Helpful Score: 3
Not to be confused with a very popular novel with a similar title, this powerful story includes one world war, two continents, and at least three languages. It follows the tumultuous childhood of a young girl whose life includes love, loss, and joy from a very early age. I am very glad I read this book and appreciated the Polish history facts I learned along the way.
This is not your typical Christian fiction novel - it is the author's first book to be translated from her native Afrikaans to English. In some places, the translation results in choppy sentences and unique word choices, but that didn't distract me as much as my inability to pronounce some names and terms.
This is not your typical Christian fiction novel - it is the author's first book to be translated from her native Afrikaans to English. In some places, the translation results in choppy sentences and unique word choices, but that didn't distract me as much as my inability to pronounce some names and terms.
I wanted to like this book....but I didn't. I couldn't wait for it to end and the way it ended was predictable from the start.
Rarely is there a historical novel that that so perfectly places all of its elements in a balanced way. The Girl from the Train is a love story, but it's not a romance. It's a book about the consequences and far-reaching effects of war, but also a harrowing coming-of-age tale of overcoming tragedy and lasting friendship. The writing style is sparse at times, but yet says everything that needs to be said. The historical details are captivating and haunting, and the same can be said of the characterization.
I've read very few, in any, novels of World War II set in Poland. I found the setting here to be fascinating and such a tumultuous backdrop for Gretl's story. From the farmland of Poland to a new home in South Africa, following Gretl and Jakob's story was enthralling from page one. The plot is varied in that it starts out with high stakes and many intense events and scenes. I didn't mind the slower-paced second half as it provided a nice complement to the intensity of the beginning.
I'm sorry to admit that this is the first story I've ever read concerning the relocation of German orphans to South Africa. It provided an interesting lens through which Gretl viewed the world; despite the uncertainty of her life up until that point, she made every effort to fully engage in her new life. Gretl truly grows up throughout this entire story. Jakob, already mostly grown when they meet, also goes through his own developments. Despite tragedy, horrible circumstances and even their own mistakes, the resiliency that they show throughout the story truly captivated me. I loved these characters and hated to see their story end, even though it was an altogether satisfying conclusion. The ending â what a tender, realistic, well-deserved ending!
The Girl from the Train is definitely one of my top picks for 2015. It wasn't really on my radar at all for this year, and what a sad thing it would have been to have missed it! I have been and will continue to recommend this book to others, especially readers of historical fiction.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson and the Fiction Guild for my advance copy. This review is my honest opinion.
I've read very few, in any, novels of World War II set in Poland. I found the setting here to be fascinating and such a tumultuous backdrop for Gretl's story. From the farmland of Poland to a new home in South Africa, following Gretl and Jakob's story was enthralling from page one. The plot is varied in that it starts out with high stakes and many intense events and scenes. I didn't mind the slower-paced second half as it provided a nice complement to the intensity of the beginning.
I'm sorry to admit that this is the first story I've ever read concerning the relocation of German orphans to South Africa. It provided an interesting lens through which Gretl viewed the world; despite the uncertainty of her life up until that point, she made every effort to fully engage in her new life. Gretl truly grows up throughout this entire story. Jakob, already mostly grown when they meet, also goes through his own developments. Despite tragedy, horrible circumstances and even their own mistakes, the resiliency that they show throughout the story truly captivated me. I loved these characters and hated to see their story end, even though it was an altogether satisfying conclusion. The ending â what a tender, realistic, well-deserved ending!
The Girl from the Train is definitely one of my top picks for 2015. It wasn't really on my radar at all for this year, and what a sad thing it would have been to have missed it! I have been and will continue to recommend this book to others, especially readers of historical fiction.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson and the Fiction Guild for my advance copy. This review is my honest opinion.
