Ten Marks and a Train Ticket

This is about a book called Ten Marks and a Train Ticket. This real life book is written by three sisters. Susy Goldstein, Gina Hamilton and Wendy Share. This book is about their father Benno’s escape from Nazi persecution before WWII. Benno and his brother Heinz go through frightening, thrilling and bitter sweet moments on their journey from Berlin, Germany all the way to eventually Toronto, Canada. Here is a timeline that I made using Timetoast for all 5 sections of the book.I created a time line using Timetoast to show the five different sequences that we read in the book.There were many graphics that stood out during the book, but there is one that I remember very clearly. The two brothers just boarded a train and notice that there is two SS officers searching the cabins and looking for illegal stow aways, which Benno and Heinz are.
Heinz and Benno are under on of the two compartment seats in the cabin in total darkness. Heinz is at one end breathing hard and Benno at the other end listening to Heinz breathing. This stands out for me because it must have been terrifying thinking that they might be caught and sent to a concentration camp.

Henry Law

There is a significant quotation in the book Ten Marks and a Train TIcket. This is the one that I chose to share. “When do you think we’ll see everyone again?” I asked Heinz nervously. This quotation is important to the story because Benno is still very optimistic and still thinks that his family will be together again. Unbeknownst to him that day on the train was the last day he will see his family.

There are many things that I both learned and found surprising in the book. One thing that I learned is that 9600 children were saved by the kinder transport. I found it quite surprising that 30 years after the war that someone would paint a swastika on Benno’s car. I think that that is just wrong. Two thought provoking question that I have are. What would Benno’s life have been like if his parents and Charlie had of survived? Why did the long trousers Benno found mean so very much to him?


One response to this post.

  1. You might like to read the book “An island in the sea” (En ö i havet) by Anneka Thor (I think it is in English now). Swedish television made it into a film which will probably be broadcast sooner or later with English sub-titles. It is about two Jewish girls who were sent to Sweden with the Kindertransport.


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