Beautifully written book. I was very excited to get my hands on this one. The whole story kept me wanting to read more and I had a hard time putting it down. Wonderfully written!

I liked, but didn't love this book. I feel like the author bit off a bit more than she could chew. The war, the traveling circus, the romance, the disability - each was interesting on its own, but when they were thrown in the story together, each felt somewhat incomplete. I wish the author had chosen one or two and developed them more. Still, the writing was lovely. Parikh can paint a picture with words, and I look forward to seeing more from her.

Published Dec 6, 2022 - Available now!
Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Book Putnam for the advanced copy.

As posted on Goodreads:

I am grateful that the publisher provided me with a copy of this book to read and review. This debut novel was unlike any other WW2 novel I have read before. There were so many different layers that were fascinating! I loved Lena and her determination to overcome the paralysis that polio caused her. I loved the traveling circus and the illusionists and wish there was actually a little more of that in the book! I feel like there could be a whole series just on the characters and their experiences. I had never heard of Theresienstadt before and it was fascinating. Again, I’d love another book about this concentration camp “spa town” and the people who were sent there. I also loved that this book took me from Greece to London to Paris to India…all in the span of about 7 hours. I’d highly recommend to fans of WW2 historical fiction!

I loved this book. I haven't read YA in quite a while, but I couldn't resist this one...and I wasn't disappointed. A wonderful story of first love, lasting love, and family love.

Thank you to NetGalley for this e copy of The Circus Train by Anita Parikh in exchange for a honest review.This is a wonderful piece of historical fiction- so well written that the words just flow..The reader feels like they are in every scene.This is a story set in the 1920s-1960s about a Greek girl named Lena whose mother died and she contracted polio as an infant leaving her an invalid.Her father Theo is an illusionist with a circus called The World of Wonders.She lives a privileged life as a child.One day she finds Alexandre a boy in one of the circus cars.He is injured and is Jewish so he has to be protected from the Nazis.The circus travels through all of Europe and Theo and Alexandre become famous illusionists and Lena with the help of her tutor becomes an excellent student but she yearns to get out of her wheelchair and lead a full life as a doctor. As the war starts and becomes more dangerous for Alexandre, Theo plans to leave the circus and journey to America with Lena and Alexandre.When the circus owner Horace finds out about their plans he betrays them to the Nazis..Arrested, they are sent to the Theresienstadt concentration camp.How Will they survive and will they find their way back to Lena? Read the book and find out.You won’t be disappointed.A story that stays with you.

This book is magic!! I was absolutely sucked into this world! A historical fiction novel about a traveling circus during WWII, following a father, his daughter, and their circus community. I adored the mystery, suspense, love stories, and disability representation. This is a story of a strong female who stops at nothing to create a life she is proud of.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley & G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Circus Train was really fascinating and easy to slip into and not want to put down. The story mostly follows Lena who has been disabled since childhood after contracting polio. You get to essentially follow along as Lena grows up in a circus. Her Dad is a performer who negotiated that his daughter was part of the package deal so while Lena is not a performer she is a part of the circus.

While there have been talks about this being similar to Water for Elephants I felt that it wasn't at all and stands on its own. It's a fascinating journey not only along with Leno but Theo, who is an orphan they find during their travels set in the backdrop of the looming war, which eventually takes place.

I highly recommend this for anyone that enjoys a good story, especially within the WWII realm or just like circus type stories. There are no animals in this story so if you have a tender heart like me when it comes to animals you will be safe here.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of this novel.

Absolutely beautiful story! Weaving magical realism with WWII historical fiction, this traveling circus is full of magic. I loved reading each of the characters growth through the span of the novel. Loved it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Lena and Alexandre are very interesting characters, you're rooting for them the whole way. It is set in the middle of one of the most trying parts of history, but told from an original point of view.
I think any book club would love this book, so much to discuss!

Loved the premise of this book, but unfortunately the execution fell short. It took an incredibly long time for me to get invested in the storyline and characters, and too many subplots muddled my overall interest level.

this was really just okay. I enjoyed the first half but the second half really lost me. I didn’t really like any of the characters and the twist in the end felt pointless. overall, don’t necessarily recommend.

Now it’s advertised as a national bestseller, but back when I originally requested this off Netgalley, it was just a random debut. It had me at circus. I’ll read all sorts of things about circuses. Even (apparently) books I (correctly) suspect of being women’s fiction.
It’s easy to see how this would end up a bestseller: it hits all the right (emotionally exploitative) notes. I mean, it isn’t just a novel about a circus. It’s a WWII novel featuring a circus, with a tragic love triangle to boot.
And yes, it’s estrogen-heavy, strategically lachrymose, dramatically overwrought and all that, but it’s also vivid and engaging (especially the circus parts) and ultimately very readable.
The main protagonist is a bright young girl in a wheelchair who travels around with her father the magician in…you guessed it…the circus train. On the brink of and during WWII.
They meet and save a young Jewish boy, who becomes her best friend and her father’s apprentice. And then tragedy strikes…and their lives are ripped apart.
Can’t say more, really, without giving too much away. Don’t worry too much about the tragedy; this Lifetime movie of the week production is ultimately too sunny to resolve in anyfreakingthing but a happy ending. Like so happy. Like written by someone who might be in denial about how life really works. But then, of course, a lot of people want that in fiction.
Anyway, a decent read overall. Would have been good had it not been for its staunch insistence on being women’s fic. Didn’t care for the soap opera style twists and turns of the plot. Really enjoyed the circus elements. Thanks Netgalley.

3.5 stars, rounded down. Parts of this were enjoyable and gripping. Unfortunately the romantic plot line twisted on a wee bit too far for me.

This is such a great book. It’s really well written and the characters’ development are top notch. It’s a very entertaining historical fiction and I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the in exchange for a review.

This book caught me by surprise. I read a lot of books set in WWII era and many of them are so similar. This was different.

We follow Lena, a young girl who is in a wheelchair. She got polio as a young child and was never able to walk. Her father, Theo is an illusionist for a famous Circus that travels around Europe. Lena is a very bright child and since she spends so much time with the dr. on the circus train, she grows to love science and is a very good student. She has a private tutor named Clara that is inspires Lena that she can achieve whatever she sets her mind to. To add some interest, a young Jewish boy stubbles onto the train and Lena finds him and they decide to keep him aboard and he becomes an apprentice to Theo and a friend to Lena.

While the author does try to cover many issues in this book, I feel she does a great job of letting the reader feel the emotions of our characters without getting too bogged down in every issue that comes up. Lena is so defined by her medical condition that it is a huge part of the novel, but we see her struggle in all stages as she tries other things that may help her walk. Her inner strength throughout this book is great to read about.
Each of our characters have some secret and for that reason alone it kept me turning the pages.

It does take place during WWII but that is very much a back drop. While most of the time the war is not an issue for our characters, there is a time when it does take center stage. I was thankful for that in the sense, that I have read many books about the horrors that happened and I was glad that we did not get into too much detail with that in this book.

The only part that I really felt was misplaced and didn't add to the story too much was toward the end when we see Harry taking pictures in India. While it would have been great if he was still an integral part of the story but he really wasn't so it felt out of place.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and the storyline each one of them had on their own and together as a group. I liked the secrets that are revealed and the sweet romance that we see.
I am excited to follow this author and see what else she writes in the future.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of The Circus Train by Amita Parikh. It's a incredible story of survival and friendship. I definitely want reread this and own it.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of The Circus Train by Amita Parikh.
This is a beautiful story of love and relationships. A story of secrets and family. A story of survival and friendship. Well written with incredible detail. This is a story that I will recommend to others!

The Circus Train is a book that absolutely took me by surprise and had me in tears by the end. This book follows a young girl living with her father and traveling through different countries with the circus during the war. Lena is wheelchair bound after suffering from polio at a young age. One unexpected day Lena comes in contact with a young boy who is passed out after stealing food from the train. Lena's life may never be the same after.

If you are reluctant to pick up a book that has circus in the title, don't be. This book centers more on the characters than on aspects of the circus. The characters were an absolute delight and I enjoyed Lena's fierce independence and optimism throughout.

The ending is also one of my all time favorites now. k

A big thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for allowing me to read an early copy. Loved it and have already passed it to my reader group.

Lena Papadopoulos has grown up as part of the World of Wonders, a traveling circus where her father is a performer. Although she's intelligent and curious, her physical abilities after suffering from polio as an infant which leaves her feeling as an outsider among the other children. When a young boy is found on board and he befriends her, much of her life changes for the better. Lena goes from a young girl to a young women who pursues all the dreams of her childhood.

The Circus Train was a great book! This book is not just historical fiction but a love story, coming of age, the struggle for the Jews and how a girl with polio tries to fit in.
From the first chapter you can’t wait to find out what happens and it doesn’t disappoint. It is very well written and the characters feel like you know them.
Lena has polio, wheelchair bound and feels very left out as no one really wants to be her friend. She lives with her father, who is a magician/ illusionist with the circus. She has everything she could want. . Her father is doting but protective and she longs for companionship. She studies and reads and documents for the circus doctor. She discovers science and realizes so much about life. The book moves quickly and Lena’s life changes.
There is so much to this book
I throughly enjoyed his book and highly recommend it.