The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer

This is quite an epic novel: about 600 pages and spanning nearly a decade. It is a "holocaust novel," but a different one, at least for me. The story opens in the late 30's in Hungary. Young Andras, a Jewish student in Budapest, has the opportunity to travel and study in Paris. He is to be an architect. His brother, Tibor, is studying medicine, and his younger brother, Matyas, is still in school, but not much of a student.
The beginning of the book, dealing with Andras' life in Paris is satisfying for him.  We get glimpses into the terror that is starting to overcome Europe, but for the most part, Andras has a full and successful life as a student in Paris.
As time passes, things become more and more difficult for Andras; his scholarship is revoked because he is Jewish; he eventually has to return to Budapest to renew his visa, but he is never to return to Paris.
In Paris, Andras meets Klara through a chance encounter before he left for Paris. Although she is older and has a teenage daughter, they manage to forge a strong relationship and end up married with two children.
I really appreciated the way the author told this story; the backdrop of politics tempering every aspect. Even though we all know the story of the Holocaust, every individual story is unique and captivating.

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