Book Review: Passing Strangers, by Angela Hunt

Put simply, Passing Strangers is the story of five people, three adults and two children, who take a train vacation through the south.  Section One of three sections is the story of Andie, the missing member of a large family, who ran from her family’s television popularity to hide from the limelight.  She was successfully hidden when she got the news that her mother was dying from cancer.  Suddenly, the world she left behind was no longer statically frozen — they still existed.  The sand shifted under her feet and she had no idea what to do.  At that moment, her boss arranged for her to take a train vacation through the south.

Section Two is the story of how Matt became widowed while his two children were still very young.  What could a workaholic lawyer do to get his life back in order?  Easy.  Ship the kids to grandma’s house by taking them on a train ride vacation through the south.

Section Three is Janette’s story.  She lives with her husband and daughter, but life with her daughter, who becomes violent on a whim, has become intolerable.  Without thinking, Janette packs a bag and runs to the train station, buying a ticket for a train ride vacation through the south.

These people all meet by chance on the train.  Over the next two weeks, they all learn to love and support each other, while, individually, they make life-changing decisions.

What I enjoyed most about this book is that these people didn’t necessarily make the obvious choices.  I would have made very different choices, and so it was interesting to see all these characters have points of view that are different from mine.  This is also a “kind” story, where no one is mean, and everyone is trying to be the best they can be.  If you have room for a very nice book, I recommend this one.

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