The Lonely Cedar – Stories from Hungary’s Hidden History
John Lefebvre
Type: Beta project
Genre: Historical fiction
Word count: 116,000
What begins as a solitary act of remembrance becomes a multigenerational legacy. The farm blossoms into a sanctuary of resilience, where harvest festivals, foals, and friendships offer balm for old wounds. As Bert and Julia build a life together, their love story intertwines with the rhythms of the orchard and the pulse of a changing nation. Please note: this book is part of a series, and a series synopsis will be provided.
In the shadow of a cedar tree, one man dares to heal a broken world—not with power, but with roots.
From plague-stricken Vienna to a quiet Hungarian farm, Bert Holusa’s journey spans revolutions, love, and the quiet triumph of renewal. As monarchies fall and wars rise, the Holusas choose compassion over allegiance, planting hope in soil, science, and story.
Through harvests and heartbreak, festivals and farewells, The Lonely Cedar traces the hidden history of Hungary—not through kings, but through those who healed, endured, and loved beneath the orchard’s watchful branches. A tale of resilience. A legacy of renewal. A love letter to the land.
This is the second Book in the series (I’m revising the first)— My wife and I meet and represented this family of artist (Husband, Wife and Son) in the 1990s, when we owned a brick and mortar art gallery — After reading a 1967 interview with the artist, I knew that this story needed to be told — over the last couple of years, myself and a journalist student from a local college conducted several interviews with 92 year old Eva and her son 74 year old A. B. — I am a history buff, so I have done a lot of research for these books.
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