A review by michellereese47
The Last Train to London by Meg Waite Clayton
4.0
This book was an unexpected delight. It was my local book club’s monthly selection, and I procrastinated starting it because I was expecting a heavy read.
The story centers on a young couple in Austria in the late 1930s and a Dutch woman trying to rescue Jewish children from the third Reich. Which, to me, sounded like a dark, emotional read that I just wasn’t prepared for. However, the story was startlingly light and quick.
Clayton did a wonderful job of keeping the tale light and fast-paced while still communicating the gravity of the devastation. I teared up multiple times while reading and often my chest felt tight with the pain of the characters, however it was never overwhelming. There was always hope, always something else happening to pull you along into the story.
The ending wasn’t quite as strong as I was hoping after such a fantastic build up, so there was a slight let down, but that was my only complaint.
It was a wonderful blend of historical fact and romanticized fiction that glided through one of the roughest periods of history without dragging down into depression. Clayton recounted this true story with details that made it feel personal and shed light to a side of the story we aren’t often told.
The story centers on a young couple in Austria in the late 1930s and a Dutch woman trying to rescue Jewish children from the third Reich. Which, to me, sounded like a dark, emotional read that I just wasn’t prepared for. However, the story was startlingly light and quick.
Clayton did a wonderful job of keeping the tale light and fast-paced while still communicating the gravity of the devastation. I teared up multiple times while reading and often my chest felt tight with the pain of the characters, however it was never overwhelming. There was always hope, always something else happening to pull you along into the story.
The ending wasn’t quite as strong as I was hoping after such a fantastic build up, so there was a slight let down, but that was my only complaint.
It was a wonderful blend of historical fact and romanticized fiction that glided through one of the roughest periods of history without dragging down into depression. Clayton recounted this true story with details that made it feel personal and shed light to a side of the story we aren’t often told.