ˈiːvən ðɪ ˌɔnɐɡˈɛnˈɔfɐɡˈɛn ɹᵻlˈeɪʃənʃˌɪp ðæt mˈæɡdə ɪnðə bˈʊk ɛndʒˈɔɪz wɪððə hʌŋɡˈɛɹiən ɡˈʌvɚnmənt ɪz ɪvˈɑːkətˌɪv ʌv ʃˈɑːboʊz ɹᵻlˈeɪʃənʃˌɪp wɪð ðæt sˈeɪm ˌɪnstɪtˈuːʃən; wˌaɪl ʃiː dˈɪd wˈɪn mˈɛni nˈæʃənəl lˈɪɾɚɹˌɛɹi ɐwˈɔːɹdz, ʃiː wʌz ˈɔːlsoʊ lˈeɪbəld æn "ˈɛnəmi ʌvðə pˈiːpəl" baɪ ðə kˈɑːmjuːnˌɪst ɡˈʌvɚnmənt, wʌz fˈaɪɚd fɹʌmðə mˈɪnɪstɹi ʌv ˌɛdʒuːkˈeɪʃən, ænd hæd hɜː bˈʊks bˈænd fɹʌm pˌʌblɪkˈeɪʃən fɹʌm nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi nˈaɪn tə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti sˈɪks.
Even the on-again-off-again relationship that Magda in the book enjoys with the Hungarian government is evocative of Szabo's relationship with that same institution; while she did win many national literary awards, she was also labelled an "enemy of the people" by the Communist government, was fired from the Ministry of Education, and had her books banned from publication from 1949 to 1956.