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The Circus Train by Amita Parikh

Historical fiction

The Circus Train

Debut

We love supporting debut authors. Congrats, Amita Parikh, on your first book!

by Amita Parikh

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Quick take

All the world’s a stage in this moving WWII story about a traveling circus and finding your path in dark times.

Good to know

  • Illustrated icon, 400

    400+ pages

  • Illustrated icon, Inspirational

    Inspirational

  • Illustrated icon, International

    International

  • Illustrated icon, Underdog

    Underdog

Synopsis

At the World of Wonders, Europe’s most magnificent traveling circus, every moment is full of magic, and nothing is as it seems—especially for the people who put on the show.

Lena Papadopoulos has never quite found her place within the circus, even as the daughter of the extraordinary headlining illusionist, Theo. Brilliant and curious, Lena yearns for the real-world magic of science and medicine, despite her father’s overprotection and the limits her world places on her because she is disabled.

Her unconventional life takes an exciting turn when she rescues Alexandre, an orphan with his own secrets and a mysterious past. Over several years, as their friendship flourishes and Alexandre trains as the illusionist’s apprentice, World War II escalates around them. When Theo and Alexandre are contracted to work and perform in a model town for Jews set up by the Nazis, Lena becomes separated from everything she knows. Forced to make her own way, Lena must confront her doubts and dare to believe in the impossible—herself.

Free sample

Get an early look from the first pages of The Circus Train.

The Circus Train

PROLOGUE

May 1929

Thessaloniki, Greece

“Twenty-four, maybe forty-eight hours.” Dr. Komninos delivered his diagnosis as though he were reciting a weather report or the answer to a math problem. He tucked his stethoscope in his black leather medical bag and snapped it shut, the shiny front buckle casting a shard of light across the room.

“Is there anything I can do?” Theo asked, grief cloaking his face.

Dr. Komninos hesitated. He knew Theo lived in a world of hope, of make-believe, of what could be. But there was no denying the truth about his wife.

“I’m afraid it’s too late for Gia. A cold towel will make the pain more bearable. Your daughter, however . . .” The doctor trailed off. Over the years, he’d learned that the most difficult aspect of being a physician was giving people false expectations. Pragmatic to a fault, he thought it was always best to err on the side of caution.

“Yes?” Theo asked, wringing his hands.

“Once the fever subsides, I’ll have a better idea of what her limitations will be. To be honest, I wouldn’t have expected her to survive,” Dr. Komninos admitted, stacking rolls of gauze on the bedside table. “Saint Demetrios himself must be watching over her.”

“So she’ll live?”

Dr. Komninos sighed, thinking about the paperwork waiting for him back at his office. “If her fever breaks tonight, as I expect it will, then yes, I see no reason why she won’t live. As for what kind of life she’ll have”—he picked up his medical bag, forcing himself to look Theo in the eye—“it’s too early to say. But take it from me. In these types of situations, expectation usually leads to disappointment.” He pushed open the bedroom door. “I’ll be by first thing tomorrow to check in,” he said, descending the white stuccoed staircase.

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Why I love it

Sure, I’m a writer, but I’m first and foremost an avid reader, so I still get a little thrill when I receive a pre-publication glimpse of a wonderful book by a debut author. It means the literary world I love so much is about to get a bit brighter. That’s how I felt when I read Amita Parikh’s The Circus Train last spring, sobbing my way through the final chapters on a flight home. “Good book?” the woman sitting next to me inquired as she inched away, looking a bit terrified by my tears. “I loved it,” I gushed, still sniffling.

You’ll love The Circus Train, too. It combines the tantalizing magic and captivating illusion of a traveling circus with the heartbreak of war in a truly fascinating, original way. The icing on the cake (or the flag on the circus tent, if you will) is the powerful love story at this glittering novel’s heart. Lena is the precocious daughter of a renowned illusionist, whose world at first remains small, despite the fact that she lives on a glamorous circus train that crisscrosses Europe. But when a young Jewish refugee with a talent for magic finds his way aboard in the early years of the war, Lena’s life changes forever as he shows her that she alone holds the key to building a better existence for herself.

The perfectly-drawn characters and rich language shine in The Circus Train and had me enthralled. This story of hope, family, and great love, which deftly touches on issues of disability and prejudice, is an extraordinary debut.

Member ratings (14,771)

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400+ pages
View all
The Thirteenth Child
Homeseeking
Most Wonderful
The Courting of Bristol Keats
Pictures of You
PS: I Hate You
The Road of Bones
Bloodguard
Intermezzo
The Dagger and the Flame
The Wild Huntress
The Crimson Crown
Here One Moment
Phantasma
The Pairing
All the Colors of the Dark
The God of the Woods
Same As It Ever Was
The Demon of Unrest
Five Broken Blades
Real Americans
The Reappearance of Rachel Price
Table for Two
The Familiar
A Short Walk Through a Wide World
Just for the Summer
The Wives
A Fate Inked in Blood
The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard
The Fox Wife
The Mayor of Maxwell Street
Ready or Not
Heartless Hunter
The Women
Family Family
Ruthless Vows
Gwen & Art Are Not in Love
The Frozen River
The Future
What We Kept to Ourselves
Wellness
The Fragile Threads of Power
You, Again
The Bookbinder
Happiness Falls
Shark Heart
Love, Theoretically
The Only One Left
The First Ladies
Ink Blood Sister Scribe
Warrior Girl Unearthed
The True Love Experiment
Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?
Yours Truly
Hello Beautiful
I Have Some Questions for You
Clytemnestra
The Last Russian Doll
Someone Else’s Shoes
The Shards
Hell Bent
Age of Vice
A Wilderness of Stars
Babel
The Circus Train
Before I Let Go
Bloodmarked
The Last Party
Foul Lady Fortune
Sign Here
Thistlefoot
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow
The Attic Child
Bronze Drum
The It Girl
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle
The Change
Part of Your World
Lessons in Chemistry
The Good Left Undone
Kaikeyi
True Biz
Pieces of Her
Booth
Peach Blossom Spring
A River Enchanted
Black Cake
Will
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The Keeper of Night
The Book of Magic
The Lincoln Highway
Apples Never Fall
In Every Mirror She's Black
Damnation Spring
One Last Stop
Half Sick of Shadows
The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes
What Comes After
In a Book Club Far Away
The Four Winds
Black Buck
The City We Became
The Prophets
The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
A Rogue of One's Own
Notes on a Silencing
Friends and Strangers
Evicted
The End of October
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The Great Believers
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Anna K
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Red, White & Royal Blue
Long Bright River
When the Stars Lead to You
Ninth House
The Water Dancer
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The Goldfinch
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Permanent Record
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The Reckless Oath We Made
The Boy and Girl Who Broke the World
The Gifted School
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Ask Again, Yes
All the Light We Cannot See
Sky Without Stars
Night Music
Small Fry
One Day in December
Nine Perfect Strangers
The Clockmaker's Daughter
The Great Alone
The Heart’s Invisible Furies
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness
A Million Junes
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A Gentleman in Moscow
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