• A winner of Fiction Uncovered 2011

• A Waterstones “Next Big Thing”

• Number 3 in Israel’s national bestseller chart

“Fascinating and moving. Shines a light on a neglected aspect of WWII.”

–Monica Ali

“Kept me up at night . . . amazing . . . It has been in my thoughts since.”

–The Guardian

“A well-researched and very moving novel. A fine tribute to the bravery of the Kindertransport.”

–The Times

“A powerful evocation of a bygone era. The drama, sorrow, hopes and challenges of a Jewish girl’s journey from pre-war Berlin to post-war London are brought to life in compelling prose. I was deeply moved and inspired by this novel, which is itself inspired by real life.”

–Sir Martin Gilbert

“An important subject explored by a writer to watch.”

–Jonathan Freedland

“The tale unfolds to the drumbeat of history . . . Connoisseurs of crystal clear prose will relish this book.”

–The Scotsman

“As a Kindertransport child myself, I found this book utterly convincing and profoundly moving. I arrived in England in 1939 at the age of four, and have always believed that not remembering my parents is, in some ways, a blessing. This book returns me to that belief. It puts into sharp relief the anguish first of the parents, then of the older children who so vividly remembered them. A very important novel.”

–Sir Erich Reich, Chairman of the UK Kindertransport Committee

“A quietly unsettling novel which meets the particular demands of its subject with grace and poise.”

–Giles Foden, author of The Last King of Scotland

“I was absolutely mesmerised . . . I’ve read quite a bit about the nineteen-thirties in Berlin, but this was the first time that I really felt as though I was there . . . The characters stay with you long after you’ve finished the book. Their circumstances haunt your mind. It’s a book to buy and to savour and definitely one which you’ll return to in the future. Meticulously researched, beautifully written, atmospheric and lots of tension.”

–Bookbag

“Every bit as compelling as Schindler’s List . . . It is a story powerfully told, demanding your complete attention, involving you in a story of heartbreak, love and loss . . . It’s a film waiting to happen, although so vivid is Jake Wallis Simons’ description and attention to detail, I feel I’ve seen it already. If you only read one novel this year, make it this one.”

–Love Reading

“Vividly realised, brilliantly executed. Advances through the twentieth century like a train through the night.”

–Nicholas Royle

“Rich, tender and hugely engaging. This is a terrific novel.”

–Jeremy Gavron

“An ambitious and courageous novel.”

–Jewish Chronicle

“A story with rough edges and a vital cast which gives it the flavour of real life, creating an emotional pull that relies on the reader’s involvement rather than easy sentiment.”

–The Herald Scotland