10/17/2022
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.)
One of Library Journal’s Top 20 Fall Debut Novels
One of Reader’s Digest’s 49 Best Fiction Books of 2022 (So Far)
“Amita Parikh has written a passionate and gripping tale of unlikely alliances and hidden strengths, and a powerful reminder that to live is not just to survive, but to be seen and known for ourselves.” —Pam Jenoff, author of The Woman With the Blue Star
“Magic, love, destiny, and illusion combine with the glitter of 20th century circus life and the heartbreak of war in The Circus Train, Amita Parikh’s masterful first novel….A powerful tale of hope in the face of tragedy and great love in the face of staggering loss, The Circus Train is an extraordinary debut.” —Kristin Harmel, author of The Book of Lost Names and The Forest of Vanishing Stars
“Immersive and intricately plotted…Lena, Alexandre, and Theo are lovable characters, each backed by three-dimensional backstories that expand and intersect satisfyingly as the novel progresses…Parikh has created a carefully researched historical debut whose bighearted, sensitive protagonist makes the reader’s emotional journey well worth it. Lively and richly detailed.” —Kirkus Reviews
“[A] multilevel story of friendship, love, and survival spanning the World War II era…[Parikh’s] research into circuses, concentration camps, and disability all provide a keen historical realism to her characters and events. Indeed, it is Parikh’s sensitive eye toward the reality of living with polio in the 1930s to 1950s that is the real heart of this romantic tale.” —Library Journal
“Fascinating…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.” —Publishers Weekly
“Thoughtfully explores two young people’s connection and quests for belonging…Incorporating research into medical treatments for polio and the Theresienstadt camp’s role in Nazi propaganda, Parikh creates storytelling magic in her absorbing tale of a young woman discovering her own capabilities.” —Booklist
“This novel is full of secrets, heartbreaking choices, and human longing. The passionate human relationships will stay with you for a long time. The writing is rich and layered where the characters’ emotional landscape mirrors the illusions and glittery façade of the circus world they create. Highly recommended.” —Historical Novels Review
"A dazzling and delightful debut. Amita Parikh plunges us into a mesmerizing tale of colorful acts and characters, who must elicit truth from illusion as they face dark forces and seek out their places in a changing world. I thoroughly enjoyed this read." —Ellen Keith, author of The Dutch Wife
"Sit back and enjoy as this magical story transports you through war-torn Europe, demonstrating how family can be found in the most unconventional ways." —Shilpi Somaya Gowda, author of The Secret Daughter
“Deeply entertaining and enchanting….A page-turner that holds onto its secrets until its satisfying conclusion. This richly drawn and captivating novel is a must-read for fans of historical fiction.”—Constance Sayers, author of The Ladies of the Secret Circus
“A spellbinding tale of illusions, family secrets, courage, and devotion, as a circus train tours European cities under threat of war and persecution. Amita Parikh’s skills as a storyteller will enthrall the reader. In Lena Papadopoulos she has created an irresistible and memorable young heroine.” —Carol Windley, Midnight Train to Prague
"I fell head and heart into the pages of The Circus Train. The triumphant spirit of the characters shines brightly as they navigate the extravagance of the World of Wonders circus and a challenging historical landscape. This is a book readers will carry with them, in the best of ways, for a long time to come." —Lorelei Savaryn, author of The Circus of Stolen Dreams and The Edge of In Between
“A lush, luminous story of outsiders….Parikh’s prose shimmers; get ready to be immersed in its rich textures and breathtaking illusions…But the real magic is human connection, a sense of belonging, self-fulfillment. I cheered until the final page for Parikh’s characters who strive to beat the odds in a world of turmoil, characters drawn with great love by their creator, in this novel so generous in scope and heart.” —Jeanette Lynes, The Small Things That End the World
10/01/2022
DEBUT Inspired by the Golden Age of Magic, Parikh sets her beguiling novel of illusions and secrets on the rails. The World of Wonders is a travelling circus that features all manners of diverse people with unusual talents—one of them is Theo Papadopoulos, a master illusionist who keeps as many secrets as his acts conceal. His daughter, Lena, has polio. She wheels her chair through the exciting carriages with their eclectic performers, though she's constantly reminded that she doesn't quite fit in. When Alexandre, a young Jewish boy, stows away on the train to escape the Nazis, Parikh sets in motion a multilevel story of friendship, love, and survival spanning the World War II era. Parikh's prose is occasionally heavy on summary and clichés, but her research into circuses, concentration camps, and disability all provide a keen historical realism to her characters and events. Indeed, it is Parikh's sensitive eye toward the reality of living with polio in the 1930s to 1950s that is the real heart of this romantic tale. VERDICT For readers who love a good circus, this debut keeps a long story on track, with a few hairpin turns to make it interesting.—Peggy Kurkowski
2022-09-28
The ambitious daughter of a famous illusionist grows up aboard a circus traveling through Europe—till the arrival of World War II throws her world into chaos.
Even within the traveling circus she’s always called home, Lena Papadopoulos has always felt different. Dependent on a wheelchair after a harrowing infant case of polio that also left her motherless, Lena has never been accepted by the other circus children; instead of playing with them, she spends her time reading and attending museum exhibits with her doting, overbearing father, Theo. Only within her studies does Lena feel truly at home—a brilliant student, she’s especially drawn to medicine and science, which is, she thinks, “where the real magic lay.” She passes her days poring over complicated anatomical diagrams and playing in the circus train’s hiding places—till the arrival of a runaway named Alexandre, whose unconscious body Lena stumbles across one day. Like Lena, Alexandre is an outsider—a Jew and an orphan—and, as he recovers from an illness aboard the train, he and Lena become fast friends over marathon games of gin rummy and shared snacks. Meanwhile, Theo takes wily Alexandre under his wing as an apprentice illusionist. But just as Lena’s life begins looking up, the circus’s crowds thin with Europe teetering on the precipice of war. And soon after Alexandre’s identifying papers go missing from the circus master’s office, SS officers capture Alexandre and Theo, whose parting words to his daughter—"I will find you. I promise”—echo in Lena’s ears for years to come. While Lena struggles to accept her father’s and Alexandre’s presumed deaths (unbeknownst to her, the two have been contracted to work as entertainers in a “model town” for Jews), all three fight to survive. Immersive and intricately plotted, this novel brings to life the precarious, colorful world of circus performance in prewar Europe, where nothing is as it seems, danger lurks around every corner, and success is a matter of confidence, luck, and risk. Lena, Alexandre, and Theo are lovable characters, each backed by three-dimensional backstories that expand and intersect satisfyingly as the novel progresses. Though the romantic thread is underdeveloped, Parikh has created a carefully researched historical debut whose bighearted, sensitive protagonist makes the reader’s emotional journey well worth it.
Lively and richly detailed.
