Magda Szabó — Abigail with Deborah H. Sussman

Send us Fan Mail A literary icon in her native Hungary, Magda Szabó was relatively unknown to English-speaking readers until recent translations of her work opened the door to her powerful storytelling. In today’s episode we focus on her 1970 novel Abigail , which follows a headstrong teenager at an all-girls boarding school during WWII. Dangerous secrets, emotional complexity and an unexpected guardian angel add intrigue to this poignant coming-of-age tale. Our guest, Deborah H. Sussman of the ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, brings her perspective as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor to our discussion about preserving innocence in the midst of darkness. Mentioned in this episode: Abigail by Magda Szabó The Door by Magda Szabó Len Rix translations of Magda Szabó Photos of the Dóczy High School of the Debrecen Reformed College which inspired Matula Academy Magda Szabó Memorial House museum “More Than a Survivor” by Deborah H. Sussman Villette by Charlotte Bronte The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark The Holdovers The Sound of Music 2015 Musical production of Abigél from Ady Teátrum Trailer for Abigél 1978 miniseries for Hungarian television 2012 film adaptation of The Door starring Helen Mirren Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com

You can listen to Magda Szabó — Abigail with Deborah H. Sussman online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Magda Szabó — Abigail with Deborah H. Sussman is an episode from Lost Ladies of Lit by Amy Helmes & Kim Askew.

This episode is 43:27 long.

This episode was published on Mar 17, 2026.

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