearing? It is a mystery that I solved early on but whether a reader does or not matters little. What really matters is the journey to self-knowledge and to what values are most essential. Gina will inevitably reach a crucial juncture where her childhood and illusions will be shattered forever she will don the heavy cloak of premature adulthood and that scene will remain among the most memorable I have read. And she will recognize some universal truths: “…how much more special something was if you had had to struggle to achieve it, and how much stronger you were if you faced life as a group, like mountaineers whose very lives depended on an invisible rope linking them together…” The quality of the writing throughout the book is powerful and propulsive, never calling attention to itself, but through its careful choice of wording, providing a luminous look at a point in time…and in character. It takes an excellent translator to help make this happen and Len Rix was certainly up to the task. I never once felt I was reading a translation. This is a marvelous book and I envy all those who have yet to discover it. My highest recommendation.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A haunting historical fiction worth your time
*by A***S on October 17, 2025*

This story is a blend of historical fiction and mystery. A young girl is forced to grow up too soon in WW2 Hungary. Szabó does an incredible job writing this yearning and longing. Allegiance is tested, alliances are formed, and it’s written in such a compelling way that you’ll stay up late reading it!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An exciting Coming of Age Story in World War II-era Hungary
*by Y***M on April 5, 2020*

It's 1943, and Georgina "Gina" Vitay's is the only child of a prominent general. She attends school in Budapest and hangs out with her socialite aunt and her circle. But then her father sends her away to a strict, religious boarding school in the provinces without any explanation. She hates her uncouth and immature classmates as well as the school's strict regiment. Eventually, Gina learns the real reason she has been sent away to boarding school. After that, she makes an effort to fit in, and soon she is one of the girls. But the war is drawing near to Hungary, and Gina gets involved in wartime intrigue with potentially deadly consequences for her, her family, and her friends. And the only people she can unconditionally trust are her father, who is largely incommunicado, and an anonymous benefactor inside the boarding school. There are few books that I find hard to put down, but this was one of them. I kept wanting to find out what would happen next. There certainly were plot elements that were predictable a few that were hokey. But I definitely recommend this novel. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I want to add that the blub on the back of the book, which is an except from the Publishers Weekly review, is an insult to _Abigail_. The reviewer likens the book to Harry Potter. That's absurd. This is book is not fantasy. There are no wizards or magic. The girls do leave notes of supplication at the statue of a holy woman, but very early on, it is made clear that a real person monitors the statue and acts as the girls' benevolent patron. If you're looking for magic, miracles, or wonder, this is the wrong book.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Abigail (New York Review Books Classics)
- Beware of Pity (New York Review Classics)
- The Door (NYRB Classics)

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*Product available on Desertcart Malaysia*
*Store origin: MY*
*Last updated: 2026-02-08*