The Circus Train by Amita Parikh was quite good. I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, life was very busy when I was trying to read it and I had to keep waiting for time to read. Once I got to sit down with it, it did not disappoint. It follows a young girl, Lena, and her father as they live on a travelling circus at the outset of WWII. Alexandre is a stow-away who gets to stay and train under her father. The two become best friends, but when the Nazis come and Alexandre and her father are forced to leave, everything changes. A story of hope and redemption, fans of WWII fiction will appreciate the historical details and accuracy, as well as an excellent story.
Thanks to NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was slow to get going but I did enjoy the description of the opulence of the train and circus at the beginning. There was intrigue, secrets and pure love throughout. There was a lot in the plot and sometimes it felt like the author flitted over big historical events, such as the war and how sheltered the train and performers were from the horror. I suppose that is why Lena was so naive and childish when the big event happened that changed the trajectory of her life.
This was an unusual book, covering many topics that seemed well researched. The horror of the ghettos weren’t really addressed and I didn’t feel the emotions and events like I do in other books. I was well aware I was reading about these characters and I think that’s why I started to skim read it towards the end. I was losing touch and interest in them a little.
Overall an interesting read. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Ms. Parikh did a wonderful job for a debut novel.
This novel of historical fiction covers a variety of issues, the hardship of disability, friendship, love and the life of circus performers. At times there was a little too much going on that took away from the story, but I did find this novel enjoyable reading.

This was a good book, but it wasn't really what I was expecting. I was thinking it would be more of a WWII historical fiction, but that was only a sort of backdrop to the story as a whole. I really enjoyed learning about Theresienstadt. I knew that the Nazis often "held" high profile Jewish and other "non-desirables" to be used for POW exchanges, but I had no idea there was this whole village set up. It was also interesting learning about polio and the treatments that were used. The end notes contains information about how Lena's treatment evolved in real life. I also liked that we essentially got two epilogues with Lena and *name not revealed for spoiler* so we know where they both ended up.

I felt like the beginning was slow but by the end I couldn't put the book down! Lena's character was very inspirational. The setting of the story was magical, and the love story was my favorite part.

This book was definitely not for me. While I love circus stories, I am just not a fan of historical fiction. But, I read it anyway.

4 stars because the writing is great and the story is well written.

A riveting and beautiful tale set in ugly and trying times. The story was everything one hoped for and more, the twists and turns were heartbreaking which made the character development deep and thoughtful.

I will most definitely have my eye out for this author in the future.

I did enjoy reading this debut author's Historical Fiction! Thank you NetGally for my ARC e-reader copy!
I loved the main character: Lena, a young girl who has a disability from complications of polio. Her journey and resilience throughout the story are beautiful!

I was excepting a mix between Night Circus and Water for Elephants (based on other reviews)… Yes there is a train and yes there are circus performers but otherwise this book is not that. It's a WWII Historical fiction that takes you through Lena's journey of isolation, education, loss, and love with a train and a circus as the backdrop.
What I liked was the beautiful circus imagery, the characters and the history.
What I did not like was the unneeded lengthiness.
The book was probably 100 pages longer than it needed to be. About 1/2 way through the story takes a long drawn out and unnecessary turn. I found myself getting board during this part and skimming for the good bits. Hopefully an edit before its publishing day in December will cut some of the unnecessary parts out.

Thanks again NetGally for my advanced e-book in exchange for an honest review.

In the realm of Water for Elephants, this is great historical fiction book by a new author to me! I loved the storyline and was pulled into it from the beginning. I loved reading about how the main character overcame the negativity surrounding her due to her disability. Highly recommend!

As a baby, Lena contracted polio. As a young teenager she is still reliant on the wheelchair that defined most of her early years. Lena and her father, an illusionist, live and travel with a circus. When a young Jewish teenager, Alexandre, is found unconscious, the circus adopts him and gives him a job. Predictably, Lena and Alexandre develop a close friendship, bordering on romance.

Although I enjoyed this story, the child characters did not feel like children. They acted and talked like young adults. This was a bit off putting. I thought the story itself wa s bit predictable. The book covered a long period of time, however, it was hard to sense the passage of time. I had to keep reminding myself how old the characters were, and how long the story had been developing. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.

I found this to be a very good historical novel which brought me into the world of a traveling circus in Europe in the middle of WWII. At times the story bogged down with too much narrative detail but I kept on reading to see how Lena, Theo, and Alexandre made out in the end. Lovely sensory description throughout.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love WWII books, and this one was no exception. The book was well written and very interesting. I barely put it down - I finished it in two days!

Have been unable to review due to illness. Review coming soon! This novel looks fantastic and I can't wait to read this one! It has a different setting and plot than most books I read so am very intrigued!

I’m a big fan of both The Night Circus and Water for Elephants, so I was excited to read this book. I thought it was an enjoyable WWII novel. Thanks for letting me read it!

4.5 ⭐ I loved this story so much. I devoured it in two days. There was just something that prevented me from giving it the full five stars. The name of the book is a little misleading as only the first part actually takes place on the Circus Train.
I enjoyed the POV swap between Lena and Alexandre. Seeing what was clearly the concentration camp during the war and the way that people who ran it trying to make it better than it actually was.
There was a brief few chapters that I started getting Notebook vibes that I wasn't feeling but it worked itself out. Did not really like that Harry gave up on Lena and her dreams so easily.
Overall, it was a very beautiful story about a friendship that grew through hardships and crossed over decades.

A powerful story of hope and perseverance and a young woman's journey to independence. The Circus Train takes you into the magical world of illusion with the backdrop of the atrocities of World War II. I highly recommend this debut novel by Anita Parikh. #TheCircusTrain #NetGalley

I’ve been keeping this book at a distance for a long time, I’m not sure why, but it drew me in and surprised me in the best way! A marvelous story with engaging characters, twists and turns, vivid settings, and a love story at its core. It was nothing like what I expected. It was better.

This was very good Historical fiction book Even though it was set during WWII it was your tupical no Al about holocaust even though ther was elements of that in it was not the only think It was about. It was about serial and love as well.Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC for an honest review

I had enjoyed books like The Night Circus and Water for Elephants, so I was excited to read a book that was a combination of both of them. The World War II elements were fantastically done and it added to the depth of the story. The characters were really well done, I loved getting to know Lena and the rest of the characters in the circus. I loved the use of the circus and the use of time and healing.

"As he’d hoped for, the pictures of the girl really stood out. He knew as he stood in the dim light that he’d captured something truly special. It was more than a picture. It was an attitude, a statement, as if she was challenging anyone who dared to doubt her. It was as if she was saying I know my lot in life, but I’m not going to accept it."

Starting off with a bang, The Circus Train by Amita Parikh is a fantastic read. I found myself disappearing into the book and losing all track of time . . . that speaks volumes about how extraordinary the author is especially considering this is her debut novel. The characters were well developed, with the majority of them being likable. I cared about what happened to them, even the ones that weren't so likable.

I appreciated learning a bit about the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp in the Czech Republic as most of my education focused only on the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. Another great learning moment was about a polio treatment that the main character received that allowed her to walk. I love learning about things through historical fiction books that I might not have known otherwise.

Five out five stars is what I gave The Circus Train. Amita Parikh is a talented storyteller, and I look forward to seeing more novels from her.