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?
About The Baggage Handler
When three people take the wrong suitcase from baggage claim, their lives change forever.
A hothead businessman coming to the city for a showdown meeting to save his job.
A mother of three hoping to survive the days at her sister’s house before her niece’s wedding.
And a young artist pursuing his father’s dream so he can keep his own alive.
When David, Gillian, 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 this modern-day parable about the burdens that weigh us down, David Rawlings issues an inspiring invitation to lighten the load.
My Review
Three people: David, Gillian and Michael all arrive at the same airport on different flights and manage to take the wrong bag from the baggage conveyor belt. All happen to need certain content from their bags almost immediately and hence are tremendously inconvenienced by the mistake. On calling the airport they are directed to the speak to a gentleman who calls himself simply, the baggage handler who asks they meet him at a specific location.
All three separately arrive at this mysterious out of the way location and are ushered into different rooms where they meet this rather unusual character, the Baggage Handler. What takes place is part-counselling session, part life coach where they each discover the only way to leave with their own luggage is to process the ‘baggage’ they’ve been carrying around with them for much of their lives.
The three characters and their ‘baggage’ are all relatable.
The story makes the reader question for themselves what ‘baggage’ we may be carrying around that is holding us back. The Baggage Handler is a curious character who was at times frustratingly annoying and other times wonderfully empathetic.
Rawlings, for a debut novelist, is a strong writer and has produced an excellent story that explores some deep spiritual and psychological issues that make the reader think. Whilst the characters are easily relatable I found myself a little ambivalent towards them. I would have liked the story to have been a little longer to give more depth to the important issues our three characters were asked to confront.
I really enjoyed it. It was an original approach and gave a lot of food for thought. I could especially relate to some of the baggage being carried by Gillian and Michael. I also liked the way that not everything was tied up with a neat little bow. Definitely a book to check out if you want to think through some interesting issues.
It was good how David din’t warp it all up nicely which occurs in many stories. Thanks for popping by, Nola.
I’m intrigued! I’ll have to add this book to my ever growing ‘books to buy’ list.
Oh Keona, you must read it not just to support a fellow Aussie but because it’s very good and will make you think. It’s also a quick read only being 240 pages.
Ian, great review! I enjoyed reading The Baggage Handler, and my teenage son (who doesn’t read many books) loved reading it! He read the book quickly and identified with Michael’s character. 🙂