The Baggage Handler

By: David Rawlings

Narrated by: Jon Watson

Lost luggage can ruin any trip. But what if it could change your life?

A mother of three hoping to survive the days at her perfect sister's perfect house before her niece’s wedding.
A hothead businessman coming to the city for a showdown meeting to save his job.
A young artist pursuing his father’s sports dream so he can keep his own alive.

When Gillian, David, and Michael each take the wrong suitcase from baggage claim, the airline directs them to retrieve their bags at a mysterious facility in a deserted part of the city. There they meet the enigmatic Baggage Handler, who shows them there's more in their baggage than they've packed, and carrying it with them slows them down in ways they can’t imagine. And they must deal with it before they can leave.

In a similar vein to The Traveler’s Gift and Dinner with a Perfect Stranger, The Baggage Handler is a modern-day parable about the burdens that weigh us down—and an inspiring invitation to lighten the load.

Praise for The Baggage Handler:

“The Baggage Handler is a tale that will resonate deeply with those who have held on too tightly, for too long, to the things hold them captive. That’s me. That’s you. Pick it up and prepare to have your world turned upside down, then turned right side up.” —James L. Rubart, bestselling author of The Man He Never Was

• A stand-alone, short novel at 42,000 words
• Christy Award winner for Best First Novel of 2019

When Baggage Is Too Much to Handle

Good idea and though I knew where it was heading, I was drawn in and saw myself in the characters. I feel the book only touched the surface leaving volumes of room for a sequel or more.

Absolutely amazing!

I couldn't put it down! I felt like they knew exactly the baggage that I was carrying! It made me sob many times! I will never be the same!

Awesome story

The author brilliantly weaves everyday life struggles into real life characters, all coached by the Baggage Handler. Stellar!

Okay story - boring narrator

The story was okay. I understand that it was meant to be uplifting, but it fell flat. It never enveloped you or made you really care. The narrator was so boring- sounding like a high school kid reading out loud in class.

It was an okay enough story, but I probably wouldn't recommend to anyone.

Didn't Like It At All

The narrator was fine. Not fabulous, not annoying.

The writing was blech! Self-help pretending to be fiction, dumbed down for the masses. One or two wise phrases. Many phrases trying to wise, but just being trite. And some repeated over and over - sometimes within a couple sentences of each other. What started out as a kind of pretty phrase quickly became someone repeatedly hitting me over the head with a bouquet of flowers.

There were some sound principles behind the idea, but the way they were presented was insulting.

The Christ figure (or God or angel or whatever you saw him as) basically held them hostage, trying to force repentance. Trying to force therapeutic healing. And once they'd realized their misperceptions, everything was going to be all better.

I just didn't like it at all.