Passing Strangers by Angela Hunt

Title: Passing Strangers

Author: Angela Hunt

Narrated by: Lia Frederick

Pages: 346

Year: 2014

Genre: Contemporary

Publisher: Christian Writers Guild

Note: I received a free audio book copy of this novel through The Book Club Network in exchange for my honest opinion.

About the book:

     A train roars over the rails, carrying passengers on a trip that will change their lives. Among the many people aboard the 97 Silver Meteor are Andie Crystal, a lonely young woman hiding from her youth as a reality TV star; Matthew Scofield, a widower trying to escape his responsibilities to his two young children; and Janette Turlington, a middle-aged mother running from a situation that has destroyed the peace in her home and marriage. These three form a makeshift family on an Amtrak tour through the Southern seaboard, a journey that just might heal their wounded hearts and restore them to the people to whom they matter most.

My review:

     This is a very thought provoking novel.

     The three main characters are Andie Crystal, Matthew Scofield, and Janette Turlington. They are vastly different from each other and they are all struggling with situations in their lives that have left them feeling alone and unable to connect with others. They are each so well developed that I was able to feel a connection with each of them early on in the story.

     I loved how Angela introduced them to the reader as well as to each other. It simply started as loners that didn’t want to eat alone. Then as they spent time with each other they became friends. At different times throughout the story different ones were able to speak words of wisdom to another one.

     Each of the main characters grew throughout the story and there was a lot of insight shared in this story about how people should treat family members. It did a great job of getting me to think about my own relationships with my family members. This included a number of different family relationships; mother/grown child, grown siblings, spouses, father/young children.

     I absolutely loved the narrator for this audio book. Her voice is very smooth and easy to listen to. The accents and voice changes that she used for the dialog of different characters was fabulous. It added an extra dimension to the listening experience for this story. I will be looking for more books that she has narrated.

     I can’t recommend this story highly enough. I’m very seriously thinking about getting a print copy and rereading it myself. I am giving it a rating of 5 stars. I look forward to reading more books by Angela Hunt. She is a marvelous author.