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.