Many thanks to Anne Cater for the blog tour invite, and thank you to Headline for the ARC. I am delighted to host day two of the blog tour for ‘The Child On Platform One’ by Gill Thompson.
Prague 1939. Young mother Eva has a secret from her past. When the Nazis invade, Eva knows the only way to keep her daughter Miriam safe is to send her away – even if it means never seeing her again. But when Eva is taken to a concentration camp, her secret is at risk of being exposed.
In London, Pamela volunteers to help find places for the Jewish children arrived from Europe. Befriending one unclaimed little girl, Pamela brings her home. It is only when her young son enlists in the RAF that Pamela realises how easily her own world could come crashing down.
What does TWG think?
Oh my heart!
I am a huge fan of historical fiction novels. I find the topic of history a very important subject to learn as, without it, our lives wouldn’t have been paved the same.
‘The Child on Platform One’ is emotionally draining in the most poignant and beautiful way. I cannot even begin to fathom how heartbreaking it would have been for Eva, to send her child away to keep her safe. She knew that she may never see her little girl again, yet she still made the selfless decision to put Miriam’s safety first. Pretty much what mothers do anyway, yet the thought of sending your child into the unknown, away from your own safe and loving arms, must have absolutely broken Eva.
Inspired by true events, this book highlights just how devastating life was for Jewish people, and the lengths that they went to to protect themselves and other children around them. Like I said above, I was emotionally drained by the end of this book, yet i had also learnt valuable things from a time where the only valuables people had was their love.
Gill Thompson is an incredible, incredible author who wrote with such power and passion. I really felt the underlying emotion from the author herself, and I appreciated the fact that this wouldn’t have been an easy one to write.
‘The Child On Platform One’ is what historical fiction is all about, as authors become the voice of the people who are no longer able to tell their story. Full of emotion, devastating situations, and powerful historic notions, Thompson’s novel spoke volumes and moved me from deep within. I cannot recommend it enough.
The e-Book is due to be published on the 1st December.
The Writing Garnet 