The Children’s Train

Viola Ardone HarperVia

Set in post-World War II Italy, sevenyear-old Amerigo Speranza is sent to the north with hundreds of other children to temporarily escape the devastation of the south, where he lives with his unstable mother.

Amerigo is welcomed by the Benvenuti family, who treat him as one of their own and provide safety, warm clothes and food. He thrives in this new environment and enjoys the prospect of a better future, until the time comes to return home.

Told from a child’s perspective, this novel is richly descriptive and peppered with humour. What stood out to me was Amerigo’s obsession with shoes, metaphorically woven throughout the novel: ‘ I wear other people’s shoes and they always hurt … by the time they get to me, what do they know about the way I walk, or where I want to go? They need to get used to me little by little.’

Based on true events, this is a moving story of sacrifice, heartache and the meaning of true family.