The Train Stops Here

by Gail Sattler

Another train arrived at the station Hard times that began with the stock market crash of 1929 are only worsening for Elliott Endicott. With his dreams crumbling around him, Elliott has one last hope: a job on the West Coast. He’ll be taking the train–but not as a paying passenger.
Louise Demchuck’s father works for the railroad, and one of his duties is to remove hobos from the trains. Day after day, Louise’s kind heart aches with compassion for the homeless men she sees. She always prays for them and does what little she can to feed them.
What will happen when a hobo named Elliott crosses the path of a railroader’s daughter named Louise? Will the locomotive whistle announce love or simply another disappointment?

Genres: Fiction

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Gail Sattler is the author of numerous novels, novellas, gift books, cookbooks and devotions. She is a longstanding member of East Ridge Community Fellowship, a Mennonite Brethren church. She lives and writes in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

Gail is a wife, mother, writer, and musician, and the order of those things will depend on what day it is. She leads a busy life, with music affiliations in a jazz band and string orchestra, as well as writing, which is her passion. She wrote her first book back in middle school on a clackety old manual typewriter. Her writing has changed a lot since then. Now Gail writes romantic comedy, and most of the books she's written in the last few years are part of a series. Gail loves to continue a story, to make a new book with the story of a minor character from a previous story.

When Gail isn't writing, she loves to take pictures. Her primary targets, err, volunteers, are usually her family, pets, friends, and bandmates.

Reviews

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an okay read. I liked the characters, but felt the story was a little boring and repetitive.

[Anna Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elliott is a man promised a job out west in a logging camp during the Great Depression. After he's robbed at the train station, he finds himself travelling as a hobo, half starved and desperate to get to his destination. When the train pulls in to a tiny hamlet in Manitoba, he steps off to forage for food and meets Louise, who invites him home to dinner.

God orchestrates an 'accident' the same night - the head lineman for the railway gets drunk and sloppy, and the foreman is hit with a pile of ties, and breaks his femur. Down a man and unable to work himself, Louise's dad offers Elliott the job and a place to stay for the 8 weeks until he's better. Of course Elliott falls for the girl, but it's the story - the history, the community, the family - that makes the weaving of the tale sweet.

Having said... Gail needs to do her research a little better. If it's freezing at night? There aren't strawberries yet, honey. You said 'early spring' - strawberries come out end of June in northern climes. She said the baby chicks 'curled up in a ball'. Chicks don't curl - they actually drop right on their faces when they sleep, little wings out. She also said the 'soft yellow down' gave way to 'black and white striped feathers. Um, NO. Black/white chickens (like Barred Rock) are black pullets, and the ones that are yellow either turn white or copper (Rhode Island Reds) as adults. And yeah, I've raised dozens upon dozens of pullets to adulthood.

I'm also not of the opinion that 'sharing the gospel' over the five minutes you give a hobo food is doing God's work. It's not even enough time to sow a seed. But then, I have definite opinions on evangelism and missions that don't jive with what's taught from a pulpit. Cheapening a faith relationship with the Creator to a drive-thru jingle tossed out with a happy meal really sets wrong with me, and that's what is - in essence - done here.

I own and like this story, and think it's definitely a great way to spend an hour... but there were issues that kept me from giving it higher ratings.

[Lila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story. The details about life in that era were enlightening and interesting.

[Emmie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Beautiful Christian romance