The Train Home by Susan Richards Shreve

B

General Summary:
Will Huston is a scorned man from Ireland who comes to America (Washington DC) in search of revenge for the death of his little brother many years ago. Annie is a mother of two children; wife of a injured, mean, revengeful man; and opera singer. Will decides to disguise himself as a priest as he is on his mission to find and kill the man who killed his brother. Annie, in turn, has a life long obsession with priests. On Wills first day in the city, he catches Annie's eye on the metro. She feels as instant connection with him and begins to follow him. Will is so determined on his mission - he hardly notices the women following him around the city for a couple of days. He stays at a missionary house for free and tries to avoid connections with the other priests. At night Will goes to the Opera to fill his time. He forms a relationship with a boy at the opera - feeling like the boy represents his brother. Unknown to Will or Annie, the boy is Annie's son. Will searches down the man who killed his brother and completes the task he came to America to do. Annie sees the whole things, but still feels compassion/a connection with Will. She follows him to the train where he plans to leave DC. On that train ride, they sit next to each other. They figure out that Annies son is Wills friend from the opera and Annie finds out that Will is not really a priest. On that train ride they form an instant connection and the story end with them content to be in each others presence as they "go home".

My Review:
Overall, I thought this book was a enjoyable read. The author takes alot of time to build up the character which helps you feel where they are coming from when they make the decisions they make.
Annie follows Will (a supposed priest) around DC for days. Which initially sounds totally odd. We learned that is Annie's life she has had a series of unfulfilling interactions with priests, at times when she probably needed some good advice and help from them. It is almost as if , as Will is, Annie is on a mission to find some peace with these past experiences. It is interesting to me that she is not in one way bitter towards him as a priest, but yet intrigued and hopeful that he is the priest that can help her. In believing that he is someone she was meant to know, she threw a serious of events, breaks off her relationship with her revengeful husband(who blames Annie for the car accident that leaves him in a wheelchair) and at the end of the book seems to be at peace with her life.
Will is very much only focused on revenge for the death of his brother. He is on a mission does not lose focus of that throughout the book. The man who killed his little brother was a teenager at the time of the death - basically leading a revolution in Ireland and showing off for peers. Through Wills daily interaction with Annies son at the opera I felt the tenderness and love that Will had for his little brother. There are many flash backs in the book to the boy and by reading them, I felt a need for Wills revenge as well. The man who will finds is the man who killed his brother is a pompous, wealthy man. The author does not get too in depth about him, so I never felt a connection. But in description of his wife and home there is a cold feeling. Will does not kill the man -as it is written- but hurts him. With little description as to what happens to the man after will flees. I did not have sense of horror or pity for the man - which sounds callas I know. I got the sense that the man did not die, because his wife comes home right when Will leaves and helps him. By getting to know Will throughout the book - I got the sense that revenge to him was reminding the man of what he did, and not allowing him to live his life as it never happened. When Will and Annie finally meet up on the train Will is so happy when he finds that Annie is The boy at the operas mother. I think he feels that is his brothers way of showing himself to him and saying thank you. There is a peacfullness at the end of the book between the two charcters that made me feel like they were both so content and life was going to be better for both of them.
The book was sent in Washington DC, which was exceptionally neat for me to read, as I live here. Every street and location was real and legitimate. The author did a great job of portraying the life of someone in this area threw Annie. She really captured the hustle and bustle of life and the search of individual meaning in that hustle and bustle that I can relate to.
The book is written in Annie and Wills voice and varies from chapter to chapter, which makes it so interesting to read. They have such different lives - but come to cross roads so many times both literally and figuratively. It made me think about how much that is going on in real life!

The Monk Downstairs by Tim Farrington

B-
General Summary:
Rachel, a single somewhat bitter mother of a young girl (Mary Martha) allows Michael Christopher (a monk who just left life in a monistary) to rent her downstairs apartment. Rachel's aloof surfer ex husband is somewhat in the picture and she has a man who adores her (Bob) who she is just not that into. She sets Bob up with her best friend from work, and they end up getting married. Rachel struggles with possibly being Michael Christopher's rebound relationship from God as a monk, but after much go around they fall in love. The book does not have a happily ever after ending, but it leaves you with the feeling that Michael Christopher and Rachel are heading to that after Micheal Christopher wins over the love of Mary Martha and helps Rachel take care of her ailing mother after she has a stroke.

In my opinion:
This was a quick, somewhat predictable read. The author does a good job of really building up some quality to the relationship between the two main characters. They struggle with Rachel's bitterness towards men and love, her fear of Mike running back to the monistary, the issue of Rachel having a daughter that Mike will have to accept. The true turning point of the story is when Rachel gets very angry at him and pushes Mike away because of her predisposed notions of men. He allows her to be mad and does not get angry. Rachel realizes that that is the difference between him and other men - he does not get angry and leave her, he just calmly waits out the storm and sticks with her.
There are some comical moment in the story where Rachel's mother, Phoebe, makes Mike baptize a child on the beach - even after he insists he is not qualified for it. Phoebe will not take no for an answer and there is a comical beach scene and ad lib baptism.
Throughout the book the author puts in an occasional letter from mike to his lead monk at the old monistary. It give some insight into what Mike is feeling - since the book is primarily written from Rachel's perspective. It really brings out the true sincerity in Mike and the reader sees that Rachel has no chance of losing mike by to the monistary as he writes very respectfully about his love for Rachel and his faith that he made the right decision to leave the monistary.
Through those letters we find that the head monk strongly criticized Mike for praying to much and not getting involved. Mike realized that the head monk was somewhat right as he begins to become more and more actively involved in the life of Rachel and Mary Martha. He feels like he was not getting involved at the monistary because he did not feel a strong pull to anything. Now with "the family life" he wants and enjoys the involvement.
My favorite part was the end because it did not have an "everything is perfect" happy ending. We leave the couple sharing the joys and struggle of parent hood and working on a relationship. They have respect and love for each other and know that they will have many more life test together, but with Rachel's new faith in Mikes commitment to her and Mikes happiness in being actively involved in life with them - you get the sense that they will continue to share a happy life together.