The Last Train to London

A Novel

By: Meg Waite Clayton

Narrated by: John Lee

The New York Times best-selling author of Beautiful Exiles conjures her best novel yet, a pre-World War II-era story with the emotional resonance of Orphan Train and All the Light We Cannot See, centering on the Kindertransports that carried thousands of children out of Nazi-occupied Europe - and one brave woman who helped them escape to safety.

In 1936, the Nazi are little more than loud, brutish bores to 15-year-old Stephan Neuman, the son of a wealthy and influential Jewish family and budding playwright whose playground extends from Vienna’s streets to its intricate underground tunnels. Stephan’s best friend and companion is the brilliant Žofie-Helene, a Christian girl whose mother edits a progressive, anti-Nazi newspaper. But the two adolescents’ carefree innocence is shattered when the Nazis’ take control.

There is hope in the darkness, though. Truus Wijsmuller, a member of the Dutch resistance, risks her life smuggling Jewish children out of Nazi Germany to the nations that will take them. It is a mission that becomes even more dangerous after the Anschluss - Hitler’s annexation of Austria - as, across Europe, countries close their borders to the growing number of refugees desperate to escape.

Tante Truus, as she is known, is determined to save as many children as she can. After Britain passes a measure to take in at-risk child refugees from the German Reich, she dares to approach Adolf Eichmann, the man who would later help devise the “Final Solution to the Jewish Question”, in a race against time to bring children like Stephan, his young brother Walter, and Žofie-Helene on a perilous journey to an uncertain future abroad.

©2019 Meg Waite Clayton (P)2019 HarperAudio

Too good to stop listening

This story is about the selfless bravery of men and women during a time of harrowing events. I’m so thankful to learn about the Kinder-transports of WW2. So many children with their gifts and talents would have been lost to the world had it not been for the heroism of so many. The narrator does a great job of giving each character their own voice.

Great read!

I couldn't stop listening to this book. It's so well written and so well researched. A must read and never to be forgotten. Congratulations Meg on a fabulous book.

The story

The accent of the narrator became laborious very quickly but the story was very good..

very worthwhile listen

probably not a book that would show up in my "recommended titles" but I enjoyed this book a lot

I REALLY WANTED TO LIKE THIS BOOK, BUT…

I read a lot of pre WWII books, and while this one was informative, I found I just COULD’NT seem to form any kind of attachment with the main characters. Of course, I felt deep sympathy and sadness for all those who needed friendship and understanding; for all the people who lost EVERYTHING — their CHILDREN, their homes, their businesses’; businesses that were often passed down from generation to generation. Most of all I feel so sorry for all those what the hands of those awful people.

I did learn a a LOT of history from this book about who the NAZI were and just how easy it was for otherwise perfectly “normal” people to be turned into the most evil version of themselves; how easily they adapted an attitude of pure hate against others with whom they were previously friends and neighbors.

The author obviously did lots of homework before. she began her book (unlike some authors who just hang out a book and call it done). The narrator did a fantastic job.

While this wasn’t my favorite book (it just wasn’t what I expected based on the book’s description), I would definitely recommend it to others who are interested in this period of our world’s history.

Learned alot but so sad

I found this book a very thoughtful book very sad eye opening and worried about future with Putin what is going on in Palestine in the world God bless those who helped then and those who help now

Sad

So very heartbreaking but wonderful to read how there are so many wonderful people in the world.
Just so unbelievable on every level.

Why the phony accents?

It is a given that most of the listeners are native English speakers. So, why the affected German accents? If the protagonists were speaking their native German or Dutch, they would be speaking without an accent, correct? This always ruins a great read, in my opinion. Also, in the case of this recording, it actually makes it hard to understand the storyline.

i loved it!!!!!

everything about it was wonderful, the reader, the story. I listened twice.. i have recommended it to everyone I know. thank you all. the author and reader and audible.

The Last Train to London

Did not enjoy the narrator. Very boring to listen to . Been a member for many years and could not listen to this after third chapter.