Description
The Last Train is the harrowing true story about young brothers Paul and Oscar Arato and their mother, Lenke, surviving the Nazi occupation during the final years of World War II.
Living in the town of Karcag, Hungary, the Aratos felt insulated from the war — even as it raged all around them. Hungary is allied with Germany to protect its citizens from invasion, but in 1944 Hitler breaks his promise to keep the Nazis out of Hungary.
The Nazi occupation forces the family into situations of growing panic and fear: first into a ghetto in their hometown; then a labor camp in Austria; and, finally, to the deadly Bergen Belsen camp deep in the heart of Germany. Separated from their father, 6-year-old Paul and 11-year-old Oscar must care for their increasingly sick mother, all while trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy amid the horrors of the camp.
In the spring of 1945, the boys see British planes flying over the camp, and a spark of hope that the war will soon end ignites. And then, they are forced onto a dark, stinking boxcar by the Nazi guards. After four days on the train, the boys are convinced they will be killed, but through a twist of fate, the train is discovered and liberated by a battalion of American soldiers marching through Germany.
The book concludes when Paul, now a grown man living in Canada, stumbles upon photographs on the internet of his train being liberated. After writing to the man who posted the pictures, Paul is presented with an opportunity to meet his rescuers at a reunion in New York — but first he must decide if he is prepared to reopen the wounds of his past.
Prizes
- Ontario Library Association Golden Oak AwardShort-listed 2015
- Canadian Children's Literature Roundtable's Information Book AwardLong-listed 2014
- Canadian Children's Book Centre, Best Books for Kids and TeensCommended 2013
- British Columbia Library Association, Red Cedar Book AwardWinner 2014
- Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-FictionWinner 2014
- Saskatchewan Diamond Willow AwardWinner 2015
- Rocky Mountain Book Award (Alberta children's choice)Winner 2015
- Ontario Library Association Red Maple (Non-Fiction) AwardWinner 2015
Review Quotes
The book is emotionally honest, with moving details ... a well-written smooth read.
— Association of Jewish Libraries
Arato tells the story matter-of-factly, but it is of itself a gripping story for young readers, of a young boy's memories of a time in human history that should never be forgotten.
— Books for Kids Blog
— Books for Kids Blog
a powerful story worth reading.
— Jewish Book Council
…[in] moments of simple, profound human contact the story finds its real power.
— Publishers Weekly
... this is an important story for anyone to read ... The Last Train is an accessible, yet heart-wrenching, account that will hopefully help to educate a new generation.
— Canadian Review of Materials
"Readers will be amazed at the everyday persistence of children and parents to stay together and support each other."
— Resource Links
A good introduction to a difficult topic-give it to readers for whom a 'true' survivor's story will carry more weight than a wholly fictional account.
— Kirkus Reviews
[This] personal account with many photos will stir readers to find out more Holocaust history.
— Booklist
The Last Train is a harrowing account of the Holocaust...a somber and quiet story that though it brings tears to the eyes, still manages to send a message of hope and survival.
— New York Journal of Books
Biographical note
RONA ARATO is an award-winning author with a strong interest in human rights. The Last Train is the story of her husband Paul’s Holocaust experiences and the twist of fate that reunited him, 67 years after liberation, with the American soldiers who saved his life. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, where she is a frequent presenter in schools and community organizations.
