Review: The Orphans on the Train by Gill Thompson*

 *I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity. This review is being posted as part of the The Orphans On The Train influencer tour organised by Headline.

Title: The Orphans On The Train
Author: Gill Thompson
Genre: Historical Fiction

Trigger warnings:  War, Antisemitism, Death Of A Parent, Domestic Violence, Drowning, Attempted Rape, Guns

Rating: ★★★★★  

Two orphaned girls are separated in the most heart-wrenching way in this gripping story of loss, friendship and the need to belong, inspired by real events.

1939.

A girl with auburn hair looks anxiously out of the train window, watching the mountains of Europe pass by. War is on the horizon at home, and Kirsty finds herself heading to neutral Hungary to help in a school for Jewish children. Little does she know that in leaving everything behind, she is about to find the most precious gift of all - a true friend in school pupil Anna.

1943.

When the Nazis invade Budapest, Kirsty and Anna are on their own, and Kirsty worries desperately for her Jewish friend. What lengths must they go to in order to survive, and, when they are separated, can the guiding light of friendship bring them back to each other?

The Orphans On The Train is the latest gripping historical fiction novel from author Gill Thompson. It is a heart-wrenching story set in war-torn Budapest exploring themes of love, loss, found family, resilience and healing. The narrative is perfectly paced and had me hooked from the very first page, making this a must-read for fans of World War Two historical fiction.

Gill Thompson has an incredible ability to craft compelling stories which perfectly capture the emotions experienced by the characters in a way which truly tugs on the heartstrings of every reader. I had previously read her 2019 novel The Child on Platform One so was highly anticipating the release of The Orphans On The Train and this poignant and powerful story was truly worth the wait.

The focus of The Orphans On The Train is on the horrific experiences of Jewish people in Hungary during the Second World War. The history of the Holocaust in Hungary tragically isn’t as widely known as that in other countries in Central and Western Europe so it’s fantastic to see this represented within historical fiction in such a powerful and moving way. The history was clearly very well researched and the story is inspired by real events, with the characters of Kirsty, Anna and Jean all based on real people and other characters such as Raoul Wallenberg and Carl Lutz fictional depictions of real individuals who saved thousands of Jews in Hungary during the Holocaust. The author’s afterword is a must-read to find out more about the history behind the book. I found it truly fascinating and it has inspired me to research the events of the story in detail and educate myself further on what the country of Hungary went through during the war.

Kirsty was a fantastically written character who made a wonderful protagonist. She is only fourteen years old when our story begins in 1939 and we follow her through her teenage years into early adulthood. At every point in the story she felt authentically written as a young person in that era of their life and it was wonderful to see her gradually mature into an incredible courageous young woman. Anna and her brother Endre were also brilliant characters and I thought the portrayal of Endre’s PTSD was incredible. The friendship between Kirsty and Anna was really well written and felt like an authentic teenage friendship. I loved that they found family in each other when they’d both lost everyone else in their lives and the bond this created between them. The central role swimming played in the story was also really impactful as it was powerfully used to help the characters to gradually heal from the tragic losses and trauma they experienced at such young ages.

Overall, The Orphans On The Train is a really powerful and moving novel which had me truly engrossed from cover to cover to the point that I read (and wept) through the story in a single sitting.