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Iza's Ballad
Iza's Ballad
Jul 21, 2025 2:19 AM

Author:Magda Szabó,George Szirtes

Iza's Ballad

When Ettie's husband dies, her daughter Iza insists that her mother give up the family house in the countryside and move to Budapest. Displaced from her community and her home, Ettie tries to find her place in this new life, but can't seem to get it right. She irritates the maid, hangs food outside the window because she mistrusts the fridge and, in her naivety and loneliness, invites a prostitute in for tea.

Iza’s Ballad is the story of a woman who loses her life’s companion and a mother trying to get close to a daughter whom she has never truly known. It is about the meeting of the old-fashioned and the modern worlds and the beliefs we construct over a lifetime.

Reviews

[A] heartbreakingly beautiful novel… George Szirtes conveys both the sophistication and simplicity of Szabó’s narrative in a superb translation… Humble, wistful Ettie is a wonderful creation… Just as The Door won an immediate English-language following, Iza’s Ballad is bound to become one of the most loved books of the year… This publication of Iza’s Ballad, subtle and profound, is a cause for celebration

—— Irish Times

The writing has a lovely clarity and a relevance that is timeless

—— Kate Saunders , The Times

Szabo nails with incisive clarity the painful dynamics between the two [central] characters… A perceptive study of family relationships, bereavement and old age, it is harrowingly beautiful

—— Juanita Coulson , Lady

A ruthless exploration of the damage we inflict on one another in the name of love

—— Independent

Szabo…is a rare voice, and this novel about the death of tradition and hope is a marvel of empathy

—— Eileen Battersby , Irish Times Books of the Year

Lively . . . Michael paints the Middle Ages in spare and elegant prose

—— New York Times Book Review

Portrayed beautifully, honestly

—— Historical Novel Review

it’s beautiful fragments coalesce to form an elaborate, haunting portrait of urban Pakistan, rich with acute sociological detail and subtle existential contemplation

—— Hirsh Sawhney , Guardian

A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers is an intriguing, funny and unusual novel about what gets lost in translation

—— Herald

An uplifting novel with moments of great poignancy and pathos

—— Tatler

Written with compelling simplicity.

—— Kerry Fowler , Sainsbury's Magazine

Cleverly constructed, carefully written and deservedly longlisted for this year’s Booker Prize.

—— Harry Ritchie , Daily Mail

Clegg's story is frequently affecting.

—— James Kidd , Independent

At times a harrowing read, the slow and deliberate manner with which connections are revealed and questions answered is genuinely satisfying. By the time Clegg’s narrative strands converge, the glimpse that he grants of a brighter future feels earned.

—— Stephanie Cross , Lady

An emotionally resonant debut.

—— Sunday Times

A moving lament on guilt and grief, not to mention a gripping thriller.

—— Harpers Bazaar

A sad yet hopeful novel built from both suffering and kindness.

—— Erica Wagner , New Statesman

Poignant and haunting debut.

—— Suzi Farry , Sunday Express

Clegg shows an impressive depth and range of voice as he tells a story of friendships, broken families, burgeoning love, and the aftermath of grief.

—— Mail on Sunday

Deeply moving.

—— Psychologies

Clegg is committed to unravelling the complexities of human nature.

—— Janette Currie , Independent on Sunday

Through distinctive and instantly recognisable characters, this novel finds beauty in pain, grief and regret.

—— UK Press Syndication

A true beauty of a novel.

—— Georgina Lane , Belle About Town

Clegg writes with warmth and a deep understanding of grief.

—— Saga Magazine

Wonderful narrative of chance, grief, and the ways we feed on and nourish each other.

—— John Burnside , New Statesman

Fabulous.

—— James Kidd , Independent

Told its heart-breaking tale with tenderness and verve.

—— Alex Preston , Observer

A work full of secrets, shame and scandal.

—— Fiona Wilson , The Times

A story of what can be found when so much has been snatched away.

—— Kerry Fowler , Sainsbury’s Magazine

A meditation on enduring the unendurable… This is a wonderful and deeply moving novel.

—— Clare Clark , Guardian

A beautiful, heart-rending novel of quiet, understated tragedy… Sensitive and insightful, heart-breaking and hopeful… [A] tender, wise and hopeful novel.

—— Hannah Beckerman , Observer
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