A review by tami227
The Girl from the Train by Irma Joubert

5.0

I sat down to read a "few chapters" of this book last night. I don't think I got up again until I finished it several hours later. I was enthralled with Jakob and Gretl's stories! What a beautiful story of hope and human strength. I fell in love with Gretl from the first page and wanted to just scoop her up and take care of her. What a beautiful heart she has. To have been through so much and yet still continue to have the capacity to care for others and retain the ability to hope, is just so beautiful! Jakob is also resilient. He is genuine and good and trying to figure out how to be those things in a difficult world. The "love conquers all" theme is lovely as it unfolds! It is interesting to note that the author is from South Africa and is this is her first book published in English. I was nervous about that at first, but the story remains powerfully written. The very end drags on a bit, but that is my only complaint. I've read a lot of WW II fiction, but this one put a very unique and interesting spin on it and definitely was among my favorites.

"Just remember, when you suffer and feel the heat of the flames, that's when God is there. He watches carefully, until He can see His own image in you. He'll never leave you in the flames too long." The Girl From the Train by Irma Joubert

FTC Disclaimer: TNZ Fiction Guild kindly provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions above are entirely my own.