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. And 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 … 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 is more in their baggage than what they have packed, and carrying it with them is slowing 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 by Andy Andrews or Dinner with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory, The Baggage Handler is a contemporary story that explores one question: What baggage are you carrying?
Praise for The Baggage Handler:
“The Baggage Handler by David Rawlings is an extraordinary novel that lingered in my heart long after I finished it.”–Colleen Coble, USA Today bestselling author of The House at Saltwater Point and the Lavender Tide series
“Throughout the day I found myself itching to get back to this story. You will too. 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 standalone, short novel at 42,000 words
- Includes discussion questions perfect for a book club or Bible study
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Whether we want to admit it or not we are all carrying baggage. For Gillian Short, David Hawke, and Michael Downer after a normal flight, and an encounter with a seemingly normal baggage handler, they go about their lives but with one little problem: a crazy baggage mix up that ends up being more than they bargained for. This little mix up leads Gillian, David, and Michael to confront more than their physical baggage but also emotional baggage that is weighing each of them down, whether they want to admit it or not.
Gillian is the wife and mom that feels like herself and her life do not measure up, David is putting all of his focus on work and trying to deal with a marriage that is broken, and Michael is the son that is trying to do everything he can to please his father instead of pursuing his own passion. Each person has baggage that we can all relate to in one form or another, which really pulls you into their plight and delves you deeper into their stories.
Incredibly thought-provoking and very well written, The Baggage Handler really hits home, moving you to examine your own life and your own baggage, and motivates you to take action in dealing with the things that weigh you down and hinder you from being your true self. It’s a speedy read that packs a powerful punch, and is worth every second.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
WOW! This is a book everyone should read. If you want to read a book that will leave a lasting impression and make an impact in how you hold on to the baggage in your life then give this a read. I was impressed with the writing style that reminded me of C.S. Lewis. We all carry baggage from our past but how we deal with it is what’s important. This will leave you rethinking and assessing the baggage in your life. I will put this on my keeper shelf and read as a reminder. It would make an excellent gift for the people in your life who need to deal with issues they have buried. I highly recommend this.
I received a complimentary copy from CelebrateLit/publisher. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.
AH-mazing story! Profound truths!
Not since Looking Glass Lies by Varina Denman (2017) has a book touched me so deeply. No, this book probed into me. Made me look at myself and examine my soul. Forced me to see things—baggage—I thought were long gone…
Mr. Rawlings takes his characters—and the reader—on a deep heart journey.
The prose of this story is artistic, the impact deep and profound. Each of the three main characters, David, Gillian, and Michael, met the Baggage Handler in a seeming logistical mix-up.
Mr. Rawlings has each of the three unpack the contents of their baggage and examine it. In true parable form, as the characters see what they’ve been toting around, so, too, does the reader.
This reviewer identified readily with Gillian, recognizing some of the baggage she owned. My heart squeezed as she struggled against the weight of it, resisting, even, the desire to release her grip on it.
Michael, too, carried baggage familiar to this reviewer. Not so much David; David’s baggage made me sad. (no spoilers)
A remarkable book, a story wonderfully crafted, three lives intersected and three stories woven into one.
I received a complimentary copy of this book, but was under no obligation to read the book or to post a review. I offer my review of my own free will. The opinions expressed in my review are my honest thoughts and reaction to this book.
#Blogwords, Tuesday Reviews-Day, #TRD, Book Review, The Baggage Handler, David Rawlings
I found myself doing some real introspection as I read this modern day parable. The author has taken three travelers that clearly are carrying baggage that doesn’t belong to them or shall we say, appears to be incorrectly assigned. Are you trying to live out someone else’s dream, or is it really your own? Perhaps by not always looking for more, enjoyment and love will grow for the people and life we have already been given. Removing the wrong bag from the baggage carousel of life will possibly send you down a path that is not preferred. Are you ready for the results?
I received an ARC through CelebrateLit. All impressions and opinions are my own.
I sat down and read this in one sitting. A very thought provoking novel with an almost otherworld quality. There were certainly things that happened that could not be explained.
This novel brings in three characters that get their luggage mixed up after a flight. They are prompted to go to a facility in the “boonies” to exchange suitcases but get a whole lot more than they bargain for.
We all carry excess “baggage” around everyday that we don’t want to let go of. I began thinking about Gillian’s baggage and I could relate to hers more than the other two. It certainly got me introspective.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit but was not required to write a review positive or otherwise.
Sometimes the small books pack the biggest punch. In David Rawlings’s debut, three people mix up their luggage and are directed to the baggage handling department.
Part parable, part speculative, The Baggage Handler encourages readers to take a good look at what things in life they unnecessarily carry with us. As David, Gillian, and Michael are confronted with their “baggage” and begin to view things differently—with more truth and fewer comparisons.
Wouldn’t our lives be better lived if they weren’t weighed down with our emotional and spiritual baggage?
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
What baggage are you carrying with you? It’s really quite the loaded question. The Baggage Handler is a powerful story that takes a look at the lives of 3 people and the “baggage” they don’t realize they are carrying with them wherever they go. What you may not expect as a reader, is that as the characters start to see their own baggage for what it is, you as a reader start to look at your own baggage and how it effects your life.
Have you ever heard some one say to you “take it to the cross and leave it?” It’s basically the concept of this book only spoken through a different metaphor. If we are never made aware of the baggage we carry, then we are unable to have it lifted from us. You can’t escape it, and you can’t pretend it’s not there. You do have a choice with what you do with it though.
This was a powerful read and I don’t want to give anything more away. It’s a shorter read so won’t take you long, but I recommend this to everyone regardless of what your typical interests are. It’s thought-provoking and is sure to leave you thinking long after you’ve closed the cover. What baggage will you give up?
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.
Excellent! The quality of writing is excellent, drawing me in from the first page. The tone of this contemporary allegory somehow reminded me of the Shack, but, thankfully, without the violent images left stamped upon my very impressionable imagination. The Baggage Handler was handled much better (pun obviously intended).
The setting was very interesting. The author used a seemingly abandoned but pure white Baggage Building as a physical representation of self-examination.
There are three main characters plus the Baggage Handler. I was expecting them to interact a bit more between themselves. But Gillian, Michael, and David each have distinct problems that the Baggage Handler tries to get them to deal with. I won’t give too much away, except to say that I definitely related most to Gillian, literally tearing up at page 199. I also love, love, loved the discussion questions in the back! They were so helpful and thought-provoking.
I think the only two things I didn’t like were 1) I wished the ending with Gillian seemed a little more hopeful; and 2) I wish there was a little more spirituality involved. I was hoping for more mentions of God or church or Bible verses. I was left to pull out those things on my own. The only real mention of spirituality was asking if the Baggage Handler was a guardian angel, which, by the way, he answered in the negative. I choose to see Him as the Holy Spirit, although constantly abiding with us.
The only reader who will not like this book is the literal one who doesn’t want to think, especially about their own lives. I highly recommend this book to everyone!
Favorite quotes:
“The cushions would have disappointed Goldilocks and all three of her bears: one was too hard, one was too soft, but none of them was just right.” (p.74)
“He (Michael) dreaded the conversation he would need to have at home, a barrage of ‘I told you so’s peppered with the usual spiel about disappointment in him. A conversation whose script he already knew. One in which he had no lines.” (p.76)
“David again exhaled heavily. ‘Will you stop talking as if you’re Confucius or a Facebook meme or whatever?’” (p.120)
The Baggage Handler’s explanation of Gillian’s rambunctious boys hit home and made me think of my two energetic sons: “’Tyson is a feisty little tyke, but he’ll need that when he’s older and stands up for the little guy. He’ll make a career out of advocating for people without a voice. But you constantly wish they would be quiet.’” (p.139)
I also have to comment that the bio on the very last page was the best author bio I have ever read!
(I received this book for free. The decision to write a review, as well as the opinions expressed in it, are all my own. I was not compensated for this review.)
A very quick read, that once I started I was finished in one setting.
You will soon feel like you have stepped into another dimension, a bit like the twilight Zone.
I could see this book quickly continuing with sequels, there are lots of hurting people out there.
Will the three chosen individuals here have life changes? Surprises are seen as we continue with the stories, and we wonder what is going to happen, and as with real life, not always as we hope.
This one is going to make you think, could this, be you?
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not requir
This is a short, but very powerful book. Through fiction, the author makes the reader look at themselves to determine the “baggage” they carry. He explains how we may be carrying baggage that we never realized that we did. I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs to take a closer look at themselves. But be prepared, you may not like what you see.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.