The Circus Train

Parikh has penned a moving story using a historical backdrop that sheds light on World War II atrocities and the polio scourge. The tale has quite a few twists that keep the narrative moving at a brisk clip. True, the author may have tried to tackle a few too many weighty subjects in this otherwise touching novel. And readers must take an imaginative leap as they’re asked to envision some elaborate settings that are supposedly staged in the confines of a train. But the author has crafted a period piece that touches on important themes and features intriguing characters.

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 show more 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. show less

An illusionist, his daughter, her tutor, and an orphan travel through Europe on a circus train until WWII rips them apart.

Theo is the World of Wonders' illusionist; his daughter Lena's mother died just after she was born, and Lena caught polio at a young age and uses a wheelchair. Her tutor, Clara, ensures she has an excellent education, but Lena wants to have friends her own age. Her prayers are partly answered when Alexandre appears on the train, and thanks to Lena and Theo's intervention, is able to stay and train as an illusionist as well. As Germany becomes more aggressive, Theo plans to get himself, Lena, and Alexandre to safety in the United States, but the circus master discovers the plan and turns them over to the Germans. Theo show more and Alexandre are taken to Theresienstadt, but Lena thinks they're dead; she goes to Clara, who takes her in. Only years after the war are they reunited, and Theo has one last secret to reveal.

Quotes

Lena Papadopoulos didn't believe in magic....Lena's world was rooted in reality....Lena's disability had taught her a harsh truth: she was different, and people didn't like different. (30)

It was the pity that she hated more than anything else, the feeling she got from others that her life was somehow less because of her physical disability. (42)

"You know, just because someone says you have to be a certain way, or only do certain things, it doesn't mean you have to listen." (Johannes, 42)

"Sometimes the people who love us most hold us back because they want to protect us." (Clara to Lena, 120)

"Your greatest achievements often grow out of the worst circumstances." (Clara to Lena, 174)

When everyone else was busy telling her what she couldn't do, Alexandre had always seen what she could. (348) show less

This book has been hailed as a cross between The Night Circus and Water for Elephants, but I have to say, aside from all being about circuses, they don't have that much in common. The Circus Train has much to offer, but I can't say it's in the same league as either of the two books to which it is compared.

Considering this book on its own merits, though, is much more flattering. Beginning before WWII, Parikh weaves a story of a circus that might or might include actual magic, and the illusionist (Theo) and his daughter (Lena), who had polio as a baby and now uses a wheelchair. There's a lot of build-up and character establishing, but tensions build as WWII heats up, and the story really gets going when things explode between Theo and the show more circus owner. Theo and his protégé (Alexandre) are sent to Theresienstadt and forced to perform for the Nazi guards in their guests. Meanwhile, Lena, believing both to be dead, makes her way to England in the hopes of finding her former governess, at which point the real question becomes, will Lena and her father and Alexandre ever be reunited?

Parikh draws her characters well, and her protagonists will all be found sympathetic and writing brings the setting vividly to life. And yet, I still felt let-down by the marketing hype.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review. show less

The story starts just before WWII where Lena and her illusionist father, Theo, are aboard the World of Wonders circus train. A young orphan is found collapsed on the train and he changes Lena’s life. Each character has their own secret and as the train and the story trundles along, all is revealed to the reader.

This is an enjoyable tale which rattles along at a fair pace. Choo choo! 🚂 I liked the characters especially Lena. I thought Lena’s disability was portrayed sympathetically and as the story progresses, she becomes like a phoenix rising out of the ashes. I loved all the illusionist acts which added a sprinkle of stardust. It touches on life at Theresienstadt, a concentration camp in the Czech Republic, which was disguised show more as a spa town for retired Jewish people by the Nazis. Quite a disturbing part of the overall journey in this book. All in all, however, it’s magical piece of history fiction mixed with some fantasy which made for fascinating reading. show less

Historical fiction has long been an Achilles heel for me, especially if it’s good historical fiction. I love this story. With little Lena, who is but 6 or 7 years old at the start of the story. Afflicted by Polio as a baby and unable to walk she has grown accustomed to living her life as an outsider. She is surrounded by loving and caring adults who see to it that she has the best care, and with her brilliant scientific mind, she flourishes. Until Alexander, a Jewish boy with a shady past, crosses paths with Lena, no one in her life seems to think Lena may have a life possible one day where she could not only walk but walk without aids. Alexander see’s a spark in Lena, and so begins a remarkable friendship, in which Lena does the show more impossible, graduating from a wheelchair to walking with a cane. With their lives in the traveling circus, things are magical, but no one can escape the horrors of WW11 forever, and the traveling circus that has been her home proves to be no safe refuge. When Lena is separated from her father and the boy she has come to have more than friendly feelings for, Lena must find her own path without knowing if she will see Alexander and her father again. This story evolves on two different tracks, as Lena grows into a woman and continues to defy every limitation placed on her, and Lena’s father and Alexander face Nazi horrors head on. Many edge of the seat moments left wondering if these characters make it to the end. This is called the Circus Train, but it was more like an emotional roller coaster of ups and downs. Many compliments to the author for painting this remarkable world of magical circuses, and magical people living in an extraordinary time. Thank you to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review. show less

The Circus Train was just okay for me. While the premise had promise and I appreciated the inclusion of a main character with a physical disability—something we definitely need more of in fiction—the execution didn’t fully land.

A lot of the plot felt predictable, and I never found myself emotionally invested in the characters. There were moments clearly meant to be heartbreaking, but they didn’t quite hit the mark for me—I didn’t feel that emotional pull I was hoping for. Some of the time skips were also jarring and made the pacing feel uneven.

It’s a book with good intentions and a unique setting, but overall, it didn’t quite sweep me away.