A moving story of love, family and hope, based on true events in post-World War II Italy. The novel follows the lives of children from the south of Italy, sent north to live with families who can provide them with a better future during the harsh winters. Through the eyes of the main character, Amerigo, Ardone masterfully portrays the naivety of childhood and the trauma of separation.
Italy remains in a very poor state after the war, especially the south. Seven-year-old Amerigo lives with his mother in Naples, surviving like all the other poor people in their neighborhood. But one day, he learns that a train will take him and other children to the north, to other families where they will be safe and have warm clothes and food. And so, Amerigo and thousands of other children leave for a better life. Through his innocent, curious eyes we see a nation rise from the ashes of war and be reborn.
Positively surprised by the new environment and the possibilities for a better future, Amerigo realizes that sometimes we must give up everything, even a mother's love, to find our destiny.
"The Train with Children" is more than a historical novel — it is a human saga of loss, nostalgia, and hope. A literary masterpiece that carries profound historical and emotional weight.
