4.5 stars

I loved reading this book! It was such a unique story about a European traveling circus in the midst of WWII, and how these characters persevered through their personal struggles.

Lena Papadopoulos was a wonderful heroine, and despite her limitations, her disability didn’t stop her from wanting to achieve more. With a love for science and medicine, she always had her nose stuck in a book or spent time learning what she could from the circus doctor. Her overprotective father, Theo, a headlining illusionist, was determined to protect her from the outside world — and the truth about her past. But when a young orphan named Alexandre showed up and joined the circus, he added some light to Lena’s life and encouraged her to continue pursuing her dreams.

While Alexandre was training as an illusionist’s apprentice, he and Theo were contracted to work and perform for the Nazis for at least a year. During this time, Lena was separated from them and for the first time in her life she had to make decisions for herself and find a way to make it on her own. This is when we truly see the strength and determination that made Lena such an inspiring character. It’s one thing to lose the one’s you love, but to continue and thrive despite everything life has thrown at you, is a true testament to a person’s inner strength.

Highly recommend this book!

*Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Lena as the daughter of the headlining illusionist, has never quite found her place within the World of Wonders - a travelling circus that travels the continent in a luxury steam engine. Brilliant, Lena yearns for the real-world magic of science and medicine, despite the limitations she feels in her wheelchair. young Theo, an orphan jumps aboard the circus train, Lena's life is infused with magic and wonder for the first time in her life due to Theo. . Lena has never quite found her place within the World of Wonders due to the limitations she feels in her wheelchair. World War 2 is about to start. Lena’s world is about to fall apart as she loses everything that is dear to her. To recover what she has lost, she must believe the impossible will happen.

A wonderful novel written by the author. It is a novel that reminds the reader that there can be more than we are. Lena is a courageous woman in a wheelchair who must find her place in that era of changes in the world. It is an amazing story that anyone who reads it cannot help but remember Lena.

I really had to take some time to reflect on how I felt about this book overall. I had moments where I really liked it, mostly times where there were one on one conversations. There we decent stretches where I was bored. And the time jumps really threw me for a loop. They seemed so sudden after being in one time for a good portion of the book. I see why they happened, in order to move the story along, but it ended up feeling rushed at the end, but dragged out in the beginning.

I seem to be in the minority here, but I just felt okay about this novel. It took me a long time to read because I didn’t want to pick it up. It’s fine. It had its ups, but I noticed more downs.

The Circus Train is just the type of historical fiction I love to read. It brings an unusual twist to the time frame of the setting and the characters are well-developed and engaging.
Set during the 1930’s through WWII and into the 1950’s, readers follow the lives of Theo, Lena and Alexandre and they navigate some difficult situations and try to stay together.

Theo, an illusionist, is working on a circus train and takes along his daughter Lena. Lena has suffered from polio and is in a wheelchair, spending much of her days alone. When Alexandre turns up on the train, starving and on the run from something, Theo decides to take him under his wing and eventually work him into his circus act.

As the war looms, things get more complicated for the trio. While Lena was undergoing treatment to learn to walk, they become separated and Lena finds an old mentor to help her.
It’s not until years later that the three are reunited and all the struggles and secrets are brought out into the open.

Historical fiction readers will love this one and it’s a great read for the holiday season.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group, Putnam for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to recommend this and give it my honest review.

"Epimeno" (Stay with, Persevere)

How to describe this beautiful story. A story of love, romance, WWII, and of great courage. A story of a young girl's struggle with polio. The magic of magic and the magic of the circus. The horror of the Nazis and one betrayal that changed so many lives and brought so much heartbreak. One brave girl that triumphed through it all.

The main characters Lena, Theo, Clara and Alexandre were excellent characters for the story. Even the villainous Horace managed to have some redeemable character.

How one brave girl. Lena, triumphed over polio, grew up in a traveling circus, strived to be a woman doctor, and ended up not only having to choose between her career and her love but between two men that loved her. On top of that she had to contend with a secret her father had kept from her all the years she was alive.

It's a magical story and a beautiful romance. I loved this book it was a fantastic read and I enjoyed every page. I recommend it I think you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Thanks to Amita Parikh for writing this beautiful story, to Penguin Group Putnam for publishing it and to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.

Thank you for allowing me to preview this book.

What a beautiful story that brings to light disabilities and the holocaust without being too much. Many holocaust books are exhausting but this has a good balance and the author knows just the right amount of suffering to be written in without allowing too much pain. I loved the back and forth of storylines. I loved the way the book was finished by the author and I didn't have to make up an ending.
Beautifully written, will definitely recommend

There were moments of fabulousness in The Circus Train. The friendship between Lena and Alexandre was certainly one of them. Her sweet relationship with her father was another. Lena herself was a force to be reckoned with, striving to overcome her disability and learning how to walk despite the weakness in her limbs. I just felt like after the author set up this novel with these great characters and setting that she got a little lost with where to take them. Yes, there was a war going on and families were separated- so that wasn’t a stretch, but in the middle of the biggest conflict in the book, to have that separation occur so abruptly and then for all of these characters to be separated? I felt like the portion of the novel that fell after that rift happened in a different book entirely. I had difficulty piecing those two parts together and felt a let down.

It is possible that I read this book at a time when I didn’t have the focus to appreciate the journey this author was trying to take me on. Despite that, I can’t help feeling that the second half of the book wasn’t the book this author had intended to write and because of feeling unsettled I can only give this book a three rating..
❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review and it was honest.

*Contains minor spoilers*

I want to start this off by saying this book is not your normal World War II historical fiction. I mean, you can see the main character's face on the cover! (haha) Jokes aside, most World War II historical fiction books rely so much on the violence and horrific things happening that the rest of the story gets lost. In The Circus Train, the characters and their relationships fuel the story. The war is truly in the background for the majority of the book, which is divided into 3 parts (the only part that contains in-depth scenes and depictions of what was going on outside of the train is Part 2).
We begin in 1929 with the birth of our main character, Lena. Her mother, Gia, goes into labor prematurely and dies shortly after Lena is born. Because she was born so early, she is very weak and sick, which makes matters worse when she contracts polio. This leaves her unable to walk. From here we flash forward to 1938, aboard The World of Wonders circus train. Lena's father, Theo, is the Master of Illusion and one of the most respected and loved members of the circus. You would think this meant that Lena would be loved by everyone too, but because she was bound to her wheelchair, many of the children on board were cruel and left her out or spoke badly to her. So she took solace in her studies, thanks to her governess, Clara, and Dr. Wilson, who was the train's doctor, and let her observe him while he worked and study his notes and books. Lena could often be found in the library with her nose stuck in a book, hoping to one day become a doctor herself.

Everything changed one day when Lena went for a snack and found a young boy, a few years older than her, unresponsive and freezing in the kitchen car. Alexandre, the blonde and blue eyed boy, came with many surprises. The first one being that he was a Jew. The second, that he had a natural talent for illusion and reading people. Theo quickly embraced this talent and begged the circus owner to allow Alexandre to be brought on as his apprentice.

Lena and Alexandre became fast friends. He was the only friend she had ever had. The only one to see past her wheelchair and to who she really was. It is a beautiful friendship that develops over the next several years as they ride from country to country.

Unfortunately, this is a World War II story, and as I'm sure you can guess, something happens to young Alexandre. I'm not going to tell you what, but I will tell you that this book will keep you on your toes and turning the page to see what happens next.

I really enjoyed this one and I highly recommend it!

Amita Parikh’s The Circus Train is for all readers who enjoy World War II historical fiction, circus stories, or just a good story where all is not as it seems--a point Parikh makes with her opening epigraph: “The first appearance deceives many.”—Phaedrus.

The Prologue opens in Thessaloniki, Greece, May, 1929, with Dr. Kominos’ bleak prognosis that Gia Papadopolos has a day, two at most, to live. Not wanting to accept losing his wife, husband Theo is also forewarned that his premature newborn daughter will face many health challenges if she survives her first days.

Part One begins in England nine years later. Beddington and Sterling’s World of Wonders is set to open at the London Palladium. With disastrous results, lonely, nine-year-old, wheelchair-bound Lena attempts to ingratiate herself with two slightly older circus trainees, Laura and Suze. Readers learn how Lena’s father Theo came to join the World of Wonders as what many regarded as “the greatest illusionist of all time,” stipulating that his daughter receive the best education at his new employer’s expense.

Theo lives in a world of illusion. Lena is grounded in reality—in a world of math, science, and medicine. Unable to perform, she spends most of her time with her tutor Clara or in Dr. Wilson’s office, learning whatever she can from the circus physician and dreaming of someday attending a boarding school with non-circus students where she believes she can find friends.

Then one day Lena discovers the cold, bloody body of a boy outside the train’s food supply car, and nothing will ever be quite the same. Where did the boy come from, and why was he outside the food car? With a French accent but a German passport identifying him as a Jew, the mysterious orphan Alexandre slowly recovers under Dr. Wilson’s care. Noticing the boy’s talent for observation and his manual dexterity, Theo decides to make Alexandre his apprentice and asks Horace, the circus owner, to obtain new papers to hide Alexandre’s identity. Day by day, Europe becomes an increasingly dangerous place.

What will become of Lena’s dreams of boarding school? What plans does Theo have for his daughter’s future? What happened to Alexandre’s parents, and will he be able to overcome his secret past? Will the circus prove a safe haven, or will the Nazi’s find him? To learn what happens to Lena, Theo, and Alexandre and much more, pick up Amita Parikh’s The Circus Train.

Thanks to NetGalley and G. P. Putnam’s Sons for an advance reader copy of this engrossing new novel.

Posted to Goodreads and Barnes and Noble.

4.5/5

The story and the circus and all the characters here are so well rendered that it made me react viscerally at moments. I just wish there was more. Something seemed to be missing until the very end.

Thank you for this opportunity.

Beautifully written and told. I cannot wait to recommend this one to my readers! I've been hearing about this title before from people who rave about it, so I couldn't wait to dig in and see for myself. It was worth the wait and when we get print copies in, I bet they're going to fly off the shelves.

This historical fiction takes place in Europe during WWII. It follows Theo, an illusionist in a traveling circus, his previously polio stricken daughter, Lena, and an orphan boy named Alexandre who is on the run. The story hooked me from the beginning with its lush and opulent performance depictions and fully formed characters. The writing was beautiful and immediately drew me in to this coming-of-age story.
I found all the main characters to be likable. Alexandre especially was my favorite in a kind, patient steadfast way. He's the type of rock and supporter we should all look for in a partner.

I loved Lena's persistence to overcome all obstacles but sometimes she was a little vexing in her immaturity and actions.

The book spanned many years following Lena from childhood into adulthood. This book was many things: a love story, persistence in the face of adversity, disability, parent-child relationships, and life under Nazi controlled Europe.

While not as amazing as The Night Circus, this book was a solid debut that kept me entranced from start to finish! Read this now if you are looking for an enchanting and heartfelt read!

Publication date: December 6, 2022
Pages: 416

Thank you to @netgalley and @putnambooks for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Overall: ☆☆☆☆☆(4.6)
Writing style: ☆☆☆☆☆
Entertainment ☆☆☆☆☆
Characters ☆☆☆☆☆
Plot: ☆☆☆☆
Ending:☆☆☆☆



First and foremost, I would love to thank Net-Galley, the author, and publishers for allowing me the opportunity to obtain an ARC copy of this novel for my honest opinion and review.

Lena Papadopoulos travels Europe, during it's darkest time; with her father, Leo, who participates in a travelling circus. With nothing more to do than study, Lena fills her time reading books, studying with her teacher, Clara, and absorbing medical and science information from the Circus doctor, Dr. Wilson.

All of that changes when a small passenger sneaks aboard their train, looking for shelter and possibly a bite to eat. This runaway, Alexandre, becomes her very best friend in the world.

The two grow and develop such a kinship, that Lena's world is turned upside down when he is ripped out of it.

The Circus Train traverses many years, with many interweaving stories. It is about resilience, resistance, and relationships. The Circus Train was an absolutely beautiful story!

I was provided a free advanced copy of this book from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
This was a really fun historical fiction. Lena Papadopoulos grows up the daughter of the illusionist headliner of World of Wonders, a travelling circus. However, after having polio as a baby, she is in a wheelchair and has had a hard time finding where she belongs. But when she discovers Alexandre, an orphan, on the train, her life is turned upside down. Working as her father's apprentice Alexandre turns their life upside down with his ability to see things a different way. But as war comes to Europe (WWII), hard choices will be made, and Lena will have to learn how strong she is.
I loved the way this story was told. It is split into three sections which are three different parts of the characters' lives. We see the fun exciting experience of the circus life, tough times during the war, and afterwards how life moves on in spite of struggles. In this way, the story is a broader historical fiction than typical, especially most set during WWII. It gave me Night Circus and All The Light We Cannot See vibes.
Luckily for you it was published today, so definitely check it out, or add it to your Christmas wishlist!
#TheCircusTrain #NetGalley

As one of my friends likes to point out, I have a thing for circus books. It does seem that way one of my favorite books of all time is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. What drew me to The Circus Train was not only it compared it to lovers of The Night Circus and Water for Elephants but I liked that it was a historical fiction that involved not only a circus but also actual historical elements to the story.

Now, I would not really say it was super close to The Night Circus in terms of the fantasy and the elements of the circus, however, that wasn’t a bad thing. This circus had real people performing their talents in ways that brought about this entire World of Wonders circus. I thought it was really neat how the train is described as being part of the show because it has a way that it connects, especially the mirror maze that is in it. It is also neat because not only is the train built this way for the circus to work, but it is also so that Lena is able to move freely in her wheelchair.

The book flowed really smoothly and I thought the time jumps were done well. You would be reading one time and then you get moved to another, but you didn’t feel like you lost the flow of the story. I like that not only was this during World War II and you are seeing aspects of how it affected everyone’s lives, but you are also seeing a time of medical advances to where Lena has the chance to actually possibly be able to get out of her wheelchair. Also, it was really interesting to have a little bit of a mystery that Lena’s father is hiding that is revealed in the story, and it was actually not something that I had guessed, which I am pretty good at guessing so I was happy to have a surprise.

The characters were well-written, and you were rooting for all of them. The three main characters really worked well together and worked off each other nicely. I like that you get a backstory on each of them as you are reading and it flows into the story, which I think provides more depth to it. Of course I was rooting for Lena and Alexandre because they were there for each other in a time that they needed a friend and grew into something more. I also liked though that while they are separated they also grow as people in their own way and aren’t just stuck on not living their respective lives until they are able to find their way back to each other.
This book was a lot of fun to read and I would definitely recommend it. I will be on the lookout for more books written by Amita Parikh in the future.

The Circus Train by Amira Parikh

This book is really lovely. The Circus always seems to have this romantic notion about it in which all are accepted no matter how unusual you are in the real world, plus the travelling and not having a real home. But this follows a young girl who feels like an outcast even within the circus.

Lena is smart and determined to make the most of her life as she struggles with a life outside of the circus, the background haunting of the Holocaust and World War II, and the struggle for equal education for women. Her story is unique, and the love she finds with her childhood friend Alexandre is quite beautiful.

The Circus Train released today (Dec 6). Thank you @netgalley and #GPPutnamsSons for this advanced reader.

#BookReview #Bookstagram #AmitaParikh #CircusTrain #GPPutnamsSons #BookishLife #Reading #Bibliophile #BookPhotography #BookRecommendations #InstaBooks #BookNerd #HistoricalFiction #Fiction #FictionBooks

This book was so different and wonderful. Such a fascinating journey across Europe in the form of a travelling circus. The characters were incredible, strong, real, flawed and determined. Their growth and change was incredible. Heartbreaking, terrible and magically all at once. I found this book impossible to put down and incredible to read. The relationships were amazing - one minute I wanted to scream and cry and the others I was cheering and crying. A must read for anyone looking for an interesting take on Europe during WWII.

Despite her father, Theo, being a headlining illusionist, Lena has never quite fit in with the circus. She is fascinated by science and medicine, having grown up under the over protectie eye of her father due to her disability. When she meets Alexandre, they build a life changing friendship, despite the secrets they share. Lena is forced to believe in herself and the impossible, when she finds herself alone after her father and Alexandre are forced to work for the Nazis.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

The first half of The Circus Train is quite a good book. I enjoyed the camaraderie of the characters and the family atmosphere created around Lena and her father. There were elements of the story, especially around Horace, that reminded me a lot of Circus of Wonders. That's when the story kind of fell apart for me. It then turned into a skeleton outline of what is expected for a World War II historical fiction novel. Then it turned into a comedy of errors contemporary romance.
There wasn't enough Circus for this reader although I did enjoy the element of a disabled character who is miraculously healed. Okay, not so miraculous, but it didn't have to be so drilled in that she somewhat suddenly was okay.
I did read an uncorrected file so I probably shouldn't mention about the missing articles. Overall an okay book, just not my favorite of the genre.

I agree that fans of The Night Circus and Water for Elephants will enjoy this book! I thoroughly enjoyed it and always appreciate when historical fiction novels show me a different side of things. There's just something about the circus that I find mesmerizing!

From the fanciful world of a traveling circus to the unrelenting misery of the Jewish camps in WWII, through this whole book runs a thread of the most human of emotions - hope.

Crippled by an illness shortly after birth, Lena fights to emerge from the shadows the world tries to push her into. Growing up the daughter of a famed illusionist traveling with a circus, everyone is polite to her because of her dad, but no one is her friend until Lena finds Alexandre, a starving Jewish orphan with traumas of his own. Alexandre is her world, her best friend and her first kiss, until a betrayal rips away both Alexandre and Lena's dad, found guilty by the Germans of nothing more than being Jews. Lena believes them dead and begins building a life beyond them, while they fight to find their way back to her - alive.

This book brings to life a span of twenty years, from Lena's childhood puppy love to adulthood and mature love. Lena's courage carries the book, as she learns to trust Alexandre, fights through physical therapy to walk again and gives herself permission to follow her heart, no matter what.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.