The Printed Page

Title: Vera and the Ambassador: Escape and Return
Author/website: Vera and Donald Blinken
284 pages
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Publication date: February ’09
Genre: Memoir
Would I recommend it: Absolutely
Journal notes: I really, really enjoyed Vera and Donald’s book Vera and the Ambassador: Escape and Return. Vera’s story of escape as a young child from war torn Europe is nothing short of amazing. And then to return to your birth country as an Ambassador for your adopted country is a tale of true personal fortitude. While Donald’s personal story isn’t as gripping as Vera’s it doesn’t lack achievement. Donald’s accomplishments in the business world speak highly to his success. The Ambassadorial posting to Hungry which the Blinkens pursued was one that suited each perfectly. It gave Vera the opportunity to return home and Donald the opportunity to bring this shattered country into the 20th century. Their posting wasn’t glamorous nor as much sought after as some others might be. But their posting turned out to be highly visible and not without its struggles and triumphs. Bits and pieces of the government have always been an interest of mine. I’ve often thought about what life as a diplomat would really be like. Vera and Donald take the reader behind the scenes and into the inner workings of a US embassy.  It was very, very interesting and enlightening .

Vera’s chapters are touching and filled with the myriad of small details that make up life in a country just emerging from dictatorship into a free thinking, democratic society. In Vera’s chapters Hungry, at times, almost seemed to be third world. She writes about networking for industry professionals which was unheard in a country where you were never sure who was spying and who wasn’t. Iron curtain mentality was definitely still existent in the 1990s. Donald’s chapters also incorporate this iron curtain mentality. But they also reflect his business background as he guides the government and its political leaders through the mine fields of acceptance on the international stage. If you think getting your coworkers to agree on a single idea can be tedious try getting these players all on the same page. He had his work cut out of him.

The Blinkens alternate chapters to recount their years as the U.S. ambassadorial couple to Hungary during Bill Clinton’s first term as president. Vera Blinken escaped Hungary as a child with her mother after WWII as the iron curtain started its descent on central Europe. Donald Blinken, a former investment banker, was appointed at the dawn of Hungary’s nascent democracy and entry into the world economy, and negotiated its entry into NATO. Together they breathed new life into U.S.-Hungary relations, negotiated the opening of American military bases that contributed to the end of the Bosnian conflict and started health initiatives in the local community. Theirs is a candid behind-the-scenes look at the glamour and challenges of diplomatic life: along with consorting with the pope and Madonna came inevitable security concerns, death-defying trips in formerly Soviet helicopters and the struggle to reshape attitudes toward what was perceived as American cultural imperialism. The energetic narration moves seamlessly from historical to contemporary political themes to the more personal and particular highlight of the book—accompanying Vera Blinken as she rediscovers what remains of the Budapest of her childhood.

(Vera and the Ambassador: Escape and Return was provided to me by Charlotte of Charlotte Abbott Communications. I was not paid and the book is being donated to my local library. )