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The Christmas Train

3.51 of 5 stars 3.51 · rating details · 5,912 ratings · 764 reviews

Disillusioned journalist Tom Langdon must get from Washington D.C. to L.A in time for Christmas. Forced to travel by train, he begins a journey of rude awakenings, thrilling adventures and holiday magic. He has no idea that the locomotives pulling him across America will actually take him into the rugged terrain of his own heart, as he rediscovers people's essential goodne...more

Paperback, 288 pages

Published November 1st 2004 by Warner Books (first published 2002)

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How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore

Best Christmas-Themed Books/Stories

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Best Christmas Holiday Books

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Dec 17, 2008 Kellie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2004-reads, 2007-reads, christmas, bookclub-books, 2008-reads

The central character of the story is Tom Langdon, an investigative reporter who has relegated himself to writing about furniture following his more adventurous existence with his longtime girl friend, Eleanor, in foreign lands covering wars and such. He decides to take a cross-country train trip partly to fulfill a request from his now deceased father and partly to reflect on his own life and to see a friend on the West Coast. The Capitol is the train to Chicago where he changes to the Southwes...more

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Dec 19, 2008 Linda rated it 2 of 5 stars

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Feb 09, 2009 Betty rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: train lovers, everyone

Shelves: cozies, humor, mystery, mystery-cozy, novels, seasonal, favorites

A lighthearted read evoking a simpler time, the story centers around a disillusioned journalist and his chance to complete what his father had never been able to accomplish. Tom Langdon had known for years that there was a familial connection to Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain but he was not aware that his father had a last wish for Tom to complete a story that Twain had never finished. A story of taking a train across the country at Christmastime. Twain supposedly took many notes on the trip, but...more A lighthearted read evoking a simpler time, the story centers around a disillusioned journalist and his chance to complete what his father had never been able to accomplish. Tom Langdon had known for years that there was a familial connection to Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain but he was not aware that his father had a last wish for Tom to complete a story that Twain had never finished. A story of taking a train across the country at Christmastime. Twain supposedly took many notes on the trip, but had never made a story from them.

As it turns out, Tom is planning to travel across the country to be in California by Christmas to be with his girl-friend, and will be traveling by train because he is not allowed to travel by air due to a volcanic temper tantrum in the airport after a long, tiring flight and a probing search at the security gate. Thus he decides to follow through on his father’s deathbed wish. He decides he will take his own notes and compile them into a story. Traveling by rail he hears the stories of many people who have made the trip many times before. He also meets a young couple wanting to get married on the train, an eccentric old woman who seems to know everyone very well, a film director, and a person from his own past. At one point on the trip there also appears to be a bit of a thief, and this story runs along in the background.

David Baldacci has created a little rolling world peopled with interesting and varied characters. Then everything comes to a screeching halt as they become trapped in this little world with apparently no way out. I really enjoyed this book, and particularly the subtexts and direction changes, red herrings and subterfuge with a dash or humour. This was a good Christmas story and the ending took me completely by surprise; I’m sure to be reading it again next Christmas. Surprisingly, this is the first Baldacci book I have read and I know this is not his usual fare, but of course I will be reading some of his other books in 2009! I definitely recommend it.(less)

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Dec 08, 2007 Karschtl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bc, drama, love, funny, read-in-2007

Another book (after Christmas Journey by Anne Perry) that fits the current season. Its central theme is coincidentally also a journey taking place around Christmas, but this one here is taking place today. Although at some points the reader might think it is the 1920s or 1950s, where taking the train was the main method of travelling. The way it is described here it actually sounds like a lot of fun.
Different from my own experience I must say, and I've just recently taken the train from Berlin t...more

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Dec 16, 2008 Sally rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I really do like this book. It's a very uplifting book especially around Christmas. Tom Langdon is an investigative reporter who decide's to take the train to LA to see his girlfriend for Christmas. However, on this train he runs in to his college sweetheart, Eleanor who is less than surprised to see him. Especially when they left each other on bad terms. Eleanor is a writer for a big movie director, Max Powers who is doing research for a train movie and decide's to pair the two up to make notes...more

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Dec 08, 2008 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a fun book and a nice holiday read. It reminded me that the season is about connecting with people, which is done on the train trip described. I did not see the end coming, which was what I would expect from this author. The rest of the book was surprisingly sentimental, which I would not have expected from him. But that was a nice surprise. Overall, an enjoyable book.

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Dec 07, 2008 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

A fun, kind of romantic book about a jaded journalist finding himself and his future, all set at Christmas time on a cross country train trip. I liked this author's style of writing, dry humor and easy reading. A light "happy-ending" type read...

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Apr 15, 2013 Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: christmas, david-baldacci, train-travel, romance, the-christmas-train

Every Christmas for the past five years I have read The Christmas Train by David Baldacci. I love this story, it never disappoints and at 260 pages it is a quick read.

Tom Langdon is a retired, disillusioned war correspondent and is now back in the US writing articles for domestic magazines and covering teen beauty pageants. After a “misunderstanding” at airport security he is forced to travel from Washington DC to Los Angeles by train this Christmas. Unable to escape this situation he decides t...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Judy Collins rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This was a very uplifting and lighthearted book set on a train during the Christmas season. (I have a love trains and have always wanted to take a ride across country, as seems so adventurous). I listed to the book on audio and offered great sound effects, which made it very realistic and put you in the mood and the narrator Tim Matheson was excellent. Reminded me a little of Richard Paul Evans’ books as his books tend to be centered around the holiday season.

It was full of colorful characters f...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Peggy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tom Langdon is riding the rails across America to write a story about the people he meets--partly because he is burned out on war stories and trivial interest stories, and partly because he is banned from airports after an "incident." He plans to meet up with his long-distant girl friend for a skiing vacation over Christmas. However,Eleanor, the true love of his life, whom he hasn't seen for years since they separated under unhappy circumstances is also on the train, along with a host of interes...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Jenna St Hilaire rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It’s the ninth day of Christmas and almost the last minute for posting seasonal things, though it might have better benefited all ye readers if I’d written up this review before Christmas as I meant to. As it stands, however, if you want to wind down your holidays with a bit of pleasant, commercial light reading with a dependably heartwarming ending, you might give Baldacci a try.

I’ve read a handful of these cheery, simple romantic comedies—not more, because they’re brain candy of a type I don't...more It’s the ninth day of Christmas and almost the last minute for posting seasonal things, though it might have better benefited all ye readers if I’d written up this review before Christmas as I meant to. As it stands, however, if you want to wind down your holidays with a bit of pleasant, commercial light reading with a dependably heartwarming ending, you might give Baldacci a try.

I’ve read a handful of these cheery, simple romantic comedies—not more, because they’re brain candy of a type I don't often find appealing enough to waste caloric intake upon. They’re so happy-go-lucky, though, that I don’t bother making great detours to avoid them. The Christmas Train does everything one of these books is supposed to do: it uses prose that in the charity of the season shall be called accessible, it creates a good positive mood, and it tells a remarkably well-constructed holiday mystery in which the only predictable feature is the reader’s comfortable confidence that in the end, the hero and his girl will kiss and make up and be happy.

It’s also likely to make the reader dream of taking a train trip—though perhaps not in the dead of winter.

For all that the prose isn't much to look at, the story is likable. It gives its setting a nice little ambience and populates the trains with big-hearted, larger-than-life characters. The plot develops nicely to a climax and takes a couple of surprising little twists before rumbling pleasantly to its conclusion.

In the tradition of its genre, it contains some common linguistic and sexual vulgarity. Less according to that tradition, it makes a few references to religion and varying degrees of participation thereof, mostly friendly; as an insider, I could put forth a mild mumble or two about the unlikeliness of a couple of scenes, but that would involve spoilers, so I won’t.

December often manages to be the busiest and most stressful time of the year; it can be a relief, then, to read a tale that intentionally takes things a little slower. I know from stories friends have told me that trains and hurry do not go well together—which on some days would seem to be another recommendation for traveling by train. At any rate, I don’t regret the two hours I spent on this one.(less)

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Jan 06, 2012 Tony rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought I would give this a go after reading some positive reviews on the net. It's a very easy read and I found Baldacci's style uncomplicated and engaging. The story chronicles the journey of journalist Tom Langdon from Washington to LA in order to arrive in time for Christmas. Due to previous incidents he is unable to cross the US by plane and is instead opts to take the train. He intends to write about the journey of over 3000 miles from sea to sea. What he doesn't know is that what happen...more

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Nov 19, 2011 Suka rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was so disappointed in this book. David Baldacci is one of the best authors around and this one seemed like it was written by a high school senior. The story was too far-fetched to be even remotely believable. The details about the train trip showed that a lot of research was done regarding railroads and train travel, and the stories told by the railroad employees were very interesting. That would have been fine if the story kept to the original idea of Tom Langdon completing a train trip acro...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Journalist Tom Langdon loved adventure. Disappointed with "the human condition" he decides to take the train from Washington DC to L.A. in time to spend Christmas with his bi-coastal girlfriend, Lelia, a former third-rate horror actress turned award-winning cartoon character voice artist. Tom, at 41, felt that "half his time on Earth was gone, and all he had to show for it was a failed marriage, no offspring, an informal alliance with a California voiceover queen, a truckload of newsprint, and s...more

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Dec 28, 2010 JoAnn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, funny

A few months ago I was looking for something on my church's website and I found the teaching pastor's profile that included a list of some of his favorite authors. David Baldacci was the name that stuck in my mind and when I came across a copy of this book a week or two later, I picked it up.
The book is set on a train trip from Washington D.C. to Chicago on the Capitol Limited and from Chicago to Los Angeles on the Southwest Chief. Several years ago I took the Southwest Chief from L.A. to Chicag...more

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Dec 26, 2010 Norma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: christmas

There has always been a sense of nostalgia about trains. Thoughts of trains bring you back to days gone by, when times were simpler. Life may not have been easy back in the days when trains were the main form of mass transportation. But people had a sense of who they were, they knew what they wanted out of life, and most importantly, they took time out to savor what they did have.

My own family’s history with trains is a long lived one. I have traced back a few generations on my mom’s sidewestern...more There has always been a sense of nostalgia about trains. Thoughts of trains bring you back to days gone by, when times were simpler. Life may not have been easy back in the days when trains were the main form of mass transportation. But people had a sense of who they were, they knew what they wanted out of life, and most importantly, they took time out to savor what they did have.

My own family’s history with trains is a long lived one. I have traced back a few generations on my mom’s sidewestern harvest that were all railway men. I personally have not had the chance to ride the rails. However, after I read this story, wanderlust has set in. Unfortunately, I have no where to go, no money to travel, and no one to travel with. So I will have to content myself with traveling through my imagination.

The Christmas Train by David Baldacci takes the reader on a train trip from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles, California. The main character, Tom Langdon, sets off on a trip across country in hopes of finding his true self and finding where he wants to go with his life.

In the past, Tom was constantly looking for the next rush of exhilaration, the next heart pumping action packed adventure, the next breath taking moment of near death experience. A few times, Tom had wanted to pop the question to his longtime girlfriend, Eleanor. However, he was more fearful of asking for her hand in marriage then being taken hostage in a war torn country.

It wasn’t until Ellie walked out on Tom that he really had to reevaluate his life. The loss of Ellie left him cold and bereft. Being a war correspondent no longer held its thrill. He soon traveled back to the states and sold his sold to mass publications in the form of writing fluff pieces on the latest furnishing crazes.

Tom drifted from one relationship to another. He finally settled for an unfulfilling long-distance relationship with Lelia. He was most happy when they were on opposite sides of the country. This Christmas, he was supposed to travel to meet up with Lelia in LA so that they could spend Christmas together in Tahoe.

Little did Tom know that boarding the train in D.C. would be the most exciting and awe-inspiring trip of his life time.

This book really was an eye opener. It reminds you that you never know what life may bring, so you must live it to its fullest. Don’t let things slip away from you. If you are lucky, the first time around, hold on to it. If you get a second chance, don’t let it slip through your fingers.

There was a lot of train history and lore woven into this book. Interestingly enough, I had to read most of this book by candlelight since we were without power for many hours. I think that may have also lent itself to the nostalgic feel.

Definitely a great book that no one should pass by!(less)

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Jul 15, 2010 Dawn rated it 4 of 5 stars

We all have things we enjoy at Christmas - watching a particular Christmas movie, decorating a tree or other traditions. Reading The Christmas Train will be one addition to my Christmas traditions that will truly put me "in the mood" for Christmas. The story is wonderfully told, with likable, realistic characters that become dear and familiar by the end of the book, with action, humor, mystery, suspense, and tears that kept me completely enthralled from the beginning of the book to its stunning...more We all have things we enjoy at Christmas - watching a particular Christmas movie, decorating a tree or other traditions. Reading The Christmas Train will be one addition to my Christmas traditions that will truly put me "in the mood" for Christmas. The story is wonderfully told, with likable, realistic characters that become dear and familiar by the end of the book, with action, humor, mystery, suspense, and tears that kept me completely enthralled from the beginning of the book to its stunning end. Some books you can predict what will happen next. Not this one! Though the reader may have hopes for what will happen next, there are no guarantees, and there are many wonderful surprises in store! Tom Langdon, an investigative reporter who has covered wars, won 2 Pulitzer prizes and has reverted to writing fluff because he is so depressed about not being able to change the world for the better, has decided to take a train trip across the U.S. to fulfill one of his dead father's requests, and to meet his girlfriend Lelia in LA. Tom doesn't really love Lelia; he just has found a comfortable companionship with her - they don't even live together, they just see each other every now and then. Tom's true love, Eleanor (Ellie), has been lost to him some years ago, and Tom isn't really sure what happened between the two of them - he just knows that not marrying Ellie was the worst mistake of his life. Imagine his surprise, then, to discover that Eleanor is on the same train as he is, working as a film writer for Max Powers, a very successful movie director. When Max and Tom bump into one another, Max has a great idea - he suggests that Tom and Eleanor work on writing the "train movie" together. Eleanor wants no part of it, but Max Powers always gets his way! Then the train becomes trapped by an avalanche, and there is such a severe winter storm going on that the more than 300 passengers worry what will happen when the train's fuel and food runs out. Who will rescue the trapped train and all the people traveling with it? An excellent, excellent holiday (or anytime) read, full of love, hope, good cheer, and miracles.(less)

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Feb 04, 2011 Adam rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks-a-z

Post Listen Review: Ah yes. The Christmas stories we hear all the time. Done to death.

Was there a train? Yes. Was it Christmas? Yes. Did non-committal guy who doesn't realize he is non-committal get on the train find his lost love and reconnect with her, giving him one last chance to find true happiness which is, of course, love? Right-o. Did the mischievious thief on the train grow a conscience after doing something good for the people stuck on a train? Uh-huh. Was there snow? Yep, even two ava...more

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Nov 09, 2009 Anne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Even though compared to most places in the country it doesn't really get that cold where I live, I still like to celebrate what I consider to be the wintery season with a nice peppermint mocha. With a handmade scarf wrapped around my neck, the perfect way to round out the picture is with a cheesy happy-ending holiday story. Thankfully, my mom delivered with this ridiculously silly, predictable, and sappy story by David Baldacci. As she said - it's kind of like Nicholas Sparks. You have to be in...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Monica rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook

This story was easy and harmless. I thought the writing was pretty cheesy and the main character, Tom Langdon was obnoxious. Some may find the plot charming and think of a Hallmark Channel movie. The story follows Tom on a cross-country train from DC to LA via Chicago. Tom’s on the train for four reasons; one, to get to LA to meet up with his “girlfriend,” two, to write about the cross country trip—he is a journalist after all, three, he was not allowed to fly for two years because of an alterca...more

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May 12, 2010 Alberto rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vida

Un escritor venido a menos, Tom Langdon (Podría ser familiar, pero no tiene nada que ver con Robert Langdon del personaje de Dan Brown en el Codigo DaVinci), recorre en tren de Washington a L.A. para reunirse con su pareja, sin embargo en el camino se encuentra con personajes peculiares de nuestro dia a dia que van alegrando el camino... sin duda algo tienen los trenes que desinhiben a las personas, y se abren con mucha mayor facilidad a su corazón. Asi y de esta forma Langdon se encuentra en el...more

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Dec 27, 2008 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: christmas

This was a fun read. I like to read Christmas themed books at Christmas and just happened to see this one on the Christmas shelf at my library, read the jacket and thought it sounded like a fun story. I guess sometimes I like books that are fairly contrived; a lot of the reasons I read are to be mindless and just enjoy being away from "life" for awhile, a healthy escape of sorts. I really liked the storyline and thought interactions were funny. But word of advice, if you like this, don't try ano...more

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Nov 16, 2011 Loraine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: christmas-stories

This Christmas romance/mystery/adventure story is filled with a variety of characters from delightful train personnel to film producers to present and lost loves.

"Disillusioned journalist Tom Langdon must get from Washington to Los Angeles in time for Christmas. Forced to take the train across the country because of a slight "misunderstanding" at airport security, he begins a journey of self-discovery and rude awakenings, mysterious goings-on and thrilling adventures, screwball escapades and ho...more

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Sep 28, 2011 Kristy James rated it 4 of 5 stars

My eye doctor recommended The Winner to me last month, so I headed to the library and was hooked right away. I liked David Baldacci's writing style so much I bought it, along with three more, including The Christmas Train, which was next on my reading list.

I fully expected to love it, being a romance reader from my early teens. So I was surprised to find that I did not.

He provided lots of interesting facts and information about Amtrak, long distance train travel and Mark Twain. It was just miss...more

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Dec 23, 2010 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, bookcrossing

I knew Baldacci as a name for his usual stuff, so this story wasn't exactly what I expected (I expected lots of thrill and murders et). But I liked it.

Tom Langdon is a frustrated journalist who let the true love of his love slip away, kind of, many years ago. And now he's in a train from the East Coast to the West Coast in Christmas time. A long train ride, and he's planning to write about it. That much I can tell without ruining the book for others.
I like the way the story is written. Lots of...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Abhishek rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, romanctic-fic

Have you ever read a book ,which gives you such a elated sense of happiness that you wish that the book never ends.
Well,if you haven't, that book is right here.

This book featuring Tom Langdon as a journalist who boards a train to traverse across whole of America,in order to fulfill a promise he made to his father.Tom jolly and carefree as ever boards the train unaware of the fact that this is going to be the most important and weird journey of his life.Apart from accosting his ex-girlfriend and...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Nancy rated it 1 of 5 stars

I did not like this book at all. I only kept reading it because I am using it for learning how to plot. I found several of the characters to be either stereotyped or caricatures. The only character I liked at all was a minor character named Harry or Henry or something like that. I had not connection with the protagonist, and none with his love interested either.

The plot dragged on and on, and then things wrapped up too quickly at the end, and too nicely. There was too much jumping back and fort...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Nina rated it 3 of 5 stars

I figured out pretty early on in this book that suspension of disbelief and giving over to "the magic of Christmas" would be the key to enjoying the story. Good thing, because I really needed that by the end.

This reminded me of an adult version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", with a little romance, train history and trivia thrown in.

An easy, enjoyable read - with a little McGyver and Grinch thrown in for good measure. I never would have read it except for book club, and I'm glad I did.

I can...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Nancy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great Christmas book. A little slow at the beginning, but a great story.

Disillusioned journalist Tom Langdon must get from Washington D.C. to L.A in time for Christmas. Forced to travel by train, he begins a journey of rude awakenings, thrilling adventures and holiday magic. He has no idea that the locomotives pulling him across America will actually take him into the rugged terrain of his own heart, as he rediscovers people's essential goodness and someone very special he believed he had lost.

T...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Jeanne Jenkins rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

I was looking for a book to read during the Christmas holiday and stumbled on this one. I love riding on Amtrak, but was not aware of the extent that the train played in the plot of the story. Yes, I guess the name of the book should have been a give away. Anyway, the details of the train and the trip from D.C. to L.A. was wonderful. I have never been able to afford to purchase the sleeper car part of the train trip. At some point, I must save up and treat myself to a sleeper. There was a bit of...more

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About David Baldacci

David Baldacci was born in Virginia, in 1960, where he currently resides. He received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Virginia Commonwealth University and a law degree from the University of Virginia. Mr. Baldacci practiced law for nine years in Washington, D.C., as both a trial and corporate attorney.

David Baldacci has published sixteen novels: Absolute Power, Total Control, The Win...more

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Quotes from The Christmas Train

“It's my experience that 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. You see, at every stop this train makes, a little bit of America, a little bit of your country, gets on and says hello.” — 9 people liked it

“All you have to do [to win a Pulitzer Prize] is spend your life running from one awful place to another, write about every horrible thing you see. The civilized world reads about it, then forgets it, but pats you on the head for doing it and gives you a reward as appreciation for changing nothing.” — 6 people liked it

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