The Christmas Train
by David Baldacci
Read by Tim Matheson
Unabridged 7 hours
Copyright 2002
While it was the wrong time of year to listen to a Christmas book, I enjoyed this tale even though it had a rather unbelieveable ending.
I had heard of Baldacci but had not read any of his work. This was the only book available in the library when I went in search of something new to listen to in the car.
Tom Langdon is an aging war reporter who is trying to find himself. He has no family and wishes he had married Eleanor when he had the chance, but he let her slip through his fingers. He decides to take a cross-country train trip at Christmas time, ostensibly because he is related to Mark Twain and Twain did the same thing.
In any event, Langdon meets quite a number of characters, including a fiesty fat lady, a priest, a couple who want to get married aboard the train but haven't made any arrangements so that this will happen, a film director, and a boy's choir. He also meets up with his old flame, who is none to happy to see him.
Halfway through the trip Tom's current girlfriend boards the train as a surprise to Tom, which leads to even more interesting engagements between the characters. Will they get there on time or will a blizzard cause them all lots of problems?
If you enjoy seasonal stories, then this is a good one (but listen to it then, not now).
Thanks for sharing the review of Christmas Train. I found it interesting and will order my copy soon.
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