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Switch
"When we run away, we never really leave our problems behind."
How many times had Maggie heard this when she was growing up? Yet here she was, twenty-eight years old, on a train with her five-year-old daughter, running away.
Switch is the story of Maggie and Jack, two strangers who meet on a train, headed in opposite directions: Maggie is running away from her mess while Jack is returning to clean up his. One small act of avoidance on Maggie's part, however, starts a chain reaction of destruction. She learns that the more she runs away, the more out of control her world becomes.
Will Maggie face what she fears? Or will she keep running? Does Jack find the peace he's so desperately seeking? And how will their chance encounter change each of their lives forever?
How many times had Maggie heard this when she was growing up? Yet here she was, twenty-eight years old, on a train with her five-year-old daughter, running away.
Switch is the story of Maggie and Jack, two strangers who meet on a train, headed in opposite directions: Maggie is running away from her mess while Jack is returning to clean up his. One small act of avoidance on Maggie's part, however, starts a chain reaction of destruction. She learns that the more she runs away, the more out of control her world becomes.
Will Maggie face what she fears? Or will she keep running? Does Jack find the peace he's so desperately seeking? And how will their chance encounter change each of their lives forever?
264 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 2022
1 person is currently reading
3009 people want to read
About the author
Heather Glenn Vines
1 book9 followersHeather Glenn Vines was born in Memphis, grew up in Charlottesville, spent her young adult years in New York City before moving to Seattle. Finally settling down, she raised her two daughters in Montana, which is the setting for her first novel Switch. She has a Masters in English Literature from Virginia Tech and spent 18 years as an advertising copywriter in New York City and Seattle.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 13, 2023
Do you know that song by Journey -
"Just a small town girl, Living in a lonely world -
She took the midnight train going anywhere”
Well this story is similar - except it’s not midnight.
Maggie bought tickets for herself and her young daughter Phoebe on what I worked out was the Amtrak "Empire Builder" line that runs across the northwest US (I enjoyed referring to a route map as the conductor called each stop).
What is her destination? She never says.
I decided she must have bought tickets for the terminus, either Seattle or Portland - this would give her the option to get off anywhere beforehand, too.
It slowly becomes apparent that Maggie is on the run from what seems to be a controlling and increasingly abusive husband, Matt, who she feared would soon start harming Phoebe.
Also on the train is Jack, with whom she soon interacts, thanks to Phoebe. A 5-year-old will quickly make friends with anyone! He is on a journey too - we slowly learn he's been in prison for 4 years, and is returning home, hopefully to apologise to people he hurt.
One of the things that "switches" is the voice of the narrator. First it's Maggie, then Jack, and later on, even Matt. They ruminate about on their lives, both now and in the past, and so we slowly learn about each one's background, while the day and time listed for each section anchor us to their present.
Maggie and Jack are drawn to each other, finding each other simpatico and somehow trustworthy, even on such short acquaintance. Some readers may take issue with how quickly Maggie completely trusts him, but it rang true to me. Some people are just like that, and you just know right away that you have a friend.
Maggie has been reflecting on the very sudden change in her life and how quickly she has switched its direction - similar to the workings of the train track switches her dad once showed her. Shortly after this, a woman (who it turns out Jack knows) boards the train. Maggie soon takes another impulsive action which also changes lives, and it is one with which I found disturbing. Its moral and ethical implications put me in mind of Alexander McCall Smith’s “The Sunday Philosophy Club”, and I found myself pondering it even when not reading the story.
With still another impulsive decision, after Jack tells her that the small town of Glasgow is a nice one, Maggie keeps them all moving. Complications begin to build. The story became un-put-downable for me at this point! Absolutely enthralling, and soon I was on a rollercoaster ride that I neither could nor wanted to get off, both scary and thrilling as it was! I had a few minor niggles, such as, wouldn’t Maggie have let the school, her landlord, and job know something?
I absolutely loved the character (in every sense) of the deceptively innocent, grandmotherly Mrs Dorothy.
The writing engaged and immersed me in Maggie’s and Jack’s worlds. Twists and shocks I never saw coming kept me hanging on every word. I stayed up way too late to finish this book, and here I am still thinking about plot-points days later! To me, that’s the sign of a compelling story well-written.
"Just a small town girl, Living in a lonely world -
She took the midnight train going anywhere”
Well this story is similar - except it’s not midnight.
Maggie bought tickets for herself and her young daughter Phoebe on what I worked out was the Amtrak "Empire Builder" line that runs across the northwest US (I enjoyed referring to a route map as the conductor called each stop).
What is her destination? She never says.
I decided she must have bought tickets for the terminus, either Seattle or Portland - this would give her the option to get off anywhere beforehand, too.
It slowly becomes apparent that Maggie is on the run from what seems to be a controlling and increasingly abusive husband, Matt, who she feared would soon start harming Phoebe.
Also on the train is Jack, with whom she soon interacts, thanks to Phoebe. A 5-year-old will quickly make friends with anyone! He is on a journey too - we slowly learn he's been in prison for 4 years, and is returning home, hopefully to apologise to people he hurt.
One of the things that "switches" is the voice of the narrator. First it's Maggie, then Jack, and later on, even Matt. They ruminate about on their lives, both now and in the past, and so we slowly learn about each one's background, while the day and time listed for each section anchor us to their present.
Maggie and Jack are drawn to each other, finding each other simpatico and somehow trustworthy, even on such short acquaintance. Some readers may take issue with how quickly Maggie completely trusts him, but it rang true to me. Some people are just like that, and you just know right away that you have a friend.
Maggie has been reflecting on the very sudden change in her life and how quickly she has switched its direction - similar to the workings of the train track switches her dad once showed her. Shortly after this, a woman (who it turns out Jack knows) boards the train. Maggie soon takes another impulsive action which also changes lives, and it is one with which I found disturbing. Its moral and ethical implications put me in mind of Alexander McCall Smith’s “The Sunday Philosophy Club”, and I found myself pondering it even when not reading the story.
With still another impulsive decision, after Jack tells her that the small town of Glasgow is a nice one, Maggie keeps them all moving. Complications begin to build. The story became un-put-downable for me at this point! Absolutely enthralling, and soon I was on a rollercoaster ride that I neither could nor wanted to get off, both scary and thrilling as it was! I had a few minor niggles, such as, wouldn’t Maggie have let the school, her landlord, and job know something?
I absolutely loved the character (in every sense) of the deceptively innocent, grandmotherly Mrs Dorothy.
The writing engaged and immersed me in Maggie’s and Jack’s worlds. Twists and shocks I never saw coming kept me hanging on every word. I stayed up way too late to finish this book, and here I am still thinking about plot-points days later! To me, that’s the sign of a compelling story well-written.
March 5, 2023
This is a gentle story, written like a Hallmark movie, including the kindness of strangers, the openness of small towns, and second chances. I enjoyed this book thanks to the author and a goodreads contest
March 7, 2023
I won a copy of this one in a Goodreads giveaway. The story is simple and wholesome. It's got solid pacing and the characters are well-developed - definitely not two-dimensional. This one will appeal to readers who also enjoy Hallmark stories or women's fiction.
September 17, 2022
Excellent read, following Maggie & Jack & their past life to an exciting end. Read how they come to terms with their lives & each other.
March 5, 2023
I loved it! Hard to put down- and when I had to, I kept thinking about it- eager to pick it back up.
Loved the twist later in the story… don’t want to say too much!
Definitely a must read!
Loved the twist later in the story… don’t want to say too much!
Definitely a must read!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews