Just a Train Ride by Elizabeth Lehman Book Review and Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

She was born during the Great Depression, dated a soldier shipped across the world into the upheavals of war. Despite the haunting scars of battle, she married that soldier when he returned. After the loss of her husband of sixty years, an annual trip to visit her grandson in Chicago always helped ease her loneliness. Yet in the face of ailing health, Callie had boarded a train and now needed to make her way back home to Michigan. She’d made the same trip many times before, yet this time it was clear to Callie it would be her last. That’s when she met Blaine. The young, agitated woman appeared to be seeking an escape which inspired Callie to remember her own struggles in life and love. Had their lives merged for a reason? They had a train ride from Chicago to Lapeer to find out.

Book: Just a Train Ride Author: Elizabeth Wehman

Genre: Historical Christian Fiction Release Date: September 1, 2017

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MY BOOK REVIEW

Elizabeth Wehman does a great job taking you back to the depression time. We are taken into the lives of Callie, an 80+-year-old woman, her grandson, Mason. Callie is heading back home to Leeper Michigan. Mason had to leave Callie alone waiting for the train because of work. While sitting there watching people she meets Blaine who sits next to her on the train. She tells Blaine all to Blaine about being a bride of a veteran during World War 2 and the depression era and all the events her and her husband, Miles had to overcome. They didn't give up on their relationship they kept on going. She made a promise to always remain by his side no matter what. God puts people in your life for a reason because Blaine really needed to hear her life memories.
In todays soceity, we married too fast and give up on relationships way too much. It is easier to just leave a relationship then work things out.
The primary characters are very relatable. I loved each character in "Just a Train Ride." We get to learn a lot about Callie and her husband miles through her eyes. I wish they would have given more stories about Blaine because I really wanted to know much more than given.

The ending of the book surprised me. I never saw it coming. The structure of the story was well done. It was so heartwarming. This book is great at telling what women's goals were and how they lived as well as how they got married. Callie has never had any man treat her as Miles did.

Elizabeth Wehman is a very natural writer. She was able to tell all she wants and still holds the readers' attention. I was glued to it. I ended up reading it in one sitting. Her dialogue was very natural and not forced. There were good conflicts. It is a great story of marriage, love, war, and God. It is also a beautiful saga of faith, love, and commitment because they are so much information you can learn from this book. I think all couples should read this book. I agree with many others this book is impossible to put down until finished. It took me around 7 hours to read the book due to having dyslexia. Let just say I didn't get much sleep that night but for a good reason. The best part about it has a lot of Michigan locale. I wish in today's society we could sit down an listen to our elders and learn about things they went through.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Raised in Michigan, Author Elizabeth Wehman loves to incorporate cities in the state for her inspirational fiction. Famous Michigan flowers adorn the back covers of her books from peonies to lilacs and apple blossoms. Her first novel, “Under the Windowsill,” reflects the tranquility and hidden treasures of Mackinac Island for a much-needed hideaway for Kenna, a young girl raised in Iowa. This coming-of-age story uses the growing pains of a quiet, country girl to reflect the dangers and unknowns of breaking away from family and security. From the frustrations of trying to make it alone, Kenna’s experience cements a permanent trust of the goodness of her past and a true hope for the future. Elizabeth’s second novel, reflects the tumultuous relationship between sisters in “Promise at Daybreak.” Two elderly sisters are forced together by illness which leads them to fulfill a pact they made at their mother’s grave. The story reflects the storms of dealing with dementia and the results of fulfilling a promise, despite its drawbacks. The setting for this novel is Elizabeth’s hometown, Durand complete with its historic depot and the thunderous noises of a train town. Both novel settings share historical and distinctive aspects of both Michigan cities. Elizabeth’s third novel, released the summer of 2017, and will be entitled, “Just a Train Ride.” All of her novels are clean reads, with a clear inspirational message for her readers. Elizabeth’s home is in Owosso. You can find more about Elizabeth at www.elizabethwehman.com or on her Facebook page – Elizabeth Wehman/Author.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Just a Train Ride is a fictional version of my parent’s love story from the 1940’s. My father fought in WWII and he returned from his fighting experience after having a nervous breakdown. He suffered repercussions of that throughout his entire life. My mother sent off a different man than the one who returned home to her, but she was faithful to her promise to marry him. Their story and his experiences were a private matter, so I waited until after his death to write their story. Some of it is based on facts, other parts are just my imagination…filling in the details. I included the train ride as a major part, due to the fact that my mother had gone on a train to see my father just before he shipped off to war. My main purpose in writing JATR was to show how you can be faithful in marriage, despite the setbacks, sorrow, and fateful events that can ravage even the best of marriages. This is my third inspirational novel.

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