Under the Frog by Tibor Fischer

The frog in Fischer's cleverly written novel is communism in Hungary. Hero Gyuri Fischer is only in his late teens and early twenties in the period from 1947 to 1956 when the country was struggling under the rule of the highly ideological but grossly incompetent Russian communists. Gyuri plays basketball, works, and studies as he tries to figure out a future for himself. Ultimately, he participates with his girlfriend in the uprising of 1956 which is described with detail and historical accuracy. Under the Frog was a Booker Prize finalist.