Friday, November 13, 2015

"The Girl from the Train" by Irma Joubert... and a GIVEAWAY!


To celebrate this new release,  I'll be giving away a copy of  the book (US ONLY). To enter, go to the Rafflecopter box at the end of this post. The last day to enter is November 20, 2015. If you are the randomly chosen winner, I will contact you for your information. Good luck!


My Review…

Six-year-old Gretl Schmidt is on a train headed to Auschwitz. She doesn't know that Jakob Kowalski has different plans for that train. He is planting a bomb on the train tracks. He believes the train is a German troop transport. He is surprised to encounter Gretl, who manages to escape. He vows to help her get to family in Switzerland. However, it must be kept secret that she is Jewish and German. In order to survive, Gretl must change her language, name, and religion. Can Jakob keep his promise, or will the truth come out? Will Gretl be able to grow up in a loving family?

Loneliness, friendship, and loyalty are key themes in this story, which shows World War II from a different point of view than is typical: a six-year-old girl with no home, no family, and no country. The reader follows Gretl through a confusing and scary time in history. It's apparent that this book was well-researched. This character-driven tale contains some emotionally raw scenes and easily captivates, as well as educates, the reader.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon link for purchase…

About Irma...


International bestselling author IRMA JOUBERT was a history teacher for 35 years before she began writing. Her stories are known for their deep insight into personal relationships and rich historical details. She's the author of eight novels and a regular fixture on bestseller lists in The Netherlands and in her native South Africa. She is the winner of the 2010 ATKV Prize for Romance Novels.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

33 comments:

  1. My heart goes out to the Jewish people. jarning67(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joan,

      I agree. Thanks for stopping by to enter. Good luck!

      Delete
  2. Replies
    1. Mia,

      It does have a great combination of the two!

      Good luck. It's nice to "see" you here again :)

      Delete
  3. One of my favorite genres, history especially WW2, and the connection between Jakob and Gretl. Just added to my must read list

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    Replies
    1. Kerri,

      Thanks for stopping by! WWII era books are some of my faves, too!

      Good luck!

      Delete
  4. I am always interested in historical fiction and WWII is one of my favorite eras

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    Replies
    1. Beth,

      WWII seems to be a very popular era for historical fiction, and I definitely agree!

      Good luck, and thanks for visiting my blog.

      Delete
  5. Jen,

    I agree with all your points :)

    You're very welcome. Thanks for stopping by. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  6. What interests me most about this book is how just reading the synopsis and review had me on edge. I'm not sure if I am becoming more sensitive to books about the atrocities of WWII or that I'm anticipating a nerve-wracking read. Regardless, I have seen some favorite authors of mine championing this book and it is definitely on my radar now.

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    Replies
    1. Terrill,

      Thanks for stopping by! I'm glad you're looking forward to this book and that you enjoyed my review. This book certainly is receiving a lot of well-deserved praise by many popular authors.

      Good luck!

      Delete
  7. That it is a child not knowing what the camp holds and that another has changed the course of her life maybe for the good.

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    Replies
    1. Kim,

      So true! That's one of the unique parts of this story. I don't think I've ever read one from a child's perspective.

      Good luck,and thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  8. I love reading about what happened during WWII

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    Replies
    1. Welcome back, Virginia!

      I agree. This is definitely different than many WWII era books.

      Good luck!

      Delete
  9. Replies
    1. Tammi,

      It really is a wonderful book from a different perspective than most books related to WWII.

      Thanks for stopping by, and good luck!

      Delete
  10. What interests me most about this book is the characters. I'd love to learn more about them!.

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    Replies
    1. Jennifer,

      The characters certainly are a bit unique in this story.

      Good luck, and thanks for visiting my blog!

      Delete
  11. Sounds like an interesting story. Never thought about seeing the war from a child's perspective. My daughter the history lover will enjoy this book also.

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    Replies
    1. Ellen,

      It does provide an interesting twist to the story. That's great that you've found a book your daughter will enjoy, too!

      Thanks for stopping by my blog, and good luck!

      Delete
  12. I thoroughly enjoy this time period and books with deep story lines, which this one appears to have.
    Thanks so much for the chance to win a copy of The Girl From the Train.

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    Replies
    1. Cindi,

      It certainly does have a deep story line. It's quite different from others I've read.

      You're very welcome. Good luck!

      Delete
  13. I absolutely love Historical fiction! Books have alway been a significant part of my life as well. I have loved reading since I read A night to Remember by Walter Lord.
    It looks really good! !!

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    Replies
    1. Lori,

      It's always a pleasure to meet another lifelong book lover :)

      Good luck, and thanks for visiting my blog!

      Delete
  14. Historical Fiction is my favorite genre the first thing. I also like the fact it will tell the story from a young child's perspective to when she's grown. Lots of times we do not know why a person is like they are. But knowing their childhood makes you understand them better.

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    Replies
    1. Brenda,

      I recently started reading historical fiction, but it's quickly becoming one of my favorite genres :)

      It certainly does help the reader understand the character when you're able to "watch" them grow up, as is the case with this story.

      Thanks for stopping by my blog,and good luck!

      Delete
  15. I love historical fiction. This looks really good! Thanks for sharing!

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    Replies
    1. Jennifer,

      You're very welcome :)

      Good luck, and thanks for visiting my blog!

      Delete
  16. I am so excited to see a giveaway for this book. I have been wanting to read this for awhile. I love historical fiction and I know this is a great one.

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    Replies
    1. Deanne,

      I'm glad I was able to help you out with the giveaway :) It's certainly one to have on your TBR list.

      I'm happy to "see" you here again,and good luck!

      Delete
  17. At first glance, I would have to say the cover. Then it's the description. Historical fictions always have a certain hold on me, and stories set during war time allows me to understand more about the time period. Thanks for the spotlight on this book and the giveaway. It's been on my TBR list for some time.

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  18. You're very welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it. It was on my TBR list, too. I've heard so much about it for quite some time. The praise is well deserved. This is my favorite time period to read about (well, with historicals, at least).

    Thanks for stopping by,and good luck!

    ReplyDelete