The Circus Train

Parikh debuts with a fascinating story of a traveling circus in Europe during WWII. After illusionist Theo Papadopoulos’s wife dies in childbirth in Greece, he raises their daughter. Lena, who uses a wheelchair after a case of polio, feels isolated as a preteen until she finds companionship with Alexandre Robichaud, an orphaned Jewish boy hiding in the circus’s train as it crosses Amsterdam in 1938. By 1942, Lena and Alexandre’s friendship has blossomed into romance. Then, circus owner Horace learns of Theo’s plans to leave the circus to seek asylum for himself and Lena in the U.S. Enraged, Horace allows the S.S. into the train to capture Theo for hiding alleged fugitive Alexandre, leading to Theo and Alexandre’s internment at the Theresienstadt concentration camp in Czechoslovakia, where they perform as illusionists. Without her father and the friendship of Alexandre, Lena leaves the circus and seeks her former governess Clara in hopes Clara will take her in. Parikh’s extensive historical research adds authenticity to the lives of the circus performers as well as Lena’s disability, and the characters’ arcs highlight the ever-present dangers in WWII Europe and make palpable the strength of friendship. Fans of historical fiction will be drawn to this page-turner. Agent: Therese Coen, Hardman & Swainson. (Dec.)