Train I Ride by Paul Mosier (review)

The death of Rydr’s grandmother, who was reluctantly taking care of the twelve-year-old girl after Rydr’s drug-addicted mother overdosed, means yet another relocation for Rydr, this time by long-distance train off to Chicago to live with a relative she’s never met. Over the course of the trip, she is cared for by Dorothea, a kind but exasperated Amtrak attendant; befriended by Neal, the chatty, amiable, café worker; intrigued by the elderly Carlos, a poet; and perhaps romantically wooed by Tenderchunks, a misunderstood and misfit Boy Scout. She is also inspired by Allen Ginsberg’s poetry, buries her mother’s ashes in the woods, and comes to terms with her mother’s and her grandmother’s neglect. It’s quite a transformation for such a short journey, and it seems as though every character enters the scene at just the right time to impart some sage wisdom, making the train ride a gimmicky experience. The most honest and raw moments are Rydr’s flashbacks to her therapy sessions with Dr. Lola, who is less preternaturally wise than authentically concerned for Rydr and able to gently interrogate her in a way that none of the other characters do. Rydr herself is sympathetic, and she’s got a believable voice, a mix of vulnerability, edginess, and raw fury at her rotten luck. Readers who like drama, sentiment, and tidy, tearful endings may find this to be the ticket.