The Train in the Meadow
About this audiobook
A train bound for a mysterious destination stops in the middle of a meadow. As the hours pass and the cause of the delay remains unknown, we meet the various passengers. There is a priest, a former president, a lonely waitress, an elderly couple, and a young orphan boy, each pondering the significance of the journey thrust upon them and what awaits them at their destination. Will they find order? Loneliness? Love?
Soon another train headed in the opposite direction also stops in the meadow. Its passengers are brimming with the excitement of what lies ahead. As mysterious officials process passengers from the outbound train, the characters reflect on their pasts and examine their futures. But it is the truth about their destination that is the ultimate revelation.
Robert Nathan, the master of satiric fantasy, has crafted a timeless tapestry of love, loneliness, optimism, and sacrifice as he examines our hopes, fears, and the legacies we leave behind.
About the author
Robert Nathan (1894–1985) was born in New York City and educated at private schools in the United States and Switzerland. While attending Harvard, where he was a classmate of E. E. Cummings, he was an editor of the Harvard Monthly, in which his first stories and poems appeared. After becoming a full-time writer, Nathan’s work strengthened his reputation with both the public and peers. F. Scott Fitzgerald once referred to Nathan as his favorite writer. Five of his novels have been made into films, including Portrait of Jennie and The Bishop’s Wife. Nathan ultimately authored more than fifty volumes of novels, poetry, and plays, and from this body of distinguished work he acquired a reputation as a master of satiric fantasy.
Stephen R. Thorne is a professional actor and a member of the Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island. He has played Hamlet, Henry V, and Tom Joad, among many other roles. Stephen has narrated over fifty audiobooks.
