---
product_id: 351597979
title: "Abigail (New York Review Books Classics)"
price: "173.62 DT"
currency: TND
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 5
url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/351597979-abigail-new-york-review-books-classics
store_origin: TN
region: Tunisia
---

# Abigail (New York Review Books Classics)

**Price:** 173.62 DT
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Abigail (New York Review Books Classics)
- **How much does it cost?** 173.62 DT with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/351597979-abigail-new-york-review-books-classics)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

From the author of The Door, a beloved coming-of-age tale set in WWII-era Hungary. Abigail, the story of a headstrong teenager growing up during World War II, is the most beloved of Magda Szabó’s books in her native Hungary. Gina is the only child of a general, a widower who has long been happy to spoil his bright and willful daughter. Gina is devastated when the general tells her that he must go away on a mission and that he will be sending her to boarding school in the country. She is even more aghast at the grim religious institution to which she soon finds herself consigned. She fights with her fellow students, she rebels against her teachers, finds herself completely ostracized, and runs away. Caught and brought back, there is nothing for Gina to do except entrust her fate to the legendary Abigail, as the classical statue of a woman with an urn that stands on the school’s grounds has come to be called. If you’re in trouble, it’s said, leave a message with Abigail and help will be on the way. And for Gina, who is in much deeper trouble than she could possibly suspect, a life-changing adventure is only beginning. There is something of Jane Austen in this story of the deceptiveness of appearances; fans of J.K. Rowling are sure to enjoy Szabó’s picture of irreverent students, eccentric teachers, and boarding-school life. Above all, however, Abigail is a thrilling tale of suspense.

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: Sweet growing up novel - In the original, Hungarian, the book was published in 1970 and became immediately popular. Gina Vitay is a spoiled 15-year-old girl who has grown up under the care of her father, a general, and her French governess Marcelle. But now there is a war, Hungary and France are on opposing sides, Marcelle is sent home and Gina is sent to a boarding school to the other side of Hungary. The Calvinist strictness of the school astonishes Gina, she rebels, and is scorned by her fellow students - but somehow she has to grow up in the midst of the war going on in the background, discovering that people are often not who she thought they were, both negatively and positively. I really liked it.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #668,245 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #3,663 in Contemporary Fiction (Books) #16,788 in Action & Adventure (Books) #23,701 in Historical Fiction (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,022 Reviews |

## Images

![Abigail (New York Review Books Classics) - 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 17 May 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.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sweet growing up novel
*by K***A on 11 April 2026*

In the original, Hungarian, the book was published in 1970 and became immediately popular. Gina Vitay is a spoiled 15-year-old girl who has grown up under the care of her father, a general, and her French governess Marcelle. But now there is a war, Hungary and France are on opposing sides, Marcelle is sent home and Gina is sent to a boarding school to the other side of Hungary. The Calvinist strictness of the school astonishes Gina, she rebels, and is scorned by her fellow students - but somehow she has to grow up in the midst of the war going on in the background, discovering that people are often not who she thought they were, both negatively and positively. I really liked it.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Çok güzel
*by N***A on 14 July 2021*

Kitabın boyutu büyük, yazıları iri ve okuması kolay.

## Frequently Bought Together

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

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/351597979-abigail-new-york-review-books-classics](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/351597979-abigail-new-york-review-books-classics)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Tunisia*
*Store origin: TN*
*Last updated: 2026-07-08*