Intersections: Short Stories From Rideshare Passengers

by Andrew Spink

Nobody lies to their Uber driver. The anonymity functions like a truth serum, putting everyone’s raw and unfiltered selves on full display. But it is in those rideshare confessionals, when human lives are intersecting without the usual pretense, that you discover the heights of human potential. And you hear some powerful stories. A woman stopping a suicide on the other side of the world. A heart attack healing a fractured family. A husband celebrating with his wife, on his last night alive.

Intersections is a collection of nine short stories, all based on the true events and experiences of rideshare passengers. As you follow the characters through life-and-death journeys, they give you hope in humanity's potential and inspire you to remain present to the infinite possibilities for wonder all around us.

280 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 10, 2023

Reviews

[Grace Convertino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrew Spink is a rideshare driver, and thanks to his line of work, he has heard many stories from his passengers while driving them to their destinations. Some are funny, some sad, some exquisitely touching. There’s something about riding in the rear seat of a car looking at the back of a stranger’s head that brings out truthful stories and anecdotes that people are willing to divulge or are itching to tell someone anonymous who will listen (like a bartender, for example). Andrew has named this work “Intersections,” with the subtitle “Life-changing Stories from My Rideshare Customers.” He explains his thoughts for the book (in which there is both real life and a bit of fiction) as follows: “Every interaction with anyone is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. An opportunity for lives to intersect. And, when we’re open to it, an opportunity for our lives to be changed in minute ways. Or in major ways. Every day we go through dozens of intersections, which hold infinite potential. The chance to learn or unlearn. To feel. To understand. To inspire. The opportunity to let go. To be energized or soothed. To gain perspective.” He proves his point with the nine carefully selected, powerful stories he chooses to share with readers, from a serendipitous meeting of two former high school sweethearts sharing the same ride, to a security coordinator of a tech company working with a security guard on the opposite side of the world to prevent a suicide, to a most thankful couple going out to a fancy dinner celebrating all of their blessings before the husband goes for stem cell treatment for his rare blood cancer, with 80-20 odds against him.

“Intersections” is a collection of nine touching, resonant stories of people who have the need to talk to someone but can’t for one reason or another, whether it’s a top-secret job or being alone in a strange place, thousands of miles from home. Sometimes, it’s easier to share secrets with a stranger, someone with no personal connection to you, a person to just listen. I have done the same thing to a lesser extent, speaking my thoughts aloud to a stranger shopping in the same clothing rack or commiserating in the slow-moving grocery checkout lane. No matter how independent or introverted we may be, we all crave human connection and the assurance that we are seen and accepted, even if it means merely wishing each other good luck and good health in the doctor’s office. Once on a whim in a coffee shop, I bought coffee for the person behind me in line, who was stunned for a moment, then bought the coffee for the person behind him. That woman did the same for the woman behind her, and on it went, all the way down the line. We smiled at each other, said our thank-yous, and for a moment we were connected as a group (cashier and coffee maker included) by the simple act of buying coffee for and expressing gratitude to each other. It made my day, and I believe we all need more of that. Most human interactions are usually warm and wonder-filled, and negative experiences are generally far fewer (though the negatives seem to outweigh the positives for many people, staying with them longer and becoming a sticking point). Andrew’s retelling of his experiences is well-written and heart warming. I was especially moved by the grateful couple going through hell who feel blessed by life and nature in spite of the husband’s looming death and what would probably be their last dinner out. Andrew engaged those who were willing to share, listening and showing each person that they were seen. I feel I am a better person for having intersected with Andrew’s work and experiencing the shared story of each person mentioned. I’d would absolutely love it if he wrote a sequel!

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Andrew Spink, and Audacity Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[⋆｡‧˚ʚ Emma ɞ˚‧｡⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nobody lies to their Uber driver.
Intersections is a collection of stories told by an Uber driver about his passengers.

The moment I read the summery for this book I had such high expectations and it did not disappoint!

Reading this made me want to jump out of my chair and go talk to some strangers! It’s all about finding beauty in the mundane.

[Meenal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the subtitle and the inviting blurb. I don't understand what the cover signifies. I like the ending of the prologue. The illustrations at the beginning of both parts force you to stop and look. Hijacked gives me an idea of what my future might look like. I found the idea of becoming like your mother particularly thought-provoking. It was my favourite story from the collection. I want to keep re-reading it till I develop enough self-belief. The other stories are also interesting; each story is praiseworthy. I'm so sorry Chad died. I hope his soul rests in peace. The author rating his passengers 5 stars in the acknowledgements section when the drivers are the ones that are usually rated is a good spin. I'm unsure whether Indians speak as much to their cabbies; usually the cabbies speak to us. But it's cool that people spoke to the author, and he decided to share those stories with us. This is a good collection that's written equally well. There is also a lot of representation in this book, be it across nationalities, races, gender, or sexuality. I'm happy this book exists. I had to sit with my thoughts for a while after finishing this book. I feel blessed to have read these experiences. This book is one of the reasons people read books: to be transported to other worlds. I hope many more people get to read these stories and have their lives touched by these interactions.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb collection of short stories by Andrew Spink. Passenger's stories told to the driver of their rideshare journey were magic. Extremely well put together and a joy to read. Impossible to put down and well worth five stars.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a hard time putting this book down. The very first story really pulled me in, the author was able to really describe how the characters were feeling and their surroundings.
This is a collection of 9 stories about people who just needed someone to talk to. While these are based on real events, there are details added in for the purpose of storytelling.
The book is broken into three sections (Water, Earth, Fire) and the chapters are broken down into the day and time of what is happening throughout. This gives you a sense of being there too, like a fly on the wall. Each story is from the point of view of the person riding with the Uber and others within the story, so you get their perspective.
The author does a good job of grabbing your attention with these stories based on real events with an Uber driver. It helps remind you that you are not the only person with problems. Everyone has their own stories and struggles but we will never know what someone has going on if we don’t ask and listen to them, truly listen. The book made me sit and think about how we pass some of the same people all the time and know nothing about them. Think about the barista you see several times a week, the store cashier or greater. What do you know about them, odds are nothing other than where they work. What if we all stop just for 10 minutes and asked one of those people how they are doing? You might get nothing but at the same time you might learn something truly interesting.
I personally have never used a rideshare, but I can see how someone might go into more details than normal about their personal life with a complete stranger when the odds of seeing them again are very low. I really enjoyed this book.

[Louanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book, for an honest review, from LibraryThing's early reviewers, which I share with you here:

"Intersections" is the result of nine short stories, nine confidences shared with a carpooling driver, without filter and spontaneously.
This collection of short stories is the first book written by Andrew Spink, storyteller, solo performer, actor and lecturer.

Of these nine stories, whose writing is fluid, very fast reading, I have not learned much, apart from the fate of these nine people. This could correspond to the life of my neighbor, or someone in my family for example.
Certainly, the story is well written, but the very theme of telling the dramas experienced by our contemporaries, seems to me like trying to capture the attention of readers, on dramatic, even tragic pieces of life.

I did not hang on to this news, condensed distress confessed to someone we will never see again.

[S. Jeyran Main · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Intersections: Life-Changing Stories From My Rideshare Passengers’ is a contemporary fiction story. It is divided into three sections: Water, Earth, and fire. The collection of stories has one united dynamic, but each, on its own, stands to be an interesting tale of an event.

As you read the Uber driver’s experiences describing his interesting conversations with his passengers, you realize how insignificant your life is compared to everyone else’s problems and stories. The author has written enjoyable characters that give you hope and inspire you for better things. Possibilities are all we live for, and as the events reported are based on true stories, you immediately know not to take them as just fiction.

I recommend this book to those who like short reads and interesting character voices.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intersections is a cleverly written collection of short stories, where an uber driver describes his most shocking/ interesting conversations he has had with his passengers. Its separated into chapters which focus on different people. I really enjoyed the butterflies and secrets, butterflies was about two strangers who had both been in a coma at the same time and experienced similar things whereas secrets was about a Christian father becoming ill after hearing about his children's path away from the religion. These two were incredibly interesting and thought provoking. I didn't really connect with the other short stories but for these two, I liked hearing about the characters and their situations, also the protagonists reactions to hearing them too was good!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nobody lies to their Uber Driver. That feeling of freedom of sharing our most important secrets with strangers is faithfully conveyed here.
I loved this. Nine excellent short stories that are engaging, all born from conversations with an Uber driver.
Brilliantly written you get totally invested in the characters in each story.
I found this yesterday afternoon when I was idly scrolling through Netgalley and I’m so glad I did.
Read over one evening these stories will stay with me long after I finished the book.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every part has a poem to provide context for the upcoming short stories:
- The Jumper
- Hijacked
- Breath
- Secrets
- The Svislach
- The Skeptic
- Magic
- Butterflies
- The Last Supper

As short stories, there is no time to connect with the characters, and the stories are plot-driven. Some of the shorts are heavy.


I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jennifer Ohlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intersections, the reality of our world

Like I said in my title, this novel contains reality and truth. It gives you new perspectives as well. The way the point of views belonged to everyone in the story and was only being told by one person really gave me a sense that the author was there in the story. I usually only read fiction, but these stories are so unreal, like fiction, yet from a real person. Overall, I loved this book and its format and just everything about it.

[Nic · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I am currently studying short stories I was keen to read Intersections when I was offered it as an ARC by NetGalley. The premise of using the stories of Uber passengers is a great one. This ended up being a book that I didn't quite know what to make of in the end. Each story felt as though it were written in a slightly different style as some were written from the driver's point of view and others seemed to use this as framing for a story written from the perspective of the passenger. I think I found it odd as there were times when it felt blurred as to whether the sections written from the passenger perspective were as told to the driver or Spink's imagination and interpretation of what had happened. For example when a passenger was narrating their thoughts it made me wonder whether someone would really go into that much detail of their inner monologue to a complete stranger? Perhaps they do, in which case, that is a fascinating insight into people on its own! Another similar example is when in the passenger's point of view and they give a relatively detailed description of themselves. Personally, I think this would have either worked better as Spink giving his impression of them otherwise I would be surprised if they would tell him how they perceived themselves when just chatting to a stranger. There was one part in 'Breath' where a paragraph was repeated later on and I couldn't work out if this was for dramatic effect or just an oversight on the part of the author but again this knocked me out of the story a little.

Overall, I found it a little hard to work out if these stories were intended to be Spink telling the passengers' stories as he was told them or whether he used a lot of artistic licence particularly with their internal monologues. For me, I could probably have accepted either if it had felt more consistent across the collection. One of the most effective stories for me though was 'The Last Supper' as this felt the most genuine. In fact. Spink makes a comment in the acknowledgements that suggests it was this story was the inspiration for the book,

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intersections written by Andrew Spink is a collection of short stories told by ride-share passengers to their driver. These stories are varied in topics and are based on true events.

Intersections takes you on a journey into many lives, including one of a fractured family and how religion has played a significant role in this dysfunctional family. It was so heart-warming to watch this family come back together again. Another story shares the highs and lows of a young person's sexuality and trying to find peace within themselves. So brave, yet so vulnerable. It was amazing to read how two childhood sweethearts caught the same share-ride some 16 years after going their separate ways.

I felt privileged to read each story as they are so personal, honest and raw.

This book is a great read and easy to read when life is super busy. Once I started reading it, I didn't want to put it down as I wanted to read about each new amazing passenger sharing their soul.

An intriguing component of this book is how people are bought together. Sometimes we are just meant to meet. Equally, it made me think about my own life and how I live it.

I would definitely recommend this book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily