Really loved this book. There isn’t anything I can say bad towards it.
The characters were very well thought out. Just loved Dora. The story itself was well written and explained. The back and forth was very well executed and I had no confusion as to who which chapters were about.
Reading anything that takes place during WW2 is just heartbreaking. It never gets any easier.
This story explores various people from different places during this time and what they are going through to help those Jews in Germany.
I don’t remember hearing about children being trained out of Germany into England and I didn’t see how factual this book is.

Overall wonderful story.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy.

This was a touching story about the Kindertransport occurring during the beginning of the World War II. I liked the storytelling and the characters. The book was deep, felt informed and well researched, was entertaining and made me feel for the ones in the story. I had heard about the Kindertransport but had never read or researched about it, so this book peaked my interest in the subject. I am grateful for having read this book and for living the life I’ve had.

A heroic story of Dora, a Quaker woman who works on the Kindertransport moving as many children as possible out of Germany into England at the beginning of WWII. Rosa, a new mother of baby twins and a 7-year-old daughter, thrusts her twins to Dora in a basket on one of these journeys. It is heartbreaking thinking of how these parents gave up their children for safety and put their children in the hands of other people in hopes for a better life and future. This story was beautifully written, and I connected easily to the characters. Told from both Dora and Rosa’s POV, the story showed both sides of Kindertransport. Both women, who risked everything in the middle of Nazi Germany and the horrific events that were happening and were to come.

An emotional read, this story highlights some of the atrocities of WWII through the eyes of Dora, an English woman working for the Quakers and helping to bring refugee children to the UK and to safety. We also see things through the eyes of Rosa, a Jewish mother forced to trust her twins with a stranger. This is a very moving book and the narration is excellent. Thank you to Net Galley for an audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

Truly enjoyed this novel by Suzanne Goldring! One thing I look for in Historical Fiction novels is great detail on daily life; what they ate, what they wore, make-up, hobbies, etc. The Twins on the Train did a fantastic job about painting a clear picture of the times in the late 1930's-early 1940's in England and Germany. The narrator was fantastic and made clear voice distinctions for different characters without becoming cheesy as they can sometimes be. This book took me through all of the emotions - it was both beautiful to hear about the humanity of Dora, Brenda, and others especially during rising tensions, and absolutely heart shattering when considering the abuse suffered, and sacrifices that Rosa (and so many others) had to make during the Nazi regime. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a WWII era book that will really make you feel something!

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.. I loved listening to this on audible and found the narrator to be excellent .

The Twins on the Train by Suzanne Goldring is a gripping tale following the journey of a pair of twins after their mother made the painstaking decision to put them on a train traveling from Germany to England as infants at the beginning of WWII in hopes of protecting them from what was to come. We get to know two very courageous women named Rosa (mother of the twins) and Dora (dedicates herself to saving as many children as possible from Nazi Germany). Both women want what’s best for the innocent children affected during this devastating time. I listened to the audiobook version of this novel and thoroughly enjoyed following this emotional tale. I highly recommend checking this book out. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for providing me with an ALC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

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.

I enjoyed listening to the audio copy of this book. Antonio did a great job differentiating between the two women and I really felt connected with both characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ALC of this book.

It has been a while since I have read books centered in WWII Germany or surrounding the events of the Holocaust.

This is an inspired story of how the Quakers set up the Kindertransport in an effort to help Jewish families under Nazi persecution. I really liked her ability to take us through the timeline of how it began and how propaganda can be such a powerful tool to directing hate in a nation and beyond.

The story of Esther and Joseph Goldberg, twins who were brought to the train station at only 2 weeks old, was harrowing. As a mother, I cannot fathom having to make the decisions that parents in 1930s Germany had to face.

Narration is wonderfully delivered by Antonia Whillans

A powerfully WW2 story. Rosa thrust a basket in Dora's hands as Dora gets on the train taking children from Berlin to safety in England, thae basket contains new born twins (that are not allowed to travel). The story then goes back to the rise of the Nazi party and the plight of the Jews in Germany. A well written book with excellent narration by Antonia Whillans. Thanks to Bookoutre audio and Netgalley for this review audiobook

Thank you to NetGalley and Suzanne Goldring for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

As a passionate fan of historical fiction, I was drawn to this audiobook from the moment I saw it available for review. The story is both gut-wrenching and heart-breaking, reflecting the difficult choices faced by parents in a tumultuous time. It made me think about how much we want our children to live in a safer world and what we’ll give up to make that happen.

It powerfully captures the terror of the era and the profound love and bravery of parents who made the heartbreaking decision to let go of their children in hopes of a better future for them. The audio narration was paced well, and enjoyable to listen to - the narrator kept me engaged with the story.

Thank you again for sharing this incredibly moving story with me.

Book Title: The Twins on the Train
Author: Suzanne Goldring
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Antonia Whillians
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Genre: Historical Fiction
Audiobook Pub Date: October 30, 2024
My Rating: 4 + Stars
Pages: 400

Story covers the time between 1939 and 1940 when children deemed ‘Imperfect” most were Jewish were taken from their parent and faced death.
During this time the Quakers helped with Kindertransport (Children’s Transport), by transporting refugee children -the so called imperfect children to Great Britain through Holland from Nazi Germany for their safety.
Story features two main characters Rosa and Dora.
Dora an English woman, worked with the Quakers.
Rosa a Jewish mother, who was devoted to her children, but had to, made the decision to give up her twins.

There is no doubt that this emotional story will have me thinking about this long after I am finished. Thinking about the sacrifices made for children made by adults with no hope of saving themselves as well as knowing they may never see the children again brings tears to my eyes.

Antonia Whillans audiobook narrator was wonderful in performing the characters as well as narrating author, Suzanne Goldring’s story. Her soft pleasant voice made the danger real without dwelling on the horror.

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio this early audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for October 30, 2024.

A well researched WW2 story with some harrowing parts but also some to cheer you again. There was nothing new as this sad tale has been told in many ways but a decent listen.

The Twins On the Train
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wow What a beautiful written book. It grabbed me right from the very start. It was heartbreaking & so compelling. It was a fantastic Historical fiction that I really enjoyed.
Thank you NetGalley!!

🎧 Book Info

- Author: Suzanne Goldring
- Narrator: Antonia Whillans
- Length: 9hrs 32mins

🧠 Plot & Characters

- Brief Plot Summary:

The Twins on the Train is a story set against the backdrop of WWII's chaos and uncertainty. It centers around two women—Rosa and Dora.

Rosa, a mother overwhelmed by fear and desperation, is forced to make the heart-wrenching decision to send her newborn twins on a train with a stranger, hoping to save them from the impending horrors. Meanwhile, Dora, a compassionate woman, finds herself protecting these innocent lives. Their paths, though different, are intertwined by the threads of sacrifice and courage.

As the war rages on, the story weaves through moments of sheer terror, unexpected kindness, and the unwavering resilience of the human spirit. Rosa and Dora's lives, though worlds apart, become bound by a shared determination to fight for a future free from the shadows of war.

It's a narrative rich with emotional depth and historical context, highlighting the enduring power of love and the strength found in even the darkest times. I see why WWII stories captivate you; they often illuminate the resilience and spirit of those who lived through it.

- Favorite Character: Dora - imagine being WOMAN enough to risk your life to save children affected by war. WHAT A WOMAN!

🎙️ Narration

- Narration Quality: Antonia’s voice is sooo calming 😂 i was falling asleep! that’s a compliment, btw. But yeah, I freaking loved it!

🌌 Atmosphere

- Setting & Mood: depressing - Berlin during Hitler’s reign
- Suspense Level: 🔍

💭 Final Thoughts

- Rating (out of 5 stars):⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Recommend? if you like different POVs of WWII, you might like this book. I’m very knowledgeable of WWII and this book was hard to read due to the severity of the misuse of power. it also puts in perspective what happened during this time.

Based on true events, The Twins on the Train follows a brave young English Quaker named Dora, who was fluent in German and early on recognized the danger Hitler posed to anyone not fitting in his ideal Aryan race. After Kristallnacht, she recognized that Jews were in imminent danger and volunteered to help. From 1938 to 1940, she and a few other English Quakers took young Jewish children from Germany to Great Britian as a part of the Kinderstransport program. It took plenty of time and a mountain of paperwork to get these kids to safety and she was at risk more than once to be imprisoned on trumped up charges, but this never deterred her from her mission to help these innocent children. When a desperate mother shoved an oversized basket into her carriage as one of the last trains rolled out of the station, her life was never the same for inside was a set of twins with no hope of survival if they were caught.

Rosa Goldberg never had the same quite the same faith in the Nazi regime that her husband seemed to carry. The Night of Broken Glass finally gave him the wake up call he needed to see that this was only a harbinger of things to come. Seeing Jews rights stripped away one by one, and her husband taken away, Rosa began to lose hope. She was forced to make a choice that no mother should ever face, to give away her children in hopes that they can survive.

The decisions these two women faced because of one man’s deranged hate are ones I cannot fathom as an open-minded mother myself. This story does an excellent job of showing how Hitler used the Jews as a scapegoat for a country’s economic problems after losing in WWI and being forced to making financial reparations. His propaganda messages fueled hate, but there were brave people still willing to stand up for basic human rights. If you are a fan of WWII historical fiction, Dora’s story will help restore your faith in humanity.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, and author Suzanne Goldring for the advanced copy of the audiobook. The Twins on the Train is out on October 30th! All opinions are my own.

I guess I struggled to rate this book. I felt the book was really not about what the description explained. The twins on the train were a very small portion of this book. On the other hand it was still a good book. I was still interested in the story and what was happening back at the beginning of world war II. It was as story that I wanted to follow and see how it went. I never felt like ugh this is nothing like the description I am not reading this. It was a good read if you do like historical fiction books.

This book was captivating for the entire read. I was so invested in the tales of rescuing Jewish children before WW2 broke out. The book changes perspectives from one of the twins, to the woman that rescued them and then from their mother. Her harrowing story and ultimate decision to save her babies tells of the selflessness parents had to make out of fear. As well as what may have happened to those that could not part with their children. I thoroughly enjoyed both the book and the narrator and recommend it to all who are curious about different perspectives of the Holocaust. For sure the best audiobook I have listened to, so far.

Another interesting story revolving around out the evils of Hitler as well as a small group of people who arranged the transport of Jewish children from Germany to a more neutral area (Great Britain), so that if/when the parents were able to come for them, they would be safe.

The story opens up with a young woman handing a basket to another woman as the train pulls away. In the basket are two babies…twins…only a few weeks old.

The main woman involved in the story/transport is Dora. She is a Quaker, and apparently, there was an agreement made where she was permitted to transport the children from Germany. She is married to Hugh, a physician. They have no children of their own. He is very supportive, but also worried about her safety.

Dora has made MANY trips to transport these young children and the story revolves around these trips, their hardships and the awful realities that Jewish families were facing at the time.

Wonderful to see communities working together for the greater good, especially when it involves children! And…the harsh realities that exist could possibly involve these very same people who are doing the transport..if the rules change. Even though there WAS an agreement, many times these women were threatened, questioned, propositioned, and even hurt… while trying to bring these children to safety.

One of the side stories involves Dora’s cousin, Verity (V), who is fascinated with Hitler and will do just about anything to get close to him and his close knit army…

Many stories here. So many moments of pure grief as the mothers are sending their loved ones away…in hopes of a better life for them. Some stories that we’ve all heard before about the awful stuff that Hitler did…but it hits home every time, and my heart breaks all over again. I can’t even imagine having to give everything up…your home, your career, your belongings…and all of life as you knew it.

At the same time, I’ve never heard of this Quaker movement that so helped the children of Germany…in order to escape, and at least have a chance at some kind of a life.

4 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me, rounded up to 5.

#TheTwinsOnTheTrain by #SuzanneGoldring and narrated nicely by #AntoniaWhillans.

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #BookoutureAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which will be released in a few days on *** 10/30/24 **** so look 👀 for it then!!

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An amazing story of bravery and determination, set at the start of WWII. When the Kindertransport started to evacuate children to safety, Rosa hands her two week old twins to a stranger. I can't imagine feeling that scared and desperate that I would ever do something like that, and that in itself demonstrates the agony that so many parents had to suffer in letting their children go, not knowing whether they would ever see them again.

The twins are hidden on the train by Dora, the wife of an English doctor, who works for the Quakers. Despite the very serious and dangerous circumstances, Dora makes the task of hiding the babies into a fun game for the other children and together, they outsmart the guards.

The characters and the writing are brilliant and Antonia Whillans' narration was excellent; she captured the characterisation of each person and brought them to life, doing a great job with accents as well.

What set this apart from other WWII historical fiction was the Quakers. I previously had no idea that they had played such an important role in helping so many children to safety.

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Suzanne Goldring and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.