Beyond the Tracks: A Harrowing Tale of True Events

Flora Thornhill: Good read

Canada on Oct 24, 2023

Patty Machal: I read both beyond the tracks and tracks to freedom. Couldn't put them down.

United States on Oct 23, 2023

Peggy: I saw advertisements of this book on Facebook - the author implied it was a true story - instead it’s fiction based on true events not the same thing !
Written well enough to rate 5 stars

United States on Oct 17, 2023

paula hofer: I learned more about the Dutch resistance reading this book. Knowing it was based on true events brought out realities of WWII. Mr. Reit’s attention to detail
helped me understand events better.

United States on Oct 12, 2023

ohioexpatriate: I did enjoyed the integration of both real and dramatic characters. Quite well done. Very well done! The only details I found troubling was the misuse of of later American terms for insignificant items in the narrative, specifically, “Jerry can” and “Jeep”. “Jeep” a slang term perhaps derived from the Ford “GPW” designation, for the Willy’s vehicle utilized by the American Army which didn’t even exist in the 30’s. Likewise, the “Jerry can” is a American/British label taken from the slang reference for Germans.

United States on Oct 06, 2023

Bigbandss: I thought this historical novel was a good read and very well researched. My only disappointment was the big jump to 1950 without any connecting information.

United States on Aug 27, 2023

Amazon Customer: Felt very let down how the author put this book together, it lost its way at the end and wouldn’t recommend as a good read

United Kingdom on Aug 01, 2023

RosieL: The story begins in Berlin, in 1938.
People are disappearing. Jewish businesses destroyed and Jews forbidden to work.
Jacob and his family flee to the Netherlands as the Nazi party grows in power.
However, it us not long until the German army occupies Holland. Westerbork camp, where Jacob and his family live becomes a transit camp, with weekly transports to the east.
When Jacob himself is finally selected to join the transport, he realises that they are not being sent to work camps but to death camps.
How far will Jacob go to avoid ending up in Auschwitz- Birkenau and can he save his friend and family?
Although this is a work of fiction, many of the people and events are real and actually happened.
A well written book giving a brief insight into the hell that was Auschwitz but also the showing the grit and determination of those involved with the resistance movement, in this instance, in Poland.

United Kingdom on Dec 23, 2022

Urvashi Sawhney Malhotra: Enjoyable Read
Thoroughly enjoyed the book.
I could not put the book down till i finished the last page.
Highly recommended

India on Dec 15, 2022

Ulises Mejía: Beyond the Tracks tells the story about two Jewish living in the worst place at the worst possible time. What follows is a thrilling experience about the primordial feeling of human beings to care for each other.

What I liked
+ The story was simple (but never boring) and easy to follow throughout the chapters.
+ The main protagonists (Jaco & Ethan) felt authentic and relatable at all times.
+ The author made sure to create an engaging atmosphere through vivid narrations of the plot. This lead to me get absorbed by the story and keep sifting through the pages.
+I got so emotionally invested with the story that I teared up while reading section 3 (which is also my favorite part of the book)

What could be improved
- My peak emotional investment was during Section 3, yet it's the shorter section of the book. I wish the author would have expanded more on that part.
- While the two main protagonists (Jacob and Ethan) connection developed as the book progressed, I felt that a stronger/deeper backstory between them would have helped connect earlier with the characters.

Due to the engaging way the book was written and the emotional investment that...

Germany on Sep 21, 2020