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The Circus Train

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The Circus Train

By: Amita Parikh
Narrated by: Kristin Atherton
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About this listen

THE MAGICAL INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

Europe, 1938. Even as the daughter of the extraordinary headlining illusionist, Lena Papadopoulos has never quite found her place within the World of Wonders - a travelling circus that traverses the continent in a luxury steam engine. Brilliant and curious, Lena yearns for the real-world magic of science and medicine, despite the limitations she feels in her wheelchair. But when a young French orphan, Alexandre, comes aboard the circus train, Lena's life is infused with magic and wonder for the first time.

But outside the bright lights of the circus, darkness is descending on Europe. War is about to shatter Lena's world, and take away everything she holds dear. And to recover what she has lost, Lena will have to believe in the impossible.

A must-listen for fans of Water for Elephants, The Circus Train will take listeners on a heart-wrenching two-decade journey across a continent in which great beauty and unimaginable horror live side by side.

2023, HWA Debut Crown Award, Short-listed

©2022 Amita Parikh (P)2022 Hachette Audio UK 20th Century Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Romance Magic Elephant

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Critic reviews

A magical, vibrant parade of a novel about extraordinary people finding light in history's darkest decades. Spellbinding stuff (Erin Kelly, author of HE SAID SHE SAID)
An enchanting story of love, loss and survival in a world wrecked by war (Eithne Farry)
Impeccably researched . . .The Circus Train is unashamedly romantic, but Parikh is never mawkish. Lena is an intelligent, feisty heroine and her rite of passage is compelling. In the end, this is an uplifting read and a welcome escape from our turbulent times. (Lucy Popescu)
Lucinda Riley fans will love this heartwarming novel . . . a story full of hope and bravery (Nina Pottell)
Parikh's storytelling skills evoke the world of duplicity and desperation lying behind the scenes of circus dazzle. Thorough research adds a further note of welcome authenticity. A compelling story of love, loss, betrayal and deceit overshadowed by the threat of World War II. (Fanny Blake)
Utterly absorbing (Heidi Swain, Sunday Times bestselling author of THE WINTER GARDEN)
Step onto The Circus Train and prepare for a fantastical journey back in time, to another world with vibrant characters that leap from the page. I read The Circus Train in just two sittings, immersed in Lena's world, fascinated by the historical details that the author cleverly weaves through the plot. Highly recommended if you love historical fiction with a touch of heart-warming and magical romance, or if you crave a huge dose of adventure. (Louise Morrish, author of OPERATION MOONLIGHT)
Stunning . . . The Circus Train conjures up the glittering story of Lena, a young, disabled woman in a travelling circus. In the face of terrible adversity, she is determined not just to survive, but to thrive. (Polly Crosby, author of THE ILLUSTRATED CHILD)
Absorbing and satisfying (Sarah Morgan, author of SLEEPLESS IN MANHATTAN)
A spellbinding and life affirming novel, The Circus Train captivates from the very first page (Iris Costello, author of THE SECRETS OF ROCHESTER PLACE)
All stars
Most relevant  
I felt like there was so much promise but a few areas really let it down. There were obvious mistakes, especially towards the end (using the same word twice in a sentence for example) that made it feel rushed. The first half was engaging and well written but some of the narration grated on me, the pronunciation of Alexandre for example and the whiny Lena voice. Some of the turns of phrase didn’t ring true and it felt like some parts had been written by someone else. Towards the end for example the expression “but a moment”starts appearing in Theo’s speech and felt at odds with the way he spoke elsewhere. However the majority of this could be ignored for the most part.

The second half went on for an eternity though! I felt like it could have finished about 5 times before it actually did and it just had the air of a naff rom com without the com. Missed connections and misunderstandings abound and just left me wanting to shout at the characters out of frustration. The big twist/plot reveal was so obvious I almost forgot that Lena didn’t know.

Overall it was a very easy listen with some inexplicable decisions by the characters which were obvious plot devices that you just knew were going to lead to yet another misunderstanding.

Not what I expected and just felt a wee bit amateurish.

Slightly jarring and drawn out

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This is a Heart worming spellbound story well worth listening to the narrator does a fantastic job in making it a pleasure to listen to

Fantastic

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The narrator was brilliant, the best one I’ve ever heard, and I’ve listened to a lot of audiobooks the writing was excellent. I loved it all, apart from the disability angle where the protagonist loses her disability, thought it was a bit dull in that respect tawdry aspect of an otherwise excellent book

Brilliant, narrator boring disability storyline, but apart from that good

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It's a rare combination of amazing story combined with a stunning performance that takes you into a world of joy, sadness and wonder.

a truly accomplished piece

One of the best audiobooks I have ever heard

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I don’t normally take the time to write reviews but I enjoyed this audiobook so much I felt I had to give the writer credit. A story to really transport you away and at times it made me stop what I was doing to just listen.

I love the circus

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Fantastic , emotional and uplifting story , introducing so many experiences and topic’s . The narrator was brilliant .

Takes you on an amazing journey .

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I absolutely adored this book & I was sad to finish it.
I'd highly recommend this book if you have an interest in history and/or disability. I think this book is both well written and well narrated.

It was refreshing to have a disabled main character that actually had purpose, passions, and dreams, rather than just being there to be pitied or to tick a box.

Wow!

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I just loved this book. It was a proper story and listening was made so enjoyable by one of the best female narrators I’ve ever heard - thanks to Anita and Kristen for making this one of my favourite audible experiences 🥰

Excellent story 👍

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Wow what a fantastic listen / read! It truly gripped my attention right from the beginning. Characters are depicted very in depth so I felt like I knew them, nothing is left out. Emotionally connecting with characters while reading is a rare skill to get right but this one does it beautifully. Circus Train has it all, magic, illusion, danger, intrigue, determination, love, authenticity with emotions, ups and downs, the war years, nazi cunning, sacrifice. Truly a beautiful story brilliantly written and narrated. Five stars from me. Looking forward to more titles from Amita Parkin in the future.

Could Not Put This One Down!

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Excellently read, stunning book I was gripped the whole way it’s one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read (heard). I loved the characters, the relationship dynamics and the history. I’ve already recommended it to lots of people.

Stunning book highly recommend

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