Newly married and in her forties, Linda Fischer was finally able to travel the European continent as she had dreamed of doing since college. Wandering through a Budapest antique store in 2005, she was drawn to a leather-bound keepsake album. Half-filled with watercolors accompanied by expressions of love and loss, the book memorialized the life of a young Hungarian girl, Amálka, at the turn of the 20th century. Entranced by the resonances and disparities between Amálka’s world and her own, Fischer undertook a nine-year quest to understand them more fully in The Memory Book: One Woman’s Self-Discovery in the Mist of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy [distributed by Small Press United, a subsidiary of Independent Publishers Group; October 1, 2014; ISBN: 978-0-9744287-3-4; Price $17.99; Adult Trade Paperback].

Deciphering the book’s inscriptions and exploring the layers of Austro-Hungarian history for clues to their significance takes Fischer from New York City to Budapest, Vienna, and lesser-known outskirts of the former Austro-Hungarian empire. Drawn steadily into the lost world of the friends and family who signed Amálka’s memory book, the author learns of students, railroad engineers, and doctors who wrote poetry, picked apples, celebrated weddings and harvests, and mourned the loss of love. A unique mix of travelogue, history and memoir, the resulting narrative reveals how heartfelt connections can create bonds that both illuminate and transcend their times.

Selling Points

• An intriguing premise: The Memory Book was inspired by the author’s discovery of a personal keepsake album, luring her to research the historical circumstances of its creator with unflagging dedication and enabling her to bring together people from around the world.
• A great way to learn about European history: the narrative rests on the story of author’s travels, while exploring the last 150 years of social changes in Europe.

Marketing Plan

• National media and book review campaign
• ARC distribution to key media and librarians
• Online social media outreach on Facebook and Twitter
• E-Newsletter promotion
• Trade advertising

About Linda Fischer

Linda Fischer is a global traveler with a passion for literature, languages, and especially the people she encounters along the way. While traveling and researching The Memory Book over the last nine years, Fischer studied the Hungarian language. Her committment continues. This is her first book.

About Minted Prose

Minted Prose is an independent publishing company in New York City. We are passionate about the originality and quality of our books. Our inspirations: Questions like what if? Letting the mind roam. Being part of the trip-far and wide. We specialize in science fiction, travel, and children’s books.

Media Contact

Susanna Wilson
media@mintedprose.com
(530) 615-8325

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