The Train That Took You Away by Catherine Hokin

Holding On To Hope

The Train That Took You Away by Catherine Hokin is a powerful historical novel that I read in just two sittings.

The novel is set from 1936-1946 in Berlin, the seat of the Nazis power. There are also a few scenes in Blitz-ravaged London.

We follow three main characters all connected with the art world – a young female art restorer from England; a young artist; and a young mother who runs an art gallery in Berlin. The latter two are Jewish and their war is beyond horrendous.

Germany seems to be a civilized nation in 1936 as it welcomes people to the Olympics. The young art restorer declares in 1936; “The German people are too kind and too good to let hatred and prejudice swallow it.” Unfortunately, the German people were governed by fear and/or blind adoration as they believed the lies they were told.

Bit by bit the lives of the Jewish people were eroded until all their liberties and freedoms were gone. Those who remained in Berlin were said to be “invisible and we’re targets, and we’ve nothing to live on but bad food, fear and rumor.”

There is much heartache and sacrificial love as a character makes the decision to put her eight-year-old son on the kinder transport to England for safety. It is an emotional wrench and only the hope that she will see him again, keeps her going.

The young boy’s war in England is very different to his mother’s. He experiences the Blitz, is subject to bullying and is evacuated. A personal decision is made to change his name, become more English and blend in.

We also see the young art restorers was in London. “Time… worked differently when bombs were falling and battles were raging.” Love and friendship happened today for tomorrow was not guaranteed.

Life in the Plaszow camp (as seen in the movie Schindler’s List) under Amon Goth was horrendous. Life was a lottery but “if we live, we have a duty to bear witness.” The world must know of the horrors of the cruel Nazi regime.

Survival was pure luck. As war ended, a Berlin character “forced herself to believe that the better parts of the human spirit had survived what the worst parts had done to it.” The perpetrators of evil must be brought to justice. There were the Nuremberg trials but some old Nazis shed their party allegiance and hid in plain sight by blending in.

There were so many painful losses. “I’ve learned to live with that pain because it reminds me how deeply I loved her.” Lives and cities needed to be re-built. There were “the pains of the past and the uncertainties of the future.”

All the characters were wonderfully and realistically drawn. They were easy to empathise with. The pain of sending your child away so that he lives – wow, that is so brave.

We see war on from many points of view in both England and Germany.

The Train That Took You Away is such a powerful and emotional read.

I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

JULIA WILSON

Book Description:

Berlin, 1938. I wipe the tears streaming down my darling son’s face, my heart shattering into a million pieces. “I promise I will find you, my love. No matter what…”

Ever since the Nazis came to power, violence has spread through the city Esther Spielmann once called home. Each night she prays her family will be spared. But when her husband and father are murdered alongside fellow Jews during Kristallnacht, she has no choice but to send her beloved son, Sascha, to safety.

Esther’s heart breaks as she watches his thin legs trembling in the cold as he is ushered with the other crying children towards the Kindertransport. As the train leaves in a cloud of smoke, she thinks of the painting of the two of them hanging in their house. In it, they are tightly embracing and laughing, everything just as it should be. She vows that she will hold him like this once again. But has Esther made a promise she can’t possibly keep?

Each day the hope of finding Sascha burns like a flame in Esther’s chest. The war has taken everything from her, including the painting of her and her beloved son. Then one day the guards come. This time it is Esther who must get on a train. But unlike Sascha, Esther is not being carried to safety. She has heard whispers of the horrors of the concentration camps. But knows she must do everything in her power to survive…

When Esther hears word that her painting might have been found, hope of finding Sascha blooms once more in her chest. In the ashes of war, can she make her way back to her beloved son? And if they do meet again, will either of them be prepared for what they find?

An absolutely devastating, heartbreaking page-turning story of a family torn apart by war – and the hope that can sustain us in the darkest of places. Perfect for fans of The Book of Lost Names and The Nightingale.

Author Bio:

I seem to have followed a rather meandering career, including marketing and teaching and politics (don’t try and join the dots), to get where I have always wanted to be, which is writing historical fiction. I am a story lover as well as a story writer and nothing fascinates me more than a strong female protagonist and a quest. Hopefully those are what you will encounter when you pick up my books.

I am from the North of England but now live very happily in Glasgow with my American husband. Both my children have left home (one to London and one to Berlin) which may explain why I am finally writing. If I’m not at my desk you’ll most probably find me in the cinema, or just follow the sound of very loud music.

I’d love to hear from you and there are lots of ways you can find me, so jump in via my website https://www.catherinehokin.com/ or on my Cat Hokin FB page or on twitter @catherineh66267.

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Catherine Hokin here: https://www.bookouture.com/catherine-hokin

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0DK99YTT3social

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Sarah Hardy

Publicist

Bookouture
Storyfire Ltd
Carmelite House
50 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y 0DZ

Storyfire Limited, a member of Hachette UK Group, registered in England and Wales under company no. 7893911

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