The Last Train to London: A Novel is a deeply moving work of historical fiction set in the tense years leading up to the Second World War. It follows Jewish and Christian families in Vienna as rising Nazi power turns everyday life into a struggle for survival.
Fifteen-year-old Stephan Neuman, the son of a prominent Jewish family and an aspiring playwright, roams both the elegant streets and shadowy tunnels of Vienna with his best friend, the gifted Zofie-Helene, daughter of a journalist who openly opposes the Nazi regime. Their world of youthful discovery is shattered as antisemitic policies, violence, and fear take hold after the Anschluss.
Amid the mounting danger, Dutch resistance member Truus Wijsmuller risks everything to smuggle Jewish children out of Nazi territory. Known as Tante Truus, she navigates closed borders, hostile officials, and limited time to secure passage for as many children as possible through the Kindertransport program.
The story converges in a race against time as Truus dares to negotiate directly with Adolf Eichmann to secure a transport that could mean life or death for Stephan, his younger brother Walter, Zofie-Helene, and countless other children facing an uncertain future abroad.
Themes and features
- Pre-World War II Vienna under Nazi rule
- Kindertransport and child refugee rescue
- Courage, moral choice, and quiet forms of resistance
- Friendship and family tested by persecution and war
