The Christmas Train (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "Tom Langdon was a journalist, a globetrotting one, because it was in his blood to roam widely..." (more)
Key Phrases: lounge car, Agnes Joe, Father Kelly, Southwest Chief (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Recently, Baldacci has ventured with success beyond the thrillers that made his reputation, first in 2000 with the historical melodrama Wish You Well, then earlier this year with the SF mystery novella The Mighty Johns. Here's another stretch, one that he performs with good spirit, a lot of humor and only a bit of strain a Christmas charmer set aboard a cross-country train. Tom Langdon's life hasn't been the same since his all-time love, Eleanor Carter, left him years ago while the two were hotshot journalists, and since he's quit serious reporting for writing fluff. Banned from flying for a year because of an air rage incident, he's decided to write about riding the rails over the Christmas holidays, planning to link up with his erstwhile girlfriend, a Hollywood star, in L.A. Aboard the Capitol Limited, running from D.C. to Chicago, Tom meets a host of unusual fellow travelers, including rambunctious train personnel, lonely wanderers and a pair of elopers; he also runs into Eleanor, now a screenwriter for a legendary film director who's on board researching a possible film about trains. Matters complicate further aboard the Southwest Chief, running from Chicago to L.A., as Tom's Tinseltown girlfriend shows up and proposes marriage just as Tom and Eleanor are working their way back together; a sneak thief nabs valuables; and an avalanche traps the train in the midst of a historic blizzard. The narrative is loaded with cool train lore (Baldacci dedicates the book to "everyone who loves trains and holidays") and plenty of romance and good cheer, though suspense is low who can doubt how things will work out? and the author gets a bit preachy about the advantages of train travel and the lessons of Christmas. This is a more warmhearted and enjoyable novel than Grisham's comparable holiday offering last year, Skipping Christmas, and Baldacci's fans will snap it up as the Yuletide treat it is. Expect this to stuff plenty of stockings on December 25; all aboard!
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Baldacci's latest offering--a sweet holiday tale--is a departure from his last thriller, Last Man Standing (2001). Tom Langdon is a former war reporter who now writes feature articles for various magazines. Banned from flying on airplanes after a hostile incident at an airport security checkpoint, Langdon is forced to take a cross-country train from Washington, D.C., to L.A., where his girlfriend is waiting to spend Christmas with him. As he begins talking to the passengers and staff aboard the train, he meets an eccentric older woman who seems to be a regular rider, a young couple preparing to marry on the train, and a former Catholic priest. To Tom's shock, the former love of his life, Eleanor, is also aboard the train. Sparks fly between them, bringing up old feelings along with the unresolved issues from their relationship. Tom realizes this might be his second chance with Eleanor, but a series of unexpected events may derail his plans. This latest Baldacci might not appeal to all of the fans who lap up his fast-paced thrillers, but the heartwarming holiday story might win him new fans who enjoy seasonal tales. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446615757
• ISBN-13: 978-0446615754
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (154 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,115 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Delightful Christmas Story, November 7, 2002

By	Concerned About Movies "KPR" (SC, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Christmas Train (Hardcover)

Here we have a delightful holiday love story with "SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE" written all over it. It has all of the ingredients: the lure and lore of transcontinental train travel; Christmas music; humor; romance; mystery; a huge snow storm (read "special effects"); a cast of pleasantly interesting characters; and an ending chock full of surprises. What's not to like?

The story itself has been well outlined by the Amazon.com reviewer, and it is a good story well told. It contains no foul language, no overt sex, and no violence. The novel's' secondary characters are almost uniformly well-intentioned, friendly, blessed with common sense and politically correct. (The workers on the train all work hard, love their jobs and always know what to do; the "wheelchair lady" has MS but "never lets it get her down" and "is full of good spirits despite her disability"; etc.; etc.) All of the secondary characters, that is, except for the lawyer who is utterly despicable, and who quickly gets his comeuppance!! The main characters, of course, have predictable minor flaws (like Tom Langdon's anger, which usually surfaces when an injustice is about to be done), but we never doubt that they are all fundamentally "good" people. In short, there is nothing in this novel that would ever initiate a "letter to the publisher" by a distraught reader (except, perhaps, by the Bar Association). Although none of this is bad in itself (this IS a Christmas story, after all), I found myself wishing that Tom had been more like Philip Marlowe and less like Jimmy Stewart in "It's A Wonderful Life". I think it would have made this a much more interesting story with a much more powerful ending.

However, I don't believe that this was ever meant to be a penetrating work of literature that would reveal surprising truths about the human condition. Rather, I think it was meant to be, and is, a light diversion that will leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy; a Christmas cordial that is meant to be slowly sipped, enjoyed, and then reluctantly put aside. It is a real escape from what currently passes for "entertainment" on TV and in the movie theaters.

To use another metaphor, this is a sweet holiday bonbon!

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Magic of Christmas and The Romance of Train Travel, January 4, 2003

By	Antoinette Klein (Hoover, Alabama USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Christmas Train (Hardcover)

If you are looking for a light, feel-good read that reaffirms the magic of Christmas and the fact that sometimes long-deferred dreams do come true, this is the book for you. Author David Baldacci shows us quite clearly that it's not the destination that matters, but how you enjoy the journey.

Tom Langdon sets off on a cross-country train trip at Washington, D.C. and plans to arrive in L.A. for Christmas. Having reached middle age, it is time to do some soul-searching and rethinking of life goals, and what better place than the peaceful journey a train can provide. As one of the characters so succintly tells our hero, "....most folk who ride trains could care less where they're going. For them it's the journey itself and the people they meet along the way...they're looking for some friendship, a warm body to talk to. People don't rush on a train, because that's not what trains are for."

What Tom does encounter is a less than peaceful situation plus a mix of interesting characters. A Christmas Eve avalanche, an on-board wedding, people who are not who they say they are, a ghost from the past, and a lot of Amtrak trivia will keep you interested as you travel cross-country on Tom's trip of self-examination. Some may call the ending predictable, but a very clever twist took me completely by surprise and made the journey even more interesting in retrospect.

This isn't great literature but it is an entertaining holiday read that makes this reader want to call Amtrak immediately to board the next train out of town. Great fun that I'm glad I found under my Christmas tree this year!

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Like Holiday Candy..., January 20, 2003

By	P. Kingsriter "R.N. Guy" (Lakeville, MN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Christmas Train (Hardcover)

...maybe it's not nutritiously substantial, but it sure is tasty!

David Baldacci's The Christmas Train is a light-hearted tale that clips along at a jolly pace, much like the vehicle that carries its eclectic cast of characters. The ensemble hails from just about every temperment and every walk of life, and though they're not terribly "deep", they are interesting to watch. Much like one's travels in reality, Baldacci brings the group (with us) together, allows us to see their initial facades, and in some cases digs a little deeper. For spice, he adds a splash of intrigue to the story in the form of a none-too-complicated mystery. It's a fun diversion, but the story's focal point remains interpersonal interplay.

One truly refreshing aspect of this book is the complete absence of any objectionable material - the book could be easily rated G (or stretch to a PG for one honeymooning couple). It's nice to know there are authors who can write an enjoyable novel without heavy doses of profanity, sex, or violence. Who wants to read about that stuff at Christmastime anyway? ;-)

Worth the ride, The Christmas Train provides the reader with a warm holiday treat!