First published 2022
A group of strangers boards a train, each carrying their own burdens and secrets. As the journey unfolds, their lives begin to intersect in unexpected ways. The narrative shifts between these modern passengers and their ancestors from over a century ago, revealing how the California gold rush and the building of the transcontinental railroad shaped their family histories. The passengers must confront difficult choices that echo the moral complexities their forebears faced during America's westward expansion. Through these parallel stories spanning 170 years, the characters grapple with questions of survival, connection, and whether the promises of American progress have been fulfilled. As the train speeds toward its destination, the passengers discover that their seemingly random encounter was anything but coincidental.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, contemporary, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, parallel-timelines
Setting: California
Period: 19th-century, 21st-century
480 pages · Hardcover · Dutton