The Girl from the Train

De: Irma Joubert

Narrado por: Sarah Zimmerman

Duración: 11 h y 57 m

Resumen del Editor

Six-year-old Gretl Schmidt is on a train bound for Auschwitz. Jakób Kowalski is planting a bomb on the tracks.

As World War II draws to a close, Jakób fights with the Polish resistance against the crushing forces of Germany and Russia. They mean to destroy a German troop transport, but Gretl's unscheduled train reaches the bomb first. Gretl is the only survivor.

Though spared from the concentration camp, the orphaned German Jew finds herself lost in a country hostile to her people. When Jakób discovers her, guilt and fatherly compassion prompt him to take her in. For three years, the young man and little girl form a bond over the secrets they must hide from his Catholic family. But she can't stay with him forever. Jakób sends Gretl to South Africa, where German war orphans are promised bright futures with adoptive Protestant families - so long as Gretl's Jewish roots, Catholic education, and connections to communist Poland are never discovered.

Separated by continents, politics, religion, language, and years, Jakób and Gretl will likely never see each other again. But the events they have both survived and their belief that the human spirit can triumph over the ravages of war have formed a bond of love that no circumstances can overcome.

“A riveting read with an endearing, courageous protagonist...takes us from war-torn Poland to the veldt of South Africa in a story rich in love, loss, and the survival of the human spirit.” (Anne Easter Smith, author of A Rose for the Crown)

“Richly imagined and masterfully told, a love story so moving it will leave you breathless. And deeply satisfied.” (Tamera Alexander, USA Today best-selling author)

“Captivating. Emotional and heart-stirring. Joubert masterfully crafts every scene with tenderness and hauntingly accurate detail. It’s a stunning coming-of-age novel that packs emotion in a delicate weave of hope, faith — and the very best of love.” (Kristy Cambron, author of The Butterfly and The Violin and A Sparrow in Terezin)

“A fresh voice and a masterpiece I could not put down — one I will long remember.” (Cathy Gohlke, Christy Award winning author of Secrets She Kept and Saving Amelie)

“The Girl From the Train is an eloquent, moving testament to love and its power to illuminate our authentic selves.” (Sherry Jones, author of The Sharp Hook of Love)

Full-length World War II historical novel

International bestseller

©2015 Irma Joubert (P)2015 Thomas Nelson Publishers

You absolutely must get this book

I had heard of this book long before I purchased it. I decided to get it on audible and it is definitely the best audiobook I have heard. The story is truly a masterpiece, the kind where you just settle in for a satisfying, beautiful journey. The reader lends an extra beauty all on her own and you fall in love with Jakob, Gretal, and the supporting characters. Please do not miss this beautiful story.

Pity about the pronounciation

I was drawn to this story as my Mom's friend was a Gerrman war orphan adopted by a South African family. I enjoyed the variety of scenario ranging from WWll, post war Poland to 1950s South Africa. The characters are well drawn. The eventual love story conclusion dragged into n a bit but was still quite endearing.
For me a disappointment was lack of effort to replicate the correct Afrikaans pronunciations. I suppose it would not matter to listeners not aware of how it should sound. Ironically an effort was made to pronounce Jacob in a Polish way; as it happens this is much the way it would have been pronounced in Afrikaans. In Grietjie the Gr is guttoral and tjjie as ki. Definitely not "Greekee".

My Musings

What a fantastic read from beginning to end. The characters are compelling and the plot is enthralling. The descriptions of the events, almost painful to read but so amazing. The narrator read with just the right amount of emotion. Happy reading/listening!

Thoroughly enjoyable

This is such a good story from beginning to end. It has drama, history, edge-of-your-seat suspense, romantic interests, sorrow, and all put together to keep the reader interested. Excellent, and very well performed.

Captivated From The Start

I am new to audible books; this was the second one I listened to. If you enjoy WW II history - the effect on lives, beliefs and culture - from a local perspective, appreciate the history of South Africa (don't confuse with acceptance) and accept the struggles of love, this book is unmatched. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. The narrator - amazing. This was a wonderful experience.

The Girl from the train has been An enjoyable listen..

The novel covers the years 1946 to 1950’s . These post war years I have little familiarity with & it was interesting to learn about thru the eyes & feelings of the main character who was abt 6 when the novel started! I would highly recommend to historical fiction fans.

Stunning

Very interesting and entertaining story. I highly recommend it. Very good voice as well who did the reading.

Highly recommend this book

An exceptional turn page story and excellent narration. A realistic account of the disruption of families and of solidarity during WWII.

Provocative - good people blinded by prejudice

This is basically a love story or even might be considered a romance novel. But the real power of the story, to me, was how effectively it showed the negative effects of cultural and religious bias on good, well-meaning people. A young girl of German, Jewish heritage escapes Auschwitz by a twist of fate. She then spends parts of her life in a Catholic, Polish family and, later, in a Protestant, South African family. Throughout the story, cultural and religious biases for and against <take your pick: Jews, Germans, Polish, Catholics, Protestants, South Africans, and a few others> force the girl to hide part of her background and heritage to protect herself. She must pretend to be German, Polish, or South African at different times, always hiding her Jewish roots. The biases of her various adoptive families are sometimes overly positive ("Germans are too civilized to have participated in the holocaust") but are more often overly negative. The girl herself turns out to be highly resourceful, and the families she lives with are all quite benevolent. But she can never be totally honest and forthright, and at times this proves to be very difficult for her. For example, in one scene a holocaust denier brings back memories of her relatives who were, in fact, victims of the holocaust, but she doesn't dare bring up this fact.
The girl herself and the boy she befriends are a little too perfect to be real, but looking at the world from the girl's perspective is a most interesting way to see the effects of our human tendency to buy in to cultural and religious biases.

the background of the story

i liked the historical reference the character and love of the people even with there difference