The Christmas Train
David Baldacci
(Reviewer - Narayan Radhakrishnan)
2002 Time Warner
ISBN: 0446525731

A heartwarming Christmas tale of a disillusioned journalist discovering himself in the season of miracles.

Sr. Reviewer - Narayan Radhakrishnan writes:

Hey!!! What is with these lawyer authors; once they attain popularity as genre specialists, they shift gear & deliver something that is totally unexpected? Yet again proving the old adage -- you never can expect what a lawyer would do.

David Baldacci better known for his chiller-thrillers, A Simple Truth, Absolute Power & Last Man Standing, delivers a simple & poignant Christmas story in his latest novel, The Christmas Train.

Tom Langdon, a disillusioned journalist, is on his way from Washington to Los Angeles, when a security misunderstanding, Langdon being mistaken for a suspected terrorist -- forces him to miss his flight & catch a cross-country train. Thus we follow Langdon in his travels through America, a voyage that takes us across the heartland of United States. It is also a journey of self-exploration, where Langdon discovers himself, reassesses his identity &, of course, discovers the spirit of Xmas.

At this juncture, I must point out some uncanny resemblances that The Christmas Train, shares with John Grisham's 2001 Christmas novel -- Skipping Christmas that cannot be overlooked. Both books were written by lawyers, both were acclaimed legal thriller genre practitioners, both books have Christmas in their titles, both have similar cover art -- showcasing the spirit of Xmas -- & both books though hardbound, are of a smaller size than usual. Weird!!??

Resemblances aside, The Christmas Train is a jolly good read. Baldacci's style in this work is markedly different & distinct from his other thriller works -- sort of a ‘Winston Groom effect' seen in novels like Forrest Gump.

The Christmas Train left a “goodness feeling,”, a warmth, sort of what we feel, after seeing the James Stewart movie It is a Wonderful Life -- a true testament to the success of any Christmas novel.

Loved the book, & I believe it is a perfect Christmas gift for someone you love.
(12/08/02)

Narayan
2002©Narayan Radhakrishnan
A RebeccasReads.Com Sr. Associate Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
I am a 26 years old lawyer practicing in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Along with my legal practice, I have finished post-graduate studies for both Business Law & Human Rights. I am a self proclaimed numero-uno legal thriller lover & am the proud owner of all of Grisham's & Turow's novels. I enjoy John Mortimer's Rumpole & relish an occasional Martini & a rare Scot(ch)t-oline with a Patterson on the side.

My work A FICTION OF LAW is now about 500 pages in length & features 500 lawyer authors & 2000 legal thrillers covering a 300 year period - inclusive of entries from the USA, UK, Asia, Europe, China, Middle East etc. Still in search of a publisher.
www.keralatourism.org