The heartwrenching story of how one amazing woman saved 10000 children from Nazi occupied countries. It is a amazing book and although it is fiction is based on the real story of Geertruida Wijsmuller aka Tante Truusand and her incredible efforts to save as many children as she could from the horrible life they were handed by Hitler.

I truly enjoyed this book. It is such a heartbreaking look at what many children had to face before and throughout WW2. It will make you sad and emotional. Wishing you yourself could have helped these poor children. You will be amazed how one brave woman assisted by many other brave individuals put the needs of others above their own safety.

Thank You to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers Inc. for allowing me to read and review this wonderful ARC of The Last Train to London.

I've read many World War II books and it always amazes me when I am able to learn about someone who was a hero during this time but forgotten over time. Truus Wijsmuller, a member of the Dutch resistance, was a real hero. Through her determination and bravery, she was able to bring over ten thousand children from the German occupied areas of Europe to safety in England. She died in 1978 at 82 years of age.

The book begins in 1936. Germany has gotten stronger and Truus has begun to rescue small numbers of Jewish children. The two main characters are young teenagers who live in Vienna and are living their lives in the carefree way of the young. Fifteen-year old Stephan Neuman, the son of a wealthy and influential Jewish family and budding playwright lives in a huge home with his parents and younger brother. Stephan’s best friend and companion is the brilliant Žofie-Helene, a Christian girl whose mother edits a progressive, anti-Nazi newspaper. In March, 1938, their lives change drastically when the Germans invade Austria. Truus realizes that she needs to get a large number of children out of Austria for their safety and arranges a meeting with Adolf Eichmann. He tells her that 600 children can get on the train headed to England - not 599 and not 601 but they must travel on the Sabbath, which makes the rescue even more difficult to arrange. Will Truus be able to rescue Stephan and Zofie and keep them safe or will they be forced to stay in Austria and face an unknown and perilous future?

This novel was beautifully written and well-researched. I loved all three of the main characters - they were all brave and cared deeply about their families and other people. Truus was a real hero but the other heroes were the parents who sent their children away, knowing that they would probably never see them again, so that they could be safe. This book made my cry because the characters were so real and I cared deeply about their futures.

Author Karen Fowler said this about The Last Train to London: "Recommend this book to anyone who thinks no single person can make a difference.”

I received this ARC May 21st- after reading 2 other books on the Holocaust
I needed time to reflect so I could focus on this book. These books are too important to jump skim through
and lump into "Another Holocaust Book" pile

The history of Kindertransports is not widely known

Horrific time, terrible things happened

Slow read through difficult happenings

It's taken me a few days after finishing this book to be able to write a review. There is a lot going on in The Last Train to London. I am amazed by all of the research that was done for this book. I didn't know much about this part of history. There are a lot of characters and I had a hard time keeping everyone straight. I eventually made a form for myself to help. I am a little ambivalent about the ending as I like things that wrap up neatly. But, that's not how war happens.

This book truly meshes a frightening time in history with a cadre of extremely sympathetic characters who encounter some of histories most evil villains. Clearly the research was extensive and Clayton transports us into the world of the KINDERTRANSPORT, carrying children, Nazi targets, into England for safety.

The center of the story are 2 incredible teenagers, Stephan and Zofie-Helene, who are fortunate enough to travel together to England. Their journey is frightening and suspenseful. We learn about true heroes, such as Tante Truus who risk their lives to transport these doomed children.

I enjoyed the novel and hope that Zophie and Stephan had the opportunity to fulfill their destinies, he as a writer and she as a brilliant mathematician.

I felt that this book is one that I will share, not only with book clubs, but with all my Humanities teachers since it will be a perfect classroom experience. Just like THE BOOK THIEF, it transcends being labeled for one particular age group, but is ideal for a wide swath of people interested in learning about this particular aspect of the Holocaust.

Thank you Netgalley, for this amazing experience with historical fiction that proves careful research and beautiful writing can create a memorable book.

The Last Train to London is the story of how one Dutch woman changed the lives of thousands of children in 1938-1939. Geertruida Wijsmuller-Tante Truus, to the children of Vienna- made it her life work to rescue Jewish children, with an effort known as Vienna Kindertransport.
This is an emotional tale of a woman's love for children, her pain at the loss of several of her own and her unending love and dedication to her husband Joop and of course, to the thousands of children she rescued. Tante Truus' story is told through the lives of Stephan Neumann, son of a wealthy chocolatier, and Sofie-Helene, the child prodigy and daughter of a newspaper journalist, Kathe Perger. Stephan's little brother, Walter and his rabbit, Peter, along with JoJo, Sofie-Helene's 3 year old sister will also pull at your heartstrings. Will Stephan, Sofie-Helene, and siblings make the cut for the first 600 to leave Vienna? Will all of them escape and be joined with new families as they make attempts to obtain visas and leave Vienna? What becomes of the parents left behind? What becomes of all those children?
The journey of the children, their unbelievable endurance of the pain and suffering involved in being sent away to "safety," and the unimaginable courage on the part of the parents; will not soon leave the mind or heart of the readers of The Last Train to London.
Sofie-Helene is my absolute favorite character! She is a math genius with extraordinary skills and abilities to make herself "figure" right into the plans of Tante Truus. She sleuthed her way into Stephan's heart and you'll discover she's got a formula that equals love for all of us.

While this historical fiction is about a little known Kindertransport from Vienna before World War II, it was a very slow read. There were no real villains or climax. I was about to give up many times because of the slowness of the plot line. The author also assumes you know all these names from history which I did not. This was my first Meg Waite Clayton book, and not sure I will read others from her.

It took me a fairly long time to get into this book, so much so that I just about gave up. But when it finally picked up and things began to tie together a bit more, it became a very interesting story. Similar to the Kindertransports, the Jewish children are being smuggled into Dutch territory. Families are made and torn apart, and heroes are born.

by cayocosta72

If you want to read a story that will transport you out of your own life and make you want to be a better person, look no further. In the late 1930’s the Nazi propaganda machine is firing up. In Vienna the mother of Zofie-Helene, a Christian woman is countering that with a newspaper of her own, one that calls out the Nazis for their despicable behavior and dangerous ideology. Zofie-Helene’s best friend, Stephan is a Jew and when the Nazis take control of Venice, their very lives are on the line. Enter Truus Wijsmuller, a Dutch resistance fighter who smuggles Jewish children out of Nazi controlled areas, a woman who will take on some of the most depraved and evil men in Hitler’s arsenal to save young people like Stephan and Zophie-Helene.