A Universe of Sufficient Size, by Miriam Sved

This is a tale of two Eszters – the younger version a student in Hungary in 1938 and the other an old woman in Australia in 2007. The early narrative is riveting, the joy of a group of friends united in their passion for maths and their trepidation about the future in a world going mad. It sheds light on the little-known story of the Jews of Hungary although it doesn’t quite make clear the complicated relationship between Hungary and Austria, which put them at such risk. How did Eszter escape Hungary for the US? Who did she marry? Why did they move from the US to Australia? What happened to her friends? The suspense is well extended, leaving the reader wanting more as the story of young Eszter rolls out. The modern narrative seems inconsequential in comparison. This is probably because it is told from the points of view of Eszter’s daughter Illy and grandson Josh, whose travails are not especially interesting, while the focus on granddaughter Zoe’s sex life seems prurient. In both stories the details of the maths is mind boggling, occasionally to the point of mind numbing for the maths-challenged reader, but it can mostly be skimmed over without losing the gist. The process of Illy gradually discovering the truth of her mother’s past after the death of her father is often an annoying interruption of the story of Eszter’s youth. The personalities and relationships in the modern world don’t ring as true as those in 1938. When the stories finally come together, with a conveniently timed visitor from the past, an unexpected twist explains much about the modern day family relationships that was difficult to understand. In the end the truth sets everyone free.