Loved the plot, writing, and the characters. I enjoyed that this story is based on real life events in post-WWII Italy.

What an emotional historical fiction story based in WWII. I have read a lot of books based that time period, but this may have been the first one focused on post-WWII Italy. Extreme poverty was such a struggle. So many parents sent their children on a train to northern Italy. This allowed the children to be taken into temporary foster homes. As you travel through the book from Amerigo’s point of view, you will see how the children’s struggle with missing their family but having the opportunity of a lifetime of being loved and provided a wonderful environment. This book is an emotional rollercoaster that has you wondering what would have been the best for Amerigo. It’s a touching story that is a good addition to your to-be-read list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harpervia for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

1946:  in the aftermath of World War II, seven year old Amerigo lives with his mother, Antoinetta in the ravaged and defeated town of Naples, Southern Italy.  Amerigo and his mother try to make ends meet as best they can, but collecting rags and mending means they are just scraping by.  A Communist group offers refuge for the children of the South, placing children on a train to live temporarily with families in the North.  Antoinetta makes the decision to put Amerigo on one of the trains.  Amerigo is confused and upset; however, once he is with his temporary family in the North, Amerigo receives new shoes, clothes, plenty of food and the feeling of a warm and loving family.  His northern family also develops his love for music. Amerigo returns home to find that nothing has changed while everything has changed.

The Children's Train is a powerful and heartfelt story of hope, finding home and family.  Most of the story is told from seven-year-old Amerigo's point of view. Amerigo's voice is rambling, taking in everything as a child would see and understand it.  Most interesting were the views of his mother and his home.  Antoinetta came off as harsh, but surviving.  Amerigo would always say that many things were not her strong point, realizing that his mother did not show affection in typical ways.  The story examines Amerigo's views of politics and hospitality versus charity as he became used to life in Northern Italy.  I was intrigued as Amerigo begins to see the impact of the decisions adults madee for him and that love can have many different forms.  The last third of the book skips to the year 1994 when Amerigo returns to Naples and begins to see the further impact of his mother's decisions.  This was the most moving part of the story for me as Amerigo realizes the different paths that his life could have taken. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

The Children's Train
by Viola Ardone
The hard story of poverty and survival. The poor result of war and conflict. The mother has a hard choice to send her beloved child.

In the days following World War II, 7 year old Amerigo lives in poverty with his single mother in Naples, Italy. Amerigo's mother tells him that he, along with thousands of other children from the area, will be sent on a train to Northern Italy to live with host families over the winter. He learns to enjoy his new life in the North, where he goes to school and starts learning how to play an instrument.

The novel was originally published in Italian and is now available in English. The story is told from Amerigo's perspective. The aftermath of war is not quite a tragic through a child's eye. He still has his hidden tin of treasures, comprised of found and broken objects, that he keeps hidden under the tile at a neighbor's home. He helps his mother make ends meet by collecting rags from the neighborhood. He longs for his mother to be happy and he wants to know more about his father who he has been told left to find his future in America. His heart is confused when his mother sends him away, but he quickly finds things to like in his new, more comfortable life in the north. He is torn between wanting to stay in the north longer or returning to his mother at the end of the winter.

This was a charming and heartwarming story. I think the author did an excellent job of capturing a child's perspective, from small comforting obsessions to the little joys found in the mundane. I recommend this one to fans of historical fiction.

I know I'm in the minority with this book. Most loved it and gave it 4 or 5 stars. To be honest I just can't do that. Though it is a very touching story and the times were horrible back then and it's based on real life facts I just didn't feel anything. I had no emotions reading this one. Not that I didn't feel horrible for these children and in some ways the parents too. It was just not an emotional story for me. It was like reading a part in a history book. I didn't connect with any of the characters at all. I felt awful for Amerigo Speranza as he narrated this story. He's a seven year old child who seemed to be grown way beyond his years.

Seems in Italy back in 1946 in Naples, the people were starving so bad that they had to send their children to Northern Italy to live six or so months to keep from freezing and starving. They had good lives during this time. Or at least one child did. The one telling this story. He was well taken care of, loved, fed, clothed and sent to school. He had a good life, but only for six months out of one year. Looks to me like these kind people or caring parents would have let these children stay where they were safe and cared for. Instead they go back to the same life they had before. Nothing changed.

Amerigo's mother was a selfish, unlovable, brut of a woman. She was a bit on the fast side too. I just did not like her at all. She has a great kid who loves her dearly and all she does is degrade him and never show him affection. I understand she lost a child but still. How do you push another away? I did not like her. Nothing about her except that she let her son go North to live for a while. That was kind of her. I would think that not seeing him for six months she would have been very happy to see him but she wasn't. Even in the last few chapters where it seems she did think of him a bit I could not connect with her at all.

Then he takes off back North. Apparently he did great as the story jumped ahead to him being a grown man. He is a famous Violinist who had made a great life for himself. At least it appears that way. I'm going to assume he did. There was nothing leading up to this part but it was still my favorite part of this book. That he possibly had a great life with the family that truly cared for him and he made something out of himself was great.

This passage was my favorite in this story. Chapter 51... I pull out the dusty case and open it. The violin is even smaller than I remember it, almost like a toy. It feels like I'm receiving it as a gift again, only this time it's from you. Inside the case there's still the label with my name on it: "Amerigo Speranza."

Thank you to #NetGalley, #ViolaArdone, #HarperVia for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

3/5 stars from me. I do recommend you read it for yourself as you may love it or see something that I didn't. It's a good story it just didn't do it for me. No emotion. At least not until the last three or so chapters.

The Children's Train by Viola Ardone is a fantastic historical fiction novel that details the transport of children in Post-WWII Italy from the south to the north. It features an absolutely amazing seven year old, Amerigo Speranza who lived with his single mother in Naples. Ardone captured the voice and mannerisms of Amerigo to perfection. His fascination to have a new or even just a pair of shoes that fit well was a continuous theme throughout this heartwarming book.

Amerigo is faced with many hard choices that truly require decisions beyond his years. The first is to leave his mother behind, then he has to decide to return to his mother, and multiple choices are continued to be required of Amerigo. It is a moving story of the political and social landscape of a country ravaged by war. The poverty is on full view which makes it even more heart wrenching to see Amerigo attempt to navigate this at his young age. You are drawn in so fully that you can not help but feel the suffering of all involved.

We are transported into life both in the city of Naples where even the shoes are worn out to the outskirts of Bologna where everyone has all they need and more in abundance. While this was not a new concept for me, taking impoverished children to a land of abundance this author truly made this book a true roller coaster of emotions. This is a ride I would gladly board again as it was expertly handled. It was made real and Ardone was truly masterful in her examination of a difficult topic.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Harper Via in exchange for my honest review from Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

This book should have checked off all the marks for me. Historical fiction based on some real events in WW2 Europe is one of my favorite genres. But man did this book fall short for me.

Amerigo is a seven-year old boy who is sent north on The Children's Train to escape the poverty and conditions of south.

If I didn't know better I would think that pages or chapters were missing from my book. Changes in the story were made so abruptly so many times that I was completely lost and unsure what was going on. Typically a child's point-of-view is one that I enjoy but Amerigo's POV was unreliable in my opinion.

The other perplexing thing for me was the relationship between Amerigo and his mother. There was such a huge disconnect that I felt was never resolved.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 because the last few chapters and a gift that was given to Amerigo tipped the scale to 3 stars in my humble opinion but it was a little too late.

The book is based on true events taking place in post-World War II Italy.
Beautifully translated from Italian to English you will be captivated by this novel full of children living in dire poverty. Their hopelessness seeps from the pages into your heart as your head tries to grasp the futility of their actions.
One young boy isn't giving up so easily though, Amerigo though he only has known poverty,rubble strewn streets and hunger works hard at his odd jobs and survives on his wits living in Naples with his mother .
There is a train though that will take the children away from it all though, away from this hell they call life. Leaving behind the squalor of despair of never having to wonder where his next meal will come from,always smelling fresh and clean and having the security of a new family doesn't come without the ultimate cost though. Will he be able to handle his memories of the mother he left behind for a new life?
Heartbreaking and redemptive this historical is full of renewal and hope rising among the ashes.
Excellent this young boy and his perseverance will stay with me when he could have so easily given up.

Pub Date 12 Jan 2021
I was given a complimentary copy. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

In 1946 Italy, those living in the south are severely impoverished by the war. A children’s train will be taking groups of hungry, poor children to families in the north who can feed and care for them. Antonietta and her son Amerigo sit before a recruiter. “Are you sure you want him? Look at this kid. He was sent by God to punish us!” Antonietta is a cold and aloof mother, overburdened with poverty. Amerigo is an endearing seven-year-old who is fixated on shoes – shoes without holes, shoes with holes, no shoes, new shoes. He has always worn other people’s shoes that never fit. Amerigo’s life is on the streets, collecting rags and trapping sewer rats to sell. He is frightened to leave his world, even with promises of food and a better life.

Upon his arrival, Derna adopts him, and he happily settles in along with Derna’s cousin Rosa, Alcide, and their three sons. Alcide, a piano tuner and instrument maker, takes a special interest in him. Amerigo loves music, and Alcide makes him a violin, which becomes his most treasured possession. His time with his new family must end, and the children are returned to southern Italy. “We are split into two halves now,” Amerigo says to his friend. His mother is unchanged, but he loves her while his heart aches for Alcide and his other family. This begins his life struggle of his heart torn in two.

Amerigo tells his story in first person. The narrative doesn’t work well in depicting a child speaking, since it is unrealistic at times for a seven-year-old. Later the narrative switches to second person when Amerigo speaks to his mother. While I disliked the style, once the story takes off, the plot is so engaging that the way the story is told fades into the background, making this a great read.
--Historical Novels Review, February 2021

There are so many books about WWII right now. This is a subject that I was unaware of. The love that a parent must have had for a child to send them away on a train is unmeasurable. Amerigo’s mother did not show that love but it was there. It was sad that he did not show her the same love.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

After reading many reviews, I was expecting this to be a winner. Instead, after reading about 1/3, I decided nothing was happening. This was disappointing. DNF.

Wow, this is a beautiful, yet heartbreaking story that was hard to put down! In Italy just after WWII, this story follows children that were sent to northern Italy to find a better life.

I liked that this story provides a view of the characters in two different periods of time. It gives us a good understanding of what happened in their early years as well as later in life. I really enjoyed the character Amerigo. He was a fun, interesting boy that had me laughing out loud sometimes.

Overall, this was a wonderful story with characters that you invest in and a story you won't forget!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

I have no clue where Viola Ardone came up with this story but it's fantastic! Historical fiction of Italy seen through the eyes of this little boy,too young to have to see all the horrible sights of war,being poor,no food.Follow his journey with other children as they ride the train to hopefully a new and better life and a mother's love for her child! You really need to grab tissues because it will have you tearing up. Characters in this story,they come to life for you and this story will stay with you for a long time. Received from Net Gallery and I so enjoy doing so to be able to read books like this!

I really struggled with this story and connecting with the main character. Even as he was whisked away from his mother, I didn't feel that sense of loss and heartbreak (for the main character or his mother) that I should have. Overall, I thought that this book felt one dimensional and I just craved more from it.

The Children’s Train, by Viola Ardone, is a fictionalized account of the post-WWII effort by Communists in Northern Italy to rescue children living in the ravaged southern portion of Italy. Families were promised that their children would spend a summer being fed and nurtured by families in the north. On its face, the plan was straightforward and intended to benefit children suffering from exposure and malnutrition. Although the initiative was successful in improving the physical health of the children, the impact on emotional needs and family ties was unanticipated.

Ardone’s protagonist is a young child, and she brilliantly captures the sensibility of a young child whose expectations have been shaped by war and its deprivations. She is less successful in capturing the motivations of the adults around the child. The final section centers on the now grown protagonist as he reflects on mother and all of those that cared for him.

While this certainly was an interesting story, it dragged a bit in the telling. Although it made me think about the bonds between parents and children, I still am not quite sure of the intended message.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and HarperVia for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by author Viola Ardone and I enjoyed her style of writing - at once immersive of the sights and sounds of post World War 1 Italy. I found myself drawn to the struggle of Amerigo and his mother Antoinetta as they each find their way through the post war society that is all they have known. Amerigo is given a chance at taking a Children's Train to live in Northern Italy for a year, and we watch as he leaves his mother for the unknown and without a clue what to expect. I had never heard of this arrangement in Italy following the war, and found it so interesting to consider the details of taking these incredibly poor children from their families and placing them in a communist family to be cared for for a year or so, then immediately attempting to reintroduce them back into their old lives. This book was well written and I enjoyed Amerigo's story. I highly recommend this book and will watch for more from this author. I received an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own. 4.5 Stars

I received a review copy of The Children’s Train for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I love reading World War II fiction and usually learn something new, but this book left me wanting. The book begins with young Ameri, a poor boy from the Naples region of Italy, taking a train to Northern Italy to be taken in by a more prosperous family post-war. I would’ve liked to have more background about why these families took in the children, why things were so much better in Northern Italy vs. Southern Italy, and who was behind it all. The book then follows Ameri through his time in northern Italy, his time back home, and then later as an adult. There was much that happened in Parts 3 and 4 of the book (back home, and as an adult) that I had questions about. I didn’t think the book logically explained how Ameri made his decisions and choices. I also wish there was more in-between story between boyhood and adulthood. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me.

If you learn one thing from this novel, it will be “There are no easy answers.” During World War II Naples, Italy was occupied by the Germans and the Allies destroyed it with bombs. Because of the conditions once peace was established, the Italian Communist Party organized a children’s relief operation sending children north to Bologna where they lived with families until things improved in the south. Seven-year-old Amerigo Speranza was one of these children. He loved his family. His guardian was middle-aged spinster, and he spent the time she was at work with her sister’s family. He had stability, love and enough to eat, things his single mom could not provide. And best of all he learned how to play the violin. When he was returned to Naples, his mother sold his violin and sent him to apprentice with a cobbler. He was so unhappy he returned to his family in the north and eventually became a concert violinist. After his mother’s death, he returned to Naples and found he now had a nephew to care for since the nephew’s parents were incarcerated. Not only does he feel the need to help his nephew, but he must come to terms with why his mother treated him like she did. This is a much more powerful story than I had expected.

I'll be honest, I struggled with this one a bit. First off - it is a very sad and harrowing story. My heart breaks for those that were involved. But with that said I did have some issues with how this was written. It took me a good chunk of the book to really get into it. I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I understand many of them had a hard time connecting themselves and showing emotions, but that translated to where I wasn't invested in them. I would have loved to know more of the why behind their actions so I could feel more for them. My other big issue with this story is part 4. In part 4 the POV changes. Parts 1-3 the main character uses phrases like "My mamma hung up the laundry." but then in part 4 it changes and he is talking directly to his mamma so he'd say "You hung up the laundry." It was just a weird transition that I had a hard time reading through.
Also, the author appears to be very pro communism so you might keep that in mind if you choose to read this. This was hard for me to understand and I'm not really sure what message was supposed to be coming across to relate to today's world.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Viola Ardone, and publishers for a free ebook ARC in exchange for my honest review.*