The Christmas Train | David Baldacci
“I’ve seen enough in this world to know that two people who can make each other that miserable must love each other a lot.”
Tom Langdon is 41, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, a globetrotter, a roaming soul... and he's taking a train from DC to LA this Christmas. Intent on writing a story about train travel and fulfilling a long-standing family wish, he prepares himself for the ride on two historic trains - The Capitol Limited and The Southwest Chief.
His current girlfriend, though mostly just casual partner, Lelia is a voice actress. Their relationship is nothing like what he had so long ago, back when he had an actual partner, a woman he wanted forever with... before she left him in Tel Aviv, the words she said that day still not making sense in his head.
“Love is like a good piece of wood: It just gets stronger and stronger as the years go by.”
The train ride proves to be a much bigger adventure than he had anticipated, though. With a cast of characters so colorful:
- the train attendants Regina and her mother Roxanne, always ready with good advice and with a way to fix any crisis;
- the old train man Higgings who was let go because of budget costs but travels on his own budget and still consults he conductor;
- Agnes Joe, a fat lady who is always intruding on everything, knows and is known by everyone, always travels but apparently has nowhere to go to;
- Father Kelly, a priest who has retired but still likes giving advice and is somewhat lost in life;
- Gordon Merrywather, "the king of class-action lawsuit";
- Steve and Julie, a young couple who decides to elope despite their parents' disapproval;
- Misty, a New Orleans native who reads Tarot cards;
- Max Powers, a famous Hollywood director;
- Kristobal, his assistant.
“I’m not saying that riding the train will change your life, or that passenger rail will be a big moneymaker one day. But no matter how fast we feel we have to go, shouldn’t there be room for a train, where you can just sit back, take a breath, and be human for a little while? Just for a little while? Is that so bad?”
There are a lot of adventures on the train: a wedding, a loose boa constrictor, a thief, an angry lawyer, new passengers, an avalanche... And through it all, the people on board lean on each other, help and become a makeshift family. Tom and Eleanor learn to communicate because it's their lack of skill in that department that got them to a breaking point in Tel Aviv many years ago.
But through all the adventure and fun, will these two learn to just be with each other? Will they be able to let go of their hurts and simply love? Well, the other people on the train are certainly going to give their best to make them see they are meant fr each other, some more than others... and the reveal at the end will help you see how much people care.
There is also a Hallmark movie based on the book. I saw it before reading but they are different enough that the book experience wasn't soiled. I knew about the twist at the end, but there were so many more characters and twists that I was kept on the edge of my seat wondering if the reveal is the same. And though it was, it is handled differently so now I can enjoy both mediums because they provide different experiences.
This is a wonderful Christmas book and, not gonna lie, it made me want to get on a long distance train and just soak up the atmosphere, observe people and take in the adventure. Maybe I'll even do it someday.
0 comments