The Notebook by Agota Kristof, 3.5 stars

[NancyJ]

The Notebook by Agota Kristof is the first in a trilogy. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about this book, but I definitely want to know what happens next. A pregnant mother brings her two twin boys to stay with her mother during the war (presumably Hungary, WWII). The grandmother is pretty nasty (she's called a witch by her neighbors and is suspected of killing her husband). The boys are quite unusual. They're stoic, clever, and intent on toughening themselves for whatever is to come. They have their own moral code, which is quite disturbing.

Countries, cities and people are not named, but I'm pretty sure this is set during WWII in Hungary. Near the end of the first book, the war is over, the liberators move in (the Russians I presume), and fences are put up so no one can leave the country. I haven't read many books about this transitional time in history, and I need to keep reading.