Loving Bonds
The Last Train Home by Marion Kummerow is a powerful historical novel that consumed me from the start.
The action is set in Germany at the start of World War II. This book is all about the disgusting treatment of the Roma people following on from the Nuremburg race laws of 1938. The “gypsy had lost their citizenship and had effectively become a people without civil rights.”
We follow two characters from two different families. One is an orphaned teenage girl, and the other is a father separated from his wife and son by war. Bit by bit their civil liberties are eroded – and still, there are characters who are believing that something better will happen next.
There were some very difficult to read scenes, especially where the Roma were being ‘examined’ by the doctors who were brutal. “The doctors… rose like lions circling their prey.” The people felt vulnerable and exposed.
Eventually the Roma end up in the camps. Every action by the Nazis is designed for maximum cruelty. Newcomers are given a “survival strategy: avoid trouble, don’t stand out, don’t be remembered, and never be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
In order to survive, luck was needed, as well as determination. “How can you bear it?”… “You don’t bear it… You survive it. That’s all we can do. Survive so that one day we can tell the world about it.”
All the characters were well drawn and believable. We see the importance of family. Family does not have to be blood related. Family is those who look out for each other and love each other. The bond formed between the young girl and the father figure was beautiful to see. Both were gruff, loyal and wanted to survive.
Marion Kummerow has captured both the horror, and also the depth of love that bonds can create. We ‘feel’ the pain when characters are torn apart.
The Last Train Home is a powerful read about a truly horrific time. It must be read in memory of those who perished, and of those who survived.
I received a free copy for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON
Marion Kummerow
Marion Kummerow was born and raised in Germany, before she set out to “discover the world” and lived in various countries. In 1999 she returned to Germany and settled down in Munich where she’s now living with her family.
Inspired by the true story about her grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime, she started writing historical fiction, set during World War II. Her books are filled with raw emotions, fierce loyalty and resilience. She loves to put her characters through the mangle, making them reach deep within to find the strength to face moral dilemma, take difficult decisions or fight for what is right. And she never forgets to include humor and undying love in her books, because ultimately love is what makes the world go round.
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The Last Train Home
Amazon: https://geni.us/B0GGZ7SLX1social
Germany, 1940. Roxy ducked behind the rusted train carriage in the darkness. She’d walked all night alone. She just needed to make it across the railyard and onto the final carriage of the train slowly pulling into the station ahead. Then she’d be safe. At least for a little while…
Cared for by her aunt and extended family since losing her parents as a little girl, RoxyPopa has always felt like an outsider. She hates to follow the strict rules her family hold her to. When the whole clan is forced from their land and their beloved, beautifully ornate caravans and treasured horses are taken away by the Nazi authorities, Roxy refuses to be broken.
Deported to a labour camp hundreds of miles from home, Roxy plans daring escape after daring escape. Each time she is thwarted or re-captured. But she never loses her courage. Then she meets Marek Wesel, drowning in grief at the loss of his young son. The fierce spark in Roxy reignites the hope in him that the war has long since snuffed out.
Reluctantly, the two form a powerful bond: a lost young girl who trusts no-one and a broken man desperate for something to believe in. Can they work together to reach the train station and save themselves?
But the worst is to come, when betrayal comes from the most unexpected and devastating place…
Fans of The Nightingale, All the Light We Cannot See and The Midwife of Auschwitz will be totally swept away by this emotional and gripping page-turner about the experiences of Sinti and Roma people during the Holocaust.
What readers are saying about Marion Kummerow:
“Incredible… Addictive… My heart ached for them… Heartbreaking… I can’t recommend this enough… had me holding my breath as I raced to the end.” Celebrating Authors, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Wow… So amazingly captivating. I devoured this book in one sitting… I had to read through, non-stop to the end. I loved it… exciting, breath-taking… one unforgettable read. I wish I could give ten stars… Phenomenal.” PageTurners Blog, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Wonderful, wonderful… I was blown away by this book. I couldn’t put it down. I ignored everything and everyone until I finished it.” Nicki’s Book Blog, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Wow… completely unputdownable… I completely lost track of time as I was pulled into this story, flipping through the pages at such a rapid speed that I couldn’t stop. My heart beat was faster and faster while waiting to read what was going to happen next… A phenomenal read.” Page Turners, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Heartbreaking and riveting. I was up until wee hours of the morning reading it. It couldn’t put it down.” Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“So emotional, heartbreaking… I couldn’t even put this book down and I got so engrossed into the book that I didn’t even realize until I came to the end!” Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
ISBN: 9781805506805
Publication Date: 09 March 2026