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Transatlantic

Based on a true story, utterly gripping and heartbreaking World War 2 historical fiction
3.47 goodreads logo

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( 15 ratings, 3 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Transatlantic follows Varian Fry, a young American journalist in 1940s France, who embarks on a perilous mission to rescue artists, writers, and thinkers from Nazi persecution. Armed with a list and a modest sum, Fry navigates closing borders and dangerous waters to smuggle refugees to safety across the Pyrenees and the sea. Amid the harrowing backdrop of war, he faces profound moral dilemmas about whom to save as his covert operation draws increasing Nazi suspicion.

This powerful historical novel, inspired by true events, explores extraordinary courage and friendships formed in humanity's darkest hour, echoing the emotional impact of Schindler's List and All the Light We Cannot See.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers of historical fiction and wartime dramas, especially those who appreciated Schindler's List, All the Light We Cannot See, and The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Suitable for an adult audience seeking emotionally charged, historically grounded narratives of heroism and moral complexity.

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The book that inspired the beautiful Netflix series

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Soon to be a major Netflix series

1940, France. In the middle of a devastating war, how many lives can you save?

Varian Fry, a young American journalist, arrives in Marseille armed only with three thousand dollars and a list of writers, thinkers and artists he hopes to rescue - so long as the Nazis don't get to them first.

With borders closing around him, Varian tries to track down those on his list; renowned artists like Marc Chagall, who cannot believe that he will ever be unsafe in the country he loves. He smuggles them over the Pyrenees mountains and across the sea hidden in boats, but every day hundreds of ordinary Jewish refugees beg him for help. Does Varian have the right to choose who to save?

At home in New York, making a list seemed hard, but in the middle of humanity's darkest hour, Varian must do all he can to help. And as the Nazis begin to get word of Varian's secret operation, he must dig deep and find the courage to rescue as many innocents as he can.

Even though his own life may be in terrible danger.

An incredibly compelling and heart-wrenching historical novel, inspired by a powerful true story, about the extraordinary courage and friendships forged during humanity's darkest hour. If you loved Schindler's List, All the Light We Cannot See, or The Tattooist of Auschwitz, you'll adore Transatlantic, previously published as The Flight Portfolio.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Publishers Weekly hailed the book as "magnificent," praising Orringer's "extraordinary gifts" and predicting it will become a classic. Reviewers highlight the radiant portrayal of Varian Fry's courage and humanity, and commend the novel's meticulous, suspenseful, and beautiful storytelling. It has been described as ambitious and big-hearted, a masterful blend of historical detail and thrilling narrative.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780349704043

Publisher: John Murray Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 April 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Dialogue Books

Contributors:

  • Translated by Priscilla Layne

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 40.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 400g

Pages: 576

About the Author

Julie Orringer is the author of three award-winning books: How to Breathe Underwater, The Invisible Bridge, and most recently The Flight Portfolio, soon to become a Netflix series. She is the winner of The Paris Review's Plimpton Prize and has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Cullman Center at the New York Public Library, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard, the MacDowell Colony, and Yaddo. She teaches at New York University and lives with her husband and children in Brooklyn, where she is at work on a new novel.

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  • The Flight Portfolio
    1940, France. In the middle of a devastating war, how many lives can you save? Varian Fry, a young American journalist, arrives in Marseille armed only with three thousand dollars and a list of writers, thinkers, and artists he hopes to rescue - so long as the Nazis don't get to them first. With borders closing around him, Varian tries...
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