The Jilted Countess by Loretta Ellsworth
Loretta Ellsworth is a former middle school Spanish teacher with an MFA in writing who has received numerous accolades and awards for her imaginative books for children and young adults as well as adult readers. The Jilted Countess is a captivating blend of historical fiction and romance. It was inspired by a true story the author read in 2015 in columnist Curt Brown’s History Corner in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and included in his book Frozen History: Amazing Tales from Minnesota’s Past. Following WWII, a Hungarian countess made penniless by the war arrived in Minnesota to marry the American soldier whom she had met overseas. Despite his promises and their engagement, she was forsaken two weeks before her visa was due to expire. She contacted reporter Cedric Adams (renamed “Cecil Anders” in Loretta Ellsworth’s novel) who shared her tale of woe with his readers in the greater Minneapolis area. He used the pseudonym Llona and never revealed her real name but did publish a photograph of this lovely, mysterious woman. She received 1,786 proposals of marriage, chose a husband among three dates and remained in the United States in a small Minnesota farm town. The author has searched for clues to her identity without success and has settled for creating a reasonable fictional facsimile.
A Ballerina Without a Country
The Jilted Countess imagines the heartbreak and dilemma for a stateless, well-educated former aristocrat and prima ballerina who summons the determination to marry and fit into a small community. Chapter one begins in 1948 on a train to St. Paul, Minnesota. Countess Roza Mészáros explains she is Hungarian but has been living in Vienna where she met her fiancé, Joe Harbeck. After exchanging many love letters he arranged for the necessary travel visa and paid for her passage. Following a lengthy journey, Roza is exhausted and anxious when Joe is not waiting at the station. She was soon alone on the platform but was eventually greeted by Jakab and Mariska Katz, acquaintances of Joe who sent them to take her to their run-down apartment for the night. Joe was too much of a coward to inform Roza of his abandonment of their plans. He had recently wed an American woman.
Roza had lived a life of great privilege in Budapest where her parents had owned a mansion and country estate complete with servants. Neither she nor her mother had learned to cook, clean, sew or garden. Dance being her passion, it was a proud moment when she was accepted into the Vienna State Opera Ballet School. After years of training, she became a principal dancer. After the Nazi’s seized control of Hungary, her outspoken diplomat father was arrested and not heard from again. Roza and her younger brother Janos suspected he had been executed although their mother refused to give up hope. The Nazi’s had seized their lands and property. Roza had been unable to leave Vienna during the war; ballet performances were suspended, and she found poorly paid work in an orphanage. Jewelry and ball gowns that she had managed to retain had all been sold on the black market to keep from starving. She had hoped that marriage to Joe would enable her to bring her mother and brother to America.
1,789 Proposals and a Second Chance
Joe’s breach of promise not only shattered those dreams but if she did not marry a former soldier within two weeks, her temporary visa would expire and she would be deported. Returning to Austria was not a viable option. Hungary was still war-torn and now under a Communist Regime. When she learned of newspaper personal ads, she marched into the office of journalist Cecil Anders and explained her situation. Anders agreed to share her story and helped her weed through the flood of applicants. 1,789 potential suitors sent letters proposing marriage. They selected five suitable candidates and Roza chose mechanical engineer Finn Erickson to be her husband.
The Jilted Countess does not conclude here; this is not a simple fairy tale. Roza has many frustrations to face as she creates her own destiny. Readers will enjoy how she adjusts to life in the Midwest and continues her quest to find happiness. The first year in America is a rocky one with challenges including conflicts about money and scornful townspeople who question her ability to understand English. Will Roza be tempted to divorce her husband once she obtains a permanent residency visa or will true love prevail?
Loretta Ellsworth is a gifted storyteller who created a credible life story for a mysterious Hungarian countess. It is estimated that many hundred thousand women from Great Britain and Continental Europe married American military service men and relocated to the United States following the end of World War II with the hopes of making happy marriages.
