Work in Progress: Juno, And the Long Eye of History

a work in progress: 2024-2025

"The long eye of history is wrapped around a simple truth: history is always becoming, it is not static, although it hides in the lies of how we choose to see it."
— Juno, And the Long Eye of History, Chapter 1

Juno, And the Long Eye of History is an historical novel narrated by Juno, a Nonius horse native to Hungary. The novel follows four sisters confronting early conflicts in Zionism, technological progress, rapid cultural changes, and an uncertain future—all in one transformative night. Based on my grandmother and her sisters, the Davidovitchs, it is set in 1900 Budapest, a city on the edge of modernization, political upheaval, and cultural reinvention.

Through Juno’s eyes, the novel explores how secrets and creativity spread, why borders remain elusive, and how humans and horses stay in constant motion. As she leads us through Budapest’s cafés, theaters, stables, and underground salons, Juno sees what humans do not: how history is not a static narrative but a landscape shaped by migration and the unrelenting push of time.

"I want to tell you the truth. How the water of the Danube, a river that snakes through Buda and Pest, was filled with the blood of centuries. How quarter notes, all those once hidden in guitars and the skin of drums, the ones dragged across Persia through all of those deserts were finally laid to rest at the river base. How the entire culture was drenched in that blood – down to the silt – while everyone embraced being trapped in the dream of a new age."
— Juno, And the Long Eye of History

The sisters, raised for marriage and conformity, suddenly awaken to The Sight, a one-night ability to fully perceive the four emerging forces of their time: Journalism, Cinema, Spirituality, and War. As they navigate Budapest’s volatile, creative, and shifting landscape, they must confront hidden truths about their family, their faith, and their place in a world on the verge of change.

Juno shares these insights through equine myth—a story tracing a thousand-year migration through the Eurasian/Hungarian Steppe and the profound interdependence between humans and horses. Her presence in the novel challenges the notion of fixed borders, and examines the fragile and fleeting nature of belonging, asking how we choose to see history—and how it, in turn, chooses to see us.

********

Real Historical Figures in Juno, And the Long Eye of History

Hungarian Writers, Journalists, and Poets

Margit Kaffka - A pioneering modernist writer and poet, active in Budapest’s café and literary culture, exploring women’s roles and societal change.

Renée Erdős - Poet and novelist, known for her bold exploration of female independence and sensuality, present in salons and literary gatherings.

Erzsi Újvári - Poet and avant-garde contributor, part of Budapest’s literary and café scenes.

Árpád Tóth - Poet and journalist, a figure of Hungary’s literary renaissance.

Endre Ady - Poet and journalist, known for modernist works and progressive ideals.

Mihály Babits - Poet, writer, and editor of Nyugat, the leading literary magazine of the time.

Dezső Kosztolányi - Novelist, poet, and journalist, associated with Nyugat.

Gyula Krúdy - Writer famed for capturing Budapest life in his novels and short stories.

Zsigmond Móricz - Journalist and novelist, a prominent voice in Hungarian literature.

Hungarian Filmmakers

Alexander Korda - Pioneering Hungarian filmmaker, later a key figure in British cinema.

Vincent and Zoltan Korda - Collaborators with Alexander Korda in early Hungarian cinema.

Figures in Politics and Society

Marc Aurel Stein - Hungarian-born archaeologist, famed for his explorations of the Silk Road.

Theodor Herzl - Born in Budapest, the founder of modern Zionism and an advocate for a Jewish homeland.

István Széchenyi - Hungarian reformer and statesman, "The Greatest Hungarian."

Zsigmond Kornfeld - Influential banker tied to Hungary’s Jewish and economic history.

Manfred Weiss - Hungarian industrialist instrumental in Budapest’s industrial growth.

Horses and Equestrian Legacy

Semendria - Grand Prix-winning horse tied to Hungary’s equestrian prestige.

Kisber - Thoroughbred horse, Semendria’s sire, winner of the 1876 Epsom Derby.

Le Sancy - Semendria’s dam, significant in Hungarian equestrian heritage.

Juno - A fictional Nonius horse, inspired by Hungary’s rich equestrian traditions.

Photo credit: Lady and her horse on a snowy day in 1899. Photograph by Félix Thiollier