The Train That Took You Away

I wipe the tears streaming down my darling son’s face, my heart shattering into a million pieces. “I promise I will find you, my love. No matter what…”

Berlin, 1938. Ever since the Nazis came to power, violence has spread through the city Esther Spielmann once called home. Each night she prays her family will be spared, but when her husband and father are murdered during Kristallnacht, she has no choice but to send her beloved son, Sascha, to safety.

Seeing his tear-stained face breaks Esther’s heart, but she knows letting him go is her only choice. Tormented, she watches his thin legs trembling in the cold as he is ushered with the other crying children towards the Kindertransport. As the train leaves in a cloud of smoke, she vows that this won’t be the last time she sees her treasured son. But has Esther made a promise she can’t possibly keep?

When Esther is taken to a concentration camp, her world feels devoid of hope. But each day she thinks of the heartfelt promise she made to Sascha, the hope of finding him burning like a flame in her chest. The war has taken everything from Esther, but she is determined it will not take her boy…

In the ashes of war, can Esther make her way back to her beloved son? And if they do meet again, will either of them be prepared for what they find?

An absolutely devastating, heartbreaking page-turning story of a family torn apart by war – and the hope that can sustain us in the darkest of places. Perfect for fans of The Book of Lost Names and The Nightingale.

What readers are saying about Catherine Hokin:

‘I cried buckets… Heartbreaking… This one will have you on the edge of your seat.’ NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A masterpiece… vivid… mesmerizing… gripping… If I could, I would give this book ten stars. It is a captivating read that lingers in your thoughts long after you’ve turned the last page.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Literally broke my heart… Unputdownable… I went through an entire box of Kleenex by the time I arrived at the last page. This masterpiece of a story is one that I highly recommend.’ Page Turners, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘If I could give this book more than a five-star rating, I surely would! It is absolutely the best WW2 historical fiction I’ve read in a long time!… I couldn’t bear to put it down.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I completely lost track of time as I was pulled into this story, flipping through the pages at such a rapid speed that I couldn’t stop reading.’ Diane.likes.to.read ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I felt myself flying through the book as I had to know what happened… All the stars and more… Superb.’ Kelly Lacey ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Oh, my heart!…Made me want to cry buckets.’ Vegan Book Blogger ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐