The Children's Train Review

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published January 12th 2021 by HarperVia (first published September 24th 2019)

Original Title Il treno dei bambini ISBN 0062940503 (ISBN13: 9780062940506) Edition Language English

by Viola Ardone,Clarissa Botsford (Translation)

My Review

The book is based on true events taking place in post-World War II Italy.

Beautifully translated from Italian to English you will be captivated by this novel full of children living in dire poverty. Their hopelessness seeps from the pages into your heart as your head tries to grasp the futility of their actions.

One young boy isn't giving up so easily though, Amerigo though he only has known poverty,rubble strewn streets and hunger works hard at his odd jobs and survives on his wits living in Naples with his mother .

There is a train though that will take the children away from it all though, away from this hell they call life. Leaving behind the squalor of despair of never having to wonder where his next meal will come from,always smelling fresh and clean and having the security of a new family doesn't come without the ultimate cost though. Will he be able to handle his memories of the mother he left behind for a new life?

Heartbreaking and redemptive this historical is full of renewal and hope rising

among the ashes.

Excellent this young boy and his perseverance will stay with me

when he could have so easily given up.

Pub Date 12 Jan 2021

I was given a complimentary copy. Thank you.

All opinions expressed are my own.

GoodReads Summary

Based on true events, a heartbreaking story of love, family, hope, and survival set in post-World War II Italy—written with the heart of Orphan Train and Before We Were Yours—about poor children from the south sent to live with families in the north to survive deprivation and the harsh winters.

Though Mussolini and the fascists have been defeated, the war has devastated Italy, especially the south. Seven-year-old Amerigo lives with his mother Antonietta in Naples, surviving on odd jobs and his wits like the rest of the poor in his neighborhood. But one day, Amerigo learns that a train will take him away from the rubble-strewn streets of the city to spend the winter with a family in the north, where he will be safe and have warm clothes and food to eat.

Together with thousands of other southern children, Amerigo will cross the entire peninsula to a new life. Through his curious, innocent eyes, we see a nation rising from the ashes of war, reborn. As he comes to enjoy his new surroundings and the possibilities for a better future, Amerigo will make the heartbreaking choice to leave his mother and become a member of his adoptive family.

Amerigo’s journey is a moving story of memory, indelible bonds, artistry, and self-exploration, and a soaring examination of what family can truly mean. Ultimately Amerigo comes to understand that sometimes we must give up everything, even a mother's love, to find our destiny.

About The Author

Her other books are in Italian

Amazon Link Here

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