Reminiscent of other books of this type but well written and kept me going. Worth a read if you are a reader of historical fiction

This book is about loosely based facts in a fictional way. Two girls Kirsty and Anna become friends in a missionary school in Hungary before the WW2 breakout and ends after the war.

I felt that this book was written for a younger audience who did not have an understanding of life in a war-torn world.

The characters and plot stay in your memory for a long time after you have finished this book. Would recommend this book, but do not expect too much detail in the book after the first third of the book. I felt a lack of detail in describing the surroundings and emotions/feelings of the characters let this book down.

This is the heartbreaking story of Kirsty and Anna who find and befriend each other at a school that is a safe haven for Jewish children in Budapest during WWII. They each have their own family trauma and face many tribulations together. I love how they continue to be a support for each other which helps them get through all of the horrible injustices of war that they face. It was interesting to read in the author's note at the end about the real life people that she based many of the different characters of the book on. This was a good historical fiction read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced copy of it.

First, I loved the story and became very invested in the characters portrayed. I was fascinated by the author’s inspiration, and I wish some of the information Author’s Note had been included as an introduction, such as the noting of historical accuracies and inaccuracies. Knowing the inspiration for it and how accurate the events were being portrayed made my feelings of the story much more intense (in a good, but sad, way).
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Thompson clearly knew who these characters were in her mind, and it showed, though I feel this caused the characters to lack real initial development. I wish there had been more time spent developing them earlier in the book. I found Anna’s character and her reactions to things very interesting, but I feel like we weren’t let into her thoughts or feelings very often. Truly, I wanted more from all the character interactions. I wanted to see the small ways Endre and Kirsty interacted between 1940-1943. I wanted to see small human interactions between Kirsty and Jean as they bonded over their orphan hood and upbringings both being Scottish. I felt throughout a lot of the story, I felt bad for the characters because of the plot but had a hard time getting to know them thoroughly and felt development in the story was mainly contained in Part 2, and largely rushed.

Much of the dialogue felt like it was written for the readers to understand context and make clear what was happening more than for characters to communicate with each other. I feel it could’ve been more authentic.

I did enjoy this book and I became very invested in how the story played out. I feel like it could’ve benefitted from more interpersonal moments, some more time taken for every-day human interactions and conversation, and context/character conflict happening in-scene more than between chapters.

I am grateful I received this book as an ARC. Historical fiction is my favorite genre and I couldn’t wait to read it!

Unfortunately I found the writing style simplistic as if it were geared towards a young audience. As a result it was difficult to connect with the characters and it failed to bring the plot to life. The ending was disjointed and difficult to believe. This book claims to be based on true events but after reading about the people that inspired the author (in the acknowledgments) it is clear it is a VERY loose interpretation.

The middle of the book showed some promise and I really enjoyed that one of the heroes was a teacher. I also enjoyed that this book was set in Hungary instead of Germany, Paris, or Poland. Overall this book was interesting conceptually but failed to deliver.

I read 'The Orphans on the Train' in just two sittings - the sign of a great read. I was immediately immersed in the main character Kirsty's life, from a young orphan in Scotland in 1939, all the way through the war. When Kirsty is given the opportunity to travel to Hungary, to help at a school for Jewish children, she leaves her home expecting to be safer. But the threat of war follows her, and soon she is having to face a very dangerous, uncertain future. Luckily for Kirsty, she befriends another girl - Anna - and the two support each other. Kirsty has always found swimming outdoors to help her cope with the stresses of life, and she swims in the Danube, the descriptions of which are beautiful and evocative. Anna has an older brother, Endre, and when Kirsty meets him she knows her life will never be quite the same again. I learned so much about Hungary in the war, such as the fascist Arrow Cross, and how the Jews there were treated. 'The Orphans on the Train' is an intelligent, thrilling novel, and one which will stay with me for a long time.

I enjoy books set during World War II, and I enjoyed this one. I don’t think I’ve read one set primarily in Budapest before, so that was a change of pace, and I definitely learned some things. The primary characters were likable and strong females. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I absolutely love historical fiction books but unfortunately I really did not enjoy this book. I found the plot weak and couldn’t engage with any of the characters.

I loved this book! It was a great read, easy to follow and an extra special discovery at the end that some of the main characters were based on real people! This is my favorite kind of novel, historical fiction but based on true events.

Thank you to NetGalley, Headline Publishing and the author Gill Thompson for this eARC

All in all I liked The Orphans on the Train.
I like that it takes us to Budapest instead of Germany or Poland like most WWII historical fiction does. And love that it is inspired by real people & their stories.
It touches on some very important topics not only relevant to the past or wartimes - from family, friendship and loyalty to endurance, forgiveness and finding your own way.
But, and this is the big but - it feels so, so young.
The writing, the characters, everything about this book feels like it‘s intended for younger audiences.
If this was advertised as upper middle grade, or lower young adult to introduce kids to the topic it would be amazing.
As it stands, as adult fiction I‘m missing subtleties, finesse in the writing and fleshing out the characters.
I would also have loved a dual pov, so that we get more insight into Anna - her life, her family and especially her feelings and thoughts!

The Orphans on the Train. As 14 year old orphaned Kristy heads to be a cook in a girls school she becomes friends with one Jewish friend and swimming becomes one of their ways of coping with the way things are during the war.

Journeys by train, arriving and leaving, exciting and tragic figure repeatedly in this beautifully written book. It begins in Scotland with recently orphaned Kirsty, a 14-year-old girl, and rapidly moves by rail to Hungary. In Budapest, she joins the staff of a school for both Jews and Christian girls, finding both friendship and a home. Unfortunately, while on the train to Hungary, war is declared and there will be many more orphans.

You won't find a better role model than Jean, the Scottish matron of the school, a true hero. She is a natural teacher, a wise counselor, a protector, a warm maternal presence, and a tireless mentor. And, we have a monstrous villain in Dasco, a thuggish teenager who is part of the savage, anti-Semitic organization the Arrow Cross. The author doesn't shy away from the atrocities and violence experienced in Budapest.

The novel begins and ends with swimming...yes, swimming and it is a constant presence throughout the book. Not a metaphor but real swimming, in a river, lake, and pool. I found the author's note at the end fascinating when she explains why swimming was an integral component of the book. This story is a deep dive into Budapest's culture and its history during WWII. As a retired teacher, former competitive diver, and avid cook, this book it all the right buttons for me. I highly recommend it to all lovers of historical fiction. It will be published on October 1, 2023.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. The opinions & the review are my own.

Appropriately named. Kirsty McClean is an orphan going in and out of Hungary with different partners for company!
When
Kirsty’s father teaches her to swim who knew how many times it would come in useful, including saving her own life.
I especially enjoyed the references to the missionary Jane Haining. Also the mention of the river Clyde as I was brought up beside it with my father working in the shipyards.
My favourite character was Endre.