I rarely give 5 stars but this has earned 5 stars in my eyes. I'm so excited for others to read this book. Thank you netgalley & the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Lena has grown up traveling through Europe with the World of Wonders, a luxurious circus where her father performed as an illusionist. Disabled from polio as an infant, Lena is friendless until she discovers Alexandre, a stowaway who recently lost his parents. Told against the backdrop of World War II, this story travels from the circus to the horrible Theresienstadt Ghetto to post-war London and Paris. I was completely immersed in this debut and look forward to reading more from the author.

Historical fiction has long been an Achilles heel for me, especially if it’s good historical fiction. I love this story. With little Lena, who is but 6 or 7 years old at the start of the story. Afflicted by Polio as a baby and unable to walk she has grown accustomed to living her life as an outsider. She is surrounded by loving and caring adults who see to it that she has the best care, and with her brilliant scientific mind, she flourishes. Until Alexander, a Jewish boy with a shady past, crosses paths with Lena, no one in her life seems to think Lena may have a life possible one day where she could not only walk but walk without aids. Alexander see’s a spark in Lena, and so begins a remarkable friendship, in which Lena does the impossible, graduating from a wheelchair to walking with a cane. With their lives in the traveling circus, things are magical, but no one can escape the horrors of WW11 forever, and the traveling circus that has been her home proves to be no safe refuge. When Lena is separated from her father and the boy she has come to have more than friendly feelings for, Lena must find her own path without knowing if she will see Alexander and her father again. This story evolves on two different tracks, as Lena grows into a woman and continues to defy every limitation placed on her, and Lena’s father and Alexander face Nazi horrors head on. Many edge of the seat moments left wondering if these characters make it to the end. This is called the Circus Train, but it was more like an emotional roller coaster of ups and downs. Many compliments to the author for painting this remarkable world of magical circuses, and magical people living in an extraordinary time. Review posted to Amazon, Litsy, LibraryThing, Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads.

As somebody who is not a fan of circus based plots, I took time to start this one but Lena's story got me engrossed and the historical timeperiod made it absolutely beautiful. I was completely invested in Lena's life and I needed to know how she handles with her relationship when her friend, Alexandre, a Jew has to face the Nazis in WW2. I liked her passion towards education and becoming a physican inspite of her handicap that makes her father coddle her all the time. It was a beautiful read but I felt it could have been even better with a trim.

Wow, I loved this book! A circus, the amazing circus acts and performers, WWII. I have never read such a combination. Amazing story which held my interest right from the start.

The World of Wonders is a travelling circus sure to invite and delight.

Lena Papadopoulos is unique in one respect- she lives her life in a wheelchair. As a polio survivor when a baby, she has no movement in her legs and while that was a novelty as a young child, it has shown to be prohibitive as she and her friends got older. But living the life in the circus circuit has given her a place to belong with her governess and father. Her father, Theo, is an illusionist and the encore of each show. It is through him that she has such a comfortable and safe life. But maybe he's sometimes a little too confining to what she is allowed to do.

At one stop, orphan Alexandre joins the troupe and is given the responsibility of being Lena's friend. A natural friendship ensues and we get to watch the relationship of these best friends grow. But life in the circus never feels enough for Lena. When Theo and Alexandre go missing, Lena must create her own life and live to her fullest.

I thought this was overall a very inspiring story. The Polio aspects were well researched and an interesting part of this story. The ending felt a little rushed, which I am sad about, but overall a very enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ebook received for free through NetGalley

Absolutely and completely adored this book. Perfect amount of fantasy, scenery, storylines, gut wrenching reality, and absolutely amazing characters. Had trouble putting it down. Thanks for the opportunity

What an exquisite historical fiction! Such rich detail and beautiful prose. I appreciate the attention to detail. I was sucked into the world and beauty of this book.

I loved this book so much! It was so well written, and I loved the way the story developed. The characters were so well done and there was a lot of growth. I really liked the historical fiction aspect with WWII in the background of the traveling circus. There was also a mysterious aspect which I wasn't expecting but brought a different aspect to the story that I enjoyed. Fans of The Night Circus and WWII historical will enjoy this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the advanced read of The Circus Train by Amita Parikh.

This is a historical fiction centering on one girl's the coming-of-age during WWII. What really sets it apart from so many other WWII historical fiction books is the setting - a travelling circus moving all throughout Europe.

Lena Papadopoulos is the daughter of Theo, the lead illusionist. She is brilliant, curious, but lonely. Due to childhood polio, Lena is confined to a wheelchair and seemingly endless stretches in the infirmary carriage. However, her whole world shifts when she meets and befriends a runaway (and stowaway) orphan Alexandre, who pushes her to question the limits of both her condition and her own abilities.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved Lena and following her from meek little girl to a strong and courageous woman. And I loved reading about a completely different side of WWII. The character development was very well done, each person having their own secrets and flaws that ultimately resulted in heartbreak, suffering, and eventually growth and forgiveness. I absolutely recommend reading this book!

The Circus Train by Amita Parikh. Pub Date: December 6, 2022. Rating: 3.5 stars. Set against the backdrop of WWII, this story takes the reader on a ride of the World of Wonders, a traveling circus through Europe. In this story, Lena is the daughter of Theo, a famous illusionist. She travels with him on the circus, but lives a secluded life due to being disabled. She yearns for human connection and when she rescues an orphan named Alexandre she is opened to a new world of possibilities. This novel reads lyrically with beautiful scenery and imagery throughout. I did feel this book was slow in some parts, but I appreciated a new spin on the WWII historical fiction genre. Overall, a solid historical fiction read. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #netgalley #thecircustrain

As a historical fiction fan, the second I read that it was set in the pre, during, and post World War II era I knew that I was going to love this book. Little did I know, it didn’t have much to do with the war BUT that did not take away from my love for this book.

The Circus Train was a beautiful tale of a young girl on the train of an exclusive traveling circus. Her father is an illusionist hired by the circus after Lena’s mother dies of child birth leaving her to grow up on the circus train. As a young child Lena catches polio which left her unwell and ultimately chair bound the rest of yer life. Though her legs didn’t work, her mind was sharp! As she gets older she explores the world, finds new friends, experiences great loss, and with the help of the circus doctor she finds out that with some therapy she learns that she actually has the ability to walk.

This was a beautiful story of friendship, adventure, personal growth, empowerment, and romance. If you are a historical fiction fan, this is right up your alley! I high recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam books for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review!

While some of the circumstances in the story seem a tad too convenient, and some of the drama a bit melodramatic, if you're looking for a soapy historical drama, this book might be right up your alley.

I want to start off by saying that I apologize for a late review. I received ebook arc of this book from netgalley and from author. In return for my honest thoughts and review. I am so happy that I requested this book. What an emotional book. Had me wanting to laugh and almost had me in complete tears. The author keeping me on my toes with every page.
I will definitely be adding future books from this author to my tbr. I love the world and the characters author created. This book and these characters Lena and Alexandre will always hold a special meaning and place in my heart always. Theo who in the beginning I thought was over bearing father. Towards the middle and ending of this book. Theo warmed my heart for all the different reasons. He too has special place. This book did take me some time to read. But like I stated earlier every page had me on my toes. Not waiting to rush through this book.
I love the Historical and fantasy tied in with this book. This book is set in WW2 times. I highly recommend this book. It’s so beautifully written for a debut author. Thank you again to Netgalley and the author for allowing me the opportunity to read this beautiful book. My review will be up amazon and goodreads and bookbub. My wrap for this book is also on instagram

The atmosphere and setting are stunning
Love the descriptions, fully immersive
Lena and Alexandre are too cute and Theo is great. I love the travel and the train and the circus was kinda Night Circus-y feels.

As a lover of WWII historical fiction, I couldn't wait to dig into this book. The opening chapters did read a little slow and took a while to get into, but once I hit mid-book I couldn't put it down. Again, lovers of historical fiction will love this story, bringing to life the trials and unexpected joy faced by those who traveled the rails. I've read that this is highly recommended for fans of The Night Circus and Water for Elephants. Having deeply loved both of those books, I wholeheartedly agree!

Absolutely stunning!! I loved everything about this novel. The story is heartbreakingly beautiful. There was enough suspense to keep you reading until the end. If you enjoy stories about circuses or set during the WWII this is a great book to add to your list of reads.

The story centers around Lena, daughter of the star performer of a circus. Most of the action will take place on the train the circus uses for transport. Lena had polio as a baby, this story will cover her progress in life. We begin in 1938, touring Europe with the train. People don't know how to treat Lena; she is mostly ignored. She is not content with that. She will work to break out of stereotypes. I only had one spot that disappointed me, but that was resolved nicely. There is historical information provided at the end. I read an electronic version provided by Net Galley for review purposes.

WOW!!! This has become one of my all-time favorite books. I cried through it and cheered through it and sadly saw the read come to an end. Thank you to NetGalley for the privilege and enjoyment of reading this novel.

What's difficult to fathom is that this masterpiece is the first novel from author Amita Parikh. While historical fiction at its best it is also a travel log of vivid scenes through Europe and Asia.

While the setting of the novel is pre and post war WWII, it is an uplifting read about the human spirit despite both political and physical limitations. One of the pieces I had never heard about was the "model" town of Theresienstadt where "elite" Jews were sent in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. From 1941 to 1945 it served as a ghetto, labor camp, and concentration camp.

There are numerous themes and storylines throughout this book that will hook you in as I was.

Kudos!

Lena spends much of her childhood with her father on a traveling circus train in the 1930 in Europe. She has many obstacles to overcome, but she is a strong and determined girl. These traits serve her well when war arrives and turns her world upside down and she has to figure out how to survive, and then thrive.