The Christmas Train, Week 4

Welcome to Week 4 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Christmas Train.

Well, I can safely say that I did not see anything from that ending coming. That ending was quite a doozy! What did you think? Did you enjoy the ending? Or did you think it was a little over the top? I think there were too many reveals right at the end. I think one surprise would have been enough. 

At the end of the book, the thief is finally revealed. Were you surprised that it was Father Kelly? That was a real surprise. It was sad that he returned to crime after his wife died. It's too bad that he was all alone. What did you think about the fact that Agnes was really an undercover police officer for Amtrak? I wouldn't have guessed that. Do you think the thief storyline was necessary to the plot? Do you think it added anything to the story? 

Also, at the end of the book, we find out that Max organized this whole trip and hired actors to make sure that Tom and Eleanor got together. What did you think of this reveal? I didn't like it. It was just too out there for me. I just don't see how Max could have organized all of those details and could have accounted for everything that could ever go wrong. It just seems too far-fetched. Were you surprised that Tom wasn't more upset when he figured out what Max had done? I guess he was just so happy that Eleanor had agreed to be with him. 

How did the end of the book make you feel about Eleanor and Tom? I feel like I never really got to know Eleanor. I didn't think she was very fleshed out. I thought it was weird that she wasn't open with her feelings to Tom at any point. I wish she had been more honest with him and would have told him earlier why she wasn't interested in being with him. Tom showed himself to be a hero when he was willing to ski to safety, but I still didn't feel like he was a very likeable character. I feel like I really didn't get to know him very well either. 

Were you surprised by the avalanche section? Weren't you so worried for everyone? I didn't think that anyone would end up dying, but I did find that part of the book stressful! That would be such a horrible scenario! I can't imagine being trapped like that. It would be so stressful to be running low on food and not know if anyone could come help. I couldn't believe that they even had to evacuate the train. That would have been really scary. 

What did you think of Lelia in this last section? I think I was glad when it was revealed that she was acting the whole time. I was so confused when she showed up and claimed that she wanted to marry Tom. That seemed so out of character for their relationship. It makes much more sense that she was acting and was not really that interested in Tom. Do you think she and Kristobal will end up together? The end of the book seems to hint that they might try to make a go of things. What do you think that relationship would be like? 

Are you glad you read the book? What part was your favorite? Did you have a favorite character? Did the book help to put you in the Christmas spirit? If you liked this book and would be interested in watching and reading similar titles, make sure to check out this list I created. Let me know if you end up checking out anything on the list!

Make sure to check out the video below to hear Dermot Mulroney talk about the movie and the original song he created for the movie! 

Thanks for following along all month. I hope you enjoyed the book. Make sure to let me know what you thought of the ending in the comments! And, make sure to check back next month as we read The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown.