18 and 19 Summary and Analysis

In mid-1963 Kovály is summoned before a party committee and is told of her late husband's secret rehabilitation. She reacts with fury and demands an official inquiry. Minor party officials decline to pursue the matter further and imply that she should be grateful for even this small acknowledgment. She is allowed to read a small portion of an official transcript that exonerates her husband, but is told that the information will not be made public. Subsequently, Kovály writes letters and requests official inquiries. Some action follows but in general Kovály is expected to toe the party line. Eventually, after years, the party publishes a minor notice that the men have been rehabilitated.

Through 1967, public sentiments shift away from the Communist party. Kovály attends one mass meeting where various party officials make statements and then accept questions from...