The Baggage Handler

By: David Rawlings

Narrated by: Jon Watson

Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

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 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 best-selling 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, best-selling author of The Man He Never Was)

• A stand-alone, short novel at 42,000 words
• Includes discussion questions perfect for a book club or Bible study

©2019 David Rawlings (P)2019 Thomas Nelson

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.

Awesome story

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

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!

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.