Although the broad events of the book are non-fictional, the individual personalities are mostly fictional people representing the ones who were really there, so I kept this under fiction despite it being heavily weighted toward the real events taking place.

It was a little slow getting started, and I wasn't always sure why we were reading so much about Sabiha's jealousy and her therapy, ect. It seemed...out of place sometimes. I did end up enjoying the book, though, especially once we were in France with Selva and Rafo, and the tension really kicked in. ( )

Last Train to Istanbul was slow to leave the station, but once it took off, what a ride it was! The first third of the book introduces various characters and their back stories. Older sister Sabiha and her diplomat husband, Macit, live in Ankara with their young daughter and Sabiha’s parents. Younger sister Selva married Rafael, a Jew, against her Muslim family’s wishes. Selva and Rafo found it more comfortable to live in Marseilles where they won’t have to face the disapproval from both families. Sabiha is the French tutor for Tarik, a young diplomat in her husband’s office, who develops an unrequited passion for Sabiha. His new language skills have him prepared when he’s promoted to a position in the Paris embassy.

The German occupation of France changes everything for Selva and Rafo. Their Turkish citizenship is the only thing keeping Rafo from being interred with the other Jews in France. As neutral Turkey faces pressure from both sides in the conflict, their diplomats in France don’t know how long they’ll be able to protect their Jewish citizens on French soil, so they begin to make plans for a train to take the Jews to Istanbul and out of German reach.

Although the characters in this novel are fictional, many are based on real people. The Turkish diplomats in France are said to have saved many Jews from the Holocaust. For instance, Necdet Kent, a Turkish consul in Marseilles during the war who died the year of this book’s release, claimed to have boarded a train filled with Jews (some Turkish) being deported to secure their release.

If I were a film producer, I’d option the film rights for this book. My film version would write out Sabiha, since I think the book would be stronger without her and her neuroses. Her diplomat husband, Macit, might become Selva’s brother, or maybe I’d have her father still working instead of retired. Tarik’s unrequited passion would be for Selva, who chose Rafo instead, and this love would inspire his actions to aid the Turkish Jews in fleeing France.

This is really a 3 ½ star book, but I’ve boosted it by half a star since I loved the last half so much. ( )

This is a heartwarming tale of humanity set mainly in Turkey and France during the Second World War and Hitler's persecution of the Jews. It helped me to know of the people who, with extraordinary courage and compassion, helped thousands of Jews to escape the rotten fate waiting for them in the Concentration Camps. It also is a story of love, in all possible senses of the word. I really enjoyed the glimpses into the Turkish way of life this one offered, and am eager to read more. ( )

Selva is the daughter of a traditional Turkish man who disowned her when she decided to marry Rafael Alfandari, son of a prominent physician--and a Jew. As much as it pained her to lose the connection to her family, Selva had to follow her heart. And to get out of the shadow of disapproval from both sets of parents, Selva and Rafael relocated to France where they had a son and made a life for themselves. But things changed quickly when the Nazis invaded France and began seeking out and rounding up Jews. While Turkey, being neutral in the conflict, has been able to keep some of their Jewish citizens from being taken, they worry that they may not be able to protect them in the face of continuing extreme approaches by Nazi officials. In an effort to keep their citizens safe, Turkish officials arrange for a train to bring a single car of Turkish citizens home. But for people like Selva, whose community includes friends who are not Turkish but are clearly in danger, there's a compulsion to take a risk to protect them. And it's a risk that could lead to consequences for everyone...

This is a wonderfully-written and well-researched piece of writing that I am so glad I took the time to read. While this period of humanity's history is challenging to approach and read about, I think it's incredibly important that we don't simply ignore it. And thankfully this story provides the contrast between those who acted with very little regard for others and those who are willing to risk themselves in service of doing what's right. You'll quickly become connected to these characters. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll enjoy an excellent story that embodies the better aspects of our nature. ( )

A nice book set around Turkey during WW2 and covering incidents in the lives of Jews. ( )