Waiting For The Train

About the Book

A short coming-of-age novel, Waiting for the Train is the story of Joey, his father and his friend Biff. The brief prologue and epilogue are set in the year 2000, as Joey nears the end of his life. The main story, told as a first-person flashback, occurs between 1943 and 1953 as Joey ages from seven to seventeen.

It is the story of the relationship between father and son complicated by the young boy’s unusual closeness to his mother before her death, his subsequent perceived inability to live up to his father’s standards, and his strong attachment to Biff, whom his father seems to prefer over him.

Dialogue moves the plot forward while humor offsets the seriousness of the subject. The narrator is Joey himself, and while the novel deals with relationships between males, it presents universal situations that will appeal to both male and female, young adult and adult audiences alike.

Waiting for the Train moves quickly, presents memorable characters and believable situations, and conveys a sensitive portrayal of human emotions. While there is a definitive ending, the interpretation of what really happens is left up to the reader.

About the Author

James M. Kadra holds a Bachelor’s degree from Boston College and a Master’s degree from Lesley University. He recently retired as Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies at Nichols College in Dudley Massachusetts. He has taught Expository and Fiction Writing at the college level to both traditional day, and adult evening students. While Mr. Kadra has written a number of short stories and the book and lyrics for two musicals for his own enjoyment, Waiting for the Train is his first novel and draws extensively on his experiences growing up in Suburban Boston during the 1950s.