The Train Was On Time

by Heinrich Böll

First published 2019

In the waning days of World War II, a young German soldier named Andreas boards a train, desperate to make it home before his leave expires. But as the locomotive hurtles through the ravaged countryside, Andreas confronts a series of obstacles - a shortage of coal, a drunken conductor, and the threat of Allied bombardment. With time running out, he must navigate these challenges and the collapsing social order to reach his destination, all while grappling with the realities of war that have forever changed him.

Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, adventure, action

Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: against-the-clock, fish-out-of-water

Setting: Germany

Period: World War II

108 pages · Paperback · Penguin

Content warnings: war

More by Heinrich Böll

Readers who liked The Train Was On Time also liked

View on Siftivo