Heartfelt story of two women - one who gives her twins to another woman on the train that will take Jewish children to safety, and one who took the babies and helped transport the children.

This book reminded me a lot of the film One Life, but I preferred that film over this book.

There's a lot of good in this book - the characters are interesting and easy to route for and the history has been well researched. Sometimes I felt like I was reading a WWII textbook, which I'm not sure is a good or bad thing. The epilogue felt very much like an info dump and I actually forgot about this narrative as it was only there in the prologue and epilogue.

The pacing is a bit odd, as it's very slow and things only really pick up from the halfway point. While the writing can be emotive, the more upsetting parts seem to happen very quickly and are then followed by a lot of reflection, much of it repetitive. I found myself losing interest in what felt like the same conclusions being made repeatedly.

Also, a few things that happen in the plot seem very convenient and quite unbelievable. They felt like easy maneuvers to move the plot along and I couldn't take the following events seriously.

Overall, I think this could be a great story but I didn't love the execution. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookoutre for the ARC and ALC.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

I enjoyed the unique take on a brave and selfless action Jewish Parents took to save their children. Just thinking about fear and love it would take to place your children on a train with strangers knowing you may never see them again is unimaginable.

I felt the story was respectful and sensitive to the reality the book is based on

Absolutely heartbreaking!! How hard it must have been to put your children on a train, knowing you may never see them again. Such a great WWII story!

What a powerful story! The “choices” Rosa had to keep her children safe when she was not only struggling to feed them, put them in an orphanage, have them taken by the Nazis & possibly put to death or give them away! Unimaginable!
When Dora has a hamper thrust at her just as the train is about to leave she has no idea of the contents as she is so busy settling upset children on the train to freedom. The soldiers on the train take great pleasure in upsetting the children as they search their tiny bags, how is Dora going to keep her precious load hidden from scrutiny? Thrilling read.

I enjoyed the excitement if you can call it that, as the journey continued (and subsequent ones). Also wondering what price Dora’s marriage would pay with all the journeys and take home gifts. I got quite annoyed at Verity’s actions & her selfishness, she was quite reckless while bringing another element to the story. Favourite character has to be Dora. Look forward to more by this author.

This year, I've chosen to take a more focused approach to my reading, particularly in historical fiction about WWII. I was excited to discover "The Twins on the Train," a novel that intertwines narratives from the English perspective in the pre-war period with the experiences of German Jewish individuals.

The book is a poignant mix of hope and tragedy, exploring the efforts of an organization that rescued young Jewish children during difficult times. While it saved many lives, it also led to heartbreaking separations from parents who had no choice but to send their children away for safety. As a mother of two, I found this particularly difficult to read, reflecting on the immense courage required to make such a heart-wrenching decision—one that no parent should ever have to face.

Featuring dual timelines, the story follows two women whose lives briefly intersect, forming a lasting bond amid the tension of the pre-war years. Rich in historical detail, "The Twins on the Train" is engaging and thought-provoking, filled with revelations that captivated me from start to finish. I highly recommend it to fans of historical fiction, and I appreciate NetGalley for providing me with this insightful novel in exchange for my honest review.

This book is truly remarkable. I was captivated by its compelling narrative and found myself unable to put it down today. The author’s portrayal of the bravery and sacrifice of those who gave up their children to survive is both heartbreaking and heroic. The emotional impact of the book was profound, with certain passages having me in tears and others leaving me breathless. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a profound and moving reading experience.

I gave this book 3.5 stars. It has dual perspectives and a third voice in the prologue and epilogue. I thought this book was very unique and original compared to many WWII books I have read since it primarily takes place in the years before the war. It gives context for the progression of hostility and restrictions placed on the Jewish people by the German government. The author is very descriptive of the emotions and fears faced by all of the characters, and it is truly heartbreaking.
I did find the title a bit misleading since the book primarily focuses on an English Quaker named Dora who helped escort hundreds of children to safety on the Kindertransports. The prologue caused the ending to be predictable, but there was still suspense throughout the book as the environment and missions became more dangerous.
Overall, I thought this was an interesting book and would recommend it to readers who are interested in a lesser-known aspect of WWII.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for my review.

Thank you @bookouture & @netgalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

EMOTIONAL, HEART-WRENCHING, and COMPELLING! These are the three words I would use to describe this poignant story!

Imagine having to send away the twin babies you have longed for, possibly never to see them again. This is the heart-rending decision faced by Rosa during WWII in Germany, as Hitler's regime increasingly restricts the lives of the Jewish people. One fateful morning, Rosa tenderly feeds her newborn twins and then tucks them in a basket. She walks to the train station and places them in the arms of a stranger.

Dora is stunned when she opens the basket and realizes the precious cargo that is inside. Aboard a train inspected by Nazi soldiers, she fears that her secret could soon be discovered. Determined to protect the twins, she reaches out for help from the children she is legally transporting to safe homes in England.

This well-researched narrative unfolds across multiple timelines and through the eyes of both Dora and Rosa. The author’s note mentions that many of the startling and tragic events included in the story are based on actual accounts. From the very start, I was captivated. With richly developed characters and a storyline that kept me fully engaged, this story will not soon be forgotten.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I wish I could give this beautiful book
more stars! It is absolutely a five star book! It is so well written and historical fiction at its finest.
It’s 1939 in Berlin. Rosa gives birth to twins. But she sees the writing on the walls and knows it is not safe for her babies to stay there. She makes a true sacrifice- she gives her babies to a stranger to get them out of Germany.
This is a gut wrenching novel will you won’t put down until the last word. I love ALL of Suzanne Goldring’s books but this one really went above and beyond. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#TheTwinsOnTheTrain #SuzanneGoldring #NetGalley #Bookouture #BooksOnTour #BookLove #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks #BooksSetInGermany #BooksSetDuringWWII

Oh my gosh, what a tear jerker of a read that was. Made all the more astounding when I found out that elements of it were true.

Suzanne has really captured the emotions that the parents, rescuers and the kinde themselves must have felt at the time. As a parent I can't imagine sending my children away, but thankfully I also can't imagine living under a regime like nazism.

This was a brilliantly written, well researched story which really helps bring to light how much the Quakers did to support the Kindertransports which saved so many lives.

I highly recommend this and will be looking out for more of Suzanne's work.

The mothers' sacrifice, bravery, and desperation in Nazi-era Berlin were brought to life in this heartbreaking tale.

In an attempt to get her newborn twins to safety in England, Rosa, a young Jewish mother, makes the unthinkable decision to give them to a stranger.

With tears in her eyes and a broken heart, she runs, knowing that this may be her only chance to save them.

The story also follows Dora, who is overwhelmed by the sea of terrified families at the train station, only to find herself clutching the twins in her arms. Under the watchful eyes of soldiers, she feels the cold dread of possibly failing them and the heavy burden of responsibility.

The book told a vivid, emotional story about the strength of a mother's love and the lengths she will go to protect her children.

It was a moving book of sacrifice in the face of such terrifying times, with a powerful story of bravery and heartbreak.

Berlin 1939 and the Nazi regime is closing on the Jewish people of Germany. Mother Rosa sends her newborn twins in a basket on a train leaving Germany. In the arms of Dora, a worker who brings children out of the war torn country, the twins have a chance for life, but reuniting them with their mother may be too much for Dora to bring about...well written historical fiction.

The Twins on the Train by Suzanne Goldring.
I did enjoy this book. I did like Esther, Josef, Dora, Ruth, and Verity. I really felt for Rosa. I just wanted to jump in and hug her and help her. This was a powerful and well written story. I had goosebumps reading this book. I read this book in two sittings. I did like the ending. I would recommend this book.

The Twins on the Train is both a heartbreaking and at times a heartwarming read. What these women did to help these poor children was truly amazing. I found this book to be a very emotional read at times and it gripped me from the very beginning. The author really brought the characters to life in her writing and I felt like I was then sharing their journey with them. The emotional turmoil that these women must have been going through to give their children to complete strangers in order to ensure their safety. I’ve read many historical fiction books based around WW2 but this was the first one I’ve read where the Quakers played a role in helping bring these young children to safety on the Kinder Transport. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Twins On The Train is a beautifully written heartwarming yet heartbreaking story about the ordinary people who did extraordinary things during WWII to save others. This book delves into the incredible & risky work the British Quaker community did to evacuate & save Jewish children in the lead up to Hitler’s invasion, I knew nothing of this movement known as Kindertransport before reading The Twins On The Train and I loved learning about something new.

I loved that the author focused her story on before & the lead up to WWII, I have read a lot of historical fiction set during this time but they were all about the war itself and it was refreshing to read about this important time in history from a different angle. This was an emotional read and a reminder of the bravery & resilience of so many women & children during WWII, I can’t even begin to imagine the heartbreak & despair at handing over your children to strangers hoping they make it to safety, and in most cases they never did find out each others fate.

A beautifully written book that is a must read for fans of historical fiction.

Heartbreakingly story set mainly in the run up to WW2 when desperate Jewish families were trying to save their children by putting them on the kindertransport to England knowing they would probably never see them again. The story works really being told by Daisy who saves the twins and Rosa their mother so that you see how desperate she was to take the action that she did. Beautifully written heartbreaking story

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of The Twins on the Train by Suzanne Goldring. What a fascinating story! I have not read any books about the Kindertransport so I found this intriguing. I found the entire story to be amazing and I was in awe of everything Dora and Brenda did prior to the war as well as during the war. Joseph and Esther Goldberg were so lucky to have Dora. It was an unbelievably selfless act that their mother could make the ultimate sacrifice. I would highly recommend this book to others. Wow!! A 5 star rating from me.

Another WWII book I really enjoyed. I always wait for the moment when I say, I don’t want to read another WWII book anytime soon but I haven’t made it there yet. Reading stories about what Jewish people experience during the war is usually something I try to avoid. Concentration camps and the abuse that the Jewish population suffered through is always hard for me to read. I can’t imagine what it was like back then, or even now for Jewish people and I wish that more people had learned from German behavior.

This book begins with Dora being handed a basket with twin babies in it. As the story unfolds we see both Dora’s POV through the events that lead up the basket, and then after. And we also get the POV of Rosa, the twin’s mother, and what possesses her to hand of her babies and what she suffers through as a Jewish woman in Germany.

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC of this book.

The Twins on the Train is without doubt the best book that Suzanne Goldring has written. Set in the years preceding World War Two and concluding in and around the outbreak of the war. The reader is taken on a journey which details the incredible efforts of the Quaker organisation to save as many Jewish children as possible. This method being the Kindertransport. I was aware of this prior to reading this book but Suzanne has brought the amazing feat of so many people richly to life and I have gained a deeper understanding and a much greater appreciation of what went on at the time.

As she mentions in her end notes she hoped that by setting the story before the outbreak of the war that readers would understand the climate at the time and how the Nazi’s grew to become so powerful. She certainly achieved this and despite the subject matter I found it refreshing that the story didn’t focus specifically on the events of World War Two as I have read so many historical fiction books that do this. It was brilliant to read about a different angle to the reasons for the outbreak of war and that for many years before September 1939 that people were aware of what was coming down the line and did their best to help those in desperate need. Yes, not everyone could be saved but those that were, were forever in their debt.

The story opens with a brief prologue set in 2023 as we meet Esther who lives in a care home. She doesn’t want to tell her story as she doesn’t know the end to it and she never knew much about the start of it. Herself and her twin Josef were one of the hundreds of children taken to Britain on the Kindertransport when they were but a few weeks old. Their mother Rosa took a risk and gave them to a stranger on the train and all these years later Esther has no definitive answer as to what happened her family.

Then we move back to early 1930’s Germany as the story of how twins came to be on the transport unfolds. The pacing was perfect throughout and the writing was excellent. In the past, I have at times found that the author’s ideas were good but that not much happened until much later in her books. But here the writing and plot was much tighter and in Dora, I found there to be a main character whom the reader could feel apathy towards her and above all else a deep respect. She was a remarkable woman placing herself in danger time and time again and the needs of others were always placed above her own.

The chapters move back and forth between Dora and Rosa not alternately, but we get enough of Rosa’s viewpoint to realise where her story is going and how her life changed once the Nazi’s came to power. But it was Dora who really caught my attention. She was British and came from a good background and had visited Germany with her cousin Verity (herself coming from plenty of money with an estate in the country) on several occasions. One trip in the summer of 1934 sees Dora sensing that terrible times are ahead. I knew from the get go that she was astute and could see the overall picture forming. The roots of evil were being sewn and she knew that the results of this would be disastrous for the thousands of Jews living in Germany. Dora is a Quaker and works for the Quaker Friends Society. She marries Hugh, a trainee doctor, but they agree to wait to have children as they are both aware that down the line war could be looming and neither would wish to bring a child into that climate.

The relationship between Hugh and Dora was something special and as Dora finds herself getting deeply involved in the Kindertransport along with the formidable, determined yet kind Brenda, I absolutely adored the respect that Hugh had for his wife. Theirs was a marriage built on fairness, trust and equality. Not once did he forbid her doing anything in relation to the transports. He could have easily been of the attitude that a woman’s place was in the home but Dora was given freedom and allowed to be an individual in her own right. He respected her views and supported her in every action, thought, word and deed never allowing her to become confined. She was allowed spread her wings and she used this to voice her opinions and do good in the world at a time when a horrific regime was beginning to ensnare so many.

Dora alongside Brenda made for a powerhouse of a team and she took so many trips over and back to Germany to transport as many Jewish children as possible. She understood the position the children’s parents found themselves in and she showed such emotion, kindness and empathy towards them. But it is hard for her when Verity seems to go against everything that Dora is fighting for. Verity to me seemed very flighty and to be honest not a woman of strong substance or character. She was all about having a good time and advancing her position in society and she certainly does that when she becomes entrenched in Hitler’s posse. I was surprised how her plot evolved and it made me change my opinion of her and I loved how Dora never gave up on her cousin. Verity had to go through the mill to emerge a different person who became useful and respected further on in the book.

Children are the future and must be saved. This statement had me stopping in my tacks because it is very true and Dora stands by this motto. The details of the transports were very well researched and the little subplots that developed and anecdotes that were added in all helped the reader develops a clear understanding of what was going on. I could see from Rosa’s chapters as to how her life disintegrated when her husband who had been a well-respected tailor was taken away. How each new law enacted against the Jews meant more restrictions, persecution and prejudice. Rosa was a selfless person backed into a corner and I loved seeing how her story melded with that of Dora’s. They were two amazing women living in dark, challenging and horrific times as the tide of hatred in Germany grew stronger and stronger. Normal life become impossible for the Jewish population but Dora struggles on with the missions of salvation. She just feels that she can never do enough and when the twins of the title appear in the book than things took a completely different turn but I thought the way the author developed this aspect of the book was very done.

The Twins on the Train shows that in times of danger, hatred and destruction there are many people out there who will put everything aside and do their bit for those in desperate need. Dora was a fantastically written character full of strength, passion and decency and I would have gladly continued reading her story far beyond the last word of this book. This as an emotional, heartfelt and very interesting read and as I have said the best book that the author has written and long may this continue.