The Last Train from Paris

Stacy Cohen
Greenleaf Book Group Press (2009)
ISBN 9781929774524
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (8/09) 


For most of us Europeans the Second World War is more than just printed words on a page. It is still very relevant, very raw and very personal. Books about that sad period in our history abound, yet very often they fall short of my expectations for one simple reason - they fail to show the day-to-day impact on lives of the “little people.” Stacy Cohen’s “The Last Train from Paris” more than delivers in that area as she deftly shows the reader the terror, the overpowering sense of helplessness and ultimately the awakening of hope and finding the new purpose in an utterly shattered life.

Set in war-ravaged Paris, the story follows a young, rather dashing and happy-go-lucky painter, Jean-Luc Beauchamp. Jean-Luc is lucky enough to be a protégé of Joan Miró and an apprentice to Henry Matisse. While his work often comes second to his amorous pursuits, Jean-Luc desires to become a great painter. A chance meeting with a beautiful Russian ballerina, Natasha, stirs Jean-Luc’s deepest passions and for once he falls not only in lust, but in love.

Unfortunately for the young lovers, Natasha is also desired by an extremely brutal Nazi officer, Oberst Lorenz. She does not dare to refuse his advances, fearing both for her life and the life of her beloved Jean-Luc. Aggravating the matter is a deep secret Natasha has been hiding for years, one that will ultimately be revealed by her best friend, Anya. Anya’s betrayal deeply wounds Natasha and puts her in mortal danger.

“The Last Train from Paris” is what I usually call a painfully beautiful book, beautiful not because of its subject, but in spite of it. The little Paris vignettes, the scenes of utter horror, the musings on art, the love scenes, the bravery and the cowardice and the passion and the despair all contribute to a potent mixture of emotions stirred by the masterful narrative. Although Natasha’s great secret did not come as much of a secret to me, I find no fault with the author for that, but rather attribute it to my familiarity with the subject. It did not diminish the story’s impact at all, but rather made it stronger and more personal. Ms. Cohen superbly describes the war’s less discussed side, the one fought off the battlefields, and for that I am grateful and deeply touched.

I’ve enjoyed reading “The Last Train from Paris” for many reasons, among which are the well crafted storyline, believable and colorful characters, vivid dialogue, haunting descriptions of Nazi brutality and the discussions about art and the creative process. The passages concerning the latter are among my favorites in the book, and I am certain “The Last Train from Paris” by Stacy Cohen will be equally enjoyed by lovers of historical fiction, romances and art aficionados.  From the truly beautiful cover to the shattering and haunting ending, this was a book that won’t be forgotten by this reader any time soon.

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