Embark on a captivating journey across the vast Russian steppe aboard the iconic Trans-Siberian Railway in this modern tale of self-discovery and introspection. The narrator, known only as D, begins his westward voyage in Vladivostok, traversing the ever-changing landscapes that unfold before him. As time moves inexorably onward, the everyday lives of the passengers intertwine with the rhythmic churning of the train’s propellers, contrasting sharply with the raw silence of the natural world beyond the windows.As the journey progresses, D’s physical expedition takes an unexpected turn, delving into the depths of his own psyche. A haunting presence, N, permeates the narrative, her essence imbued in the natural world, particularly at the breathtaking Lake Baikal in Siberia. N represents the one who got away, leaving a void and a profound fragility within D’s soul, scattering her ghostly influence across the many places his footsteps tread.Immersed in the tranquil vistas of the external world, D finds himself enamoured by the everyday characters he encounters along the way. As he navigates the complexities of his inner turmoil and the beauty of his surroundings, the narrator embarks on a transformative odyssey. The D who began his journey in Vladivostok will inevitably be different from the one who arrives in Moscow at journey’s end, but what will this transformation entail? Join D on this introspective voyage as he unravels the mysteries of his past, present, and future on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

He is a man of solitude. His world is that of the quiet and distilled. Each night, he sits at his desk as the clock strikes midnight. He journeys inward to that bottomless pit of conflict, prompted by memory, in search of an image fused with the imagination in order to reveal truth through character and the creative narrative process. The words become sentences and they are formed. And so it all begins. This was his first attempt and successful completion of a full-length book. His name is Daniel C.A. Christianson.

Customer Reviews

4.7

112 reviews

Justine Nickols

This is quite the mysterious memoir. I was left with more questions than I had answers for following my reading of this charming book. It felt more like a novella than that of a novel. The entire narrative revolves around a nameless character who we only know as N. We are only given snippets of information but perhaps this was a deliberate attempt by the author to protect the identity of his heroine. I have read other reviews about the possible identity of N. I am of the persuasion that N is a non binary and genderless character. To me, she is neither male or female. N represents and symbolises the past that each one of us have but to which we must leave behind if we are to move on and forge out our own identity and life. The love D has for N is the love that he holds for his upbringing within his own family and culture but D must now walk his own path alone in pursuit of the lonely life of a writer. D cannot forget his past because if any of us were to deny our past how can we then live a life that is filled with all of our full experiences and the wisdom that we have gained from our lives? When N fades into the ether over the heated cobblestones on red square it is the dawning of a new era and the birth of a writer. D will never forget N but he has this new beginning and life to reach out for and to experience.
MO

Dear Mr. Christianson. Before I start my letter I must tell you that I am losing my sight so you will understand mistakes. A magnifier helps me to read but it does not help me to write. I loved your book. It spoke to me as a friend. The grandeur of your writing convinced me that history will have you up there with Pushkin and Tolstoy and your style will cause a sensation in literary circles worldwide. Thankyou for your autographed message. It was such a lovely surprise. Love from MO
Magaly Luna Sierra

My warmest congratulations to you Dear Daniel. What a very special book that you have written. It is many years since we last talked but I never forgot you and the importance that you played in my life. I remember the many conversations that we had and how you would talk with such interest and passion about Kafka and Camus, about Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, about Simone de Beauvoir and Flaubert. I had not read those writers then but you talked with such eloquence about them that I was enthralled to listen and I tried to learn about such writers. I didn't know then that you would also become one of those writers. It is such a joy for me to see what you have become. Your story of broken love is so harrowing. I don't know if it is real or from your own imagination but it is so human and filled with deep emotion and sensitivity. I will tell my students about you and open up a world to them filled with the wonder of life. You should be so proud of this your first creation Daniel. Please write more stories and fill your library with books.
Henry Stevenson

A quirky travel tale with very subtle moral messages on how to find meaning in a life filled with the excesses of modernity and suffering. It took me a while to get into this book but when I did I found it to be a most enjoyable read. I have not taken many train journeys in my life and never have I taken such a long and epic journey but I am curious to do so to feel a little of how D felt when passing through the sublime landscapes of Siberia. I liked the quiet and reflective moments when the narrator would open up a seamlessly mundane setting but the ordinariness would take hold into something very tangible and filled with longing and with love. I liked how the author fused history with philosophy, literature and most of all the psychology of the lone human entity living in the external world but always how he felt most at peace when contemplating in the internal world. It was a risk for Christianson to combine a non fictional journey with fictional narratives but one that paid off as in the end it was the experience we take away that truly counts which is the meaning of all our lives.
Cristina Ribeiro

I'm talking about Brazil. This book came as one of the best gifts I've ever received from a good friend for the challenge of reading it in English and my English is still not the best, but that encouraged me even more, because it's not just a book, it served me as a source of knowledge of other cultures, politics, religion and how to deal with one's own loneliness. From the first pages, when D. talks about the old dream of crossing Russia by train, I felt something familiar: that restlessness that is not about leaving, but about needing to understand who you are when you are on the move. The physical journey soon turns out to be something else - an internal displacement, deep, sometimes uncomfortable, always honest. The rhythm of the book is the rhythm of the train. It doesn't accelerate to please. What made me even more unravel each sentence.. He observes. And it touched me deeply. In many moments, I felt sitting next to the author, looking out the window, letting thoughts arise and disappear along with the infinite landscape. Between the encounters along the way, N stays with me in a special way. Not because he says a lot - but precisely because he says little. N is presence, not explanation. It's one of those characters that seem almost blurred, like someone who passes through the corridor of the wagon and, without knowing why, changes the weather of the day. There is something in him that is not fully revealed, and maybe it should never. He represents these people we meet on a trip - or in life - who do not stay, but leave a silent and lasting mark. Although in my particular opinion it is a love someone very special for Daniel. Daniel writes with a rare vulnerability. He doesn't try to look brave all the time, nor wise all the time. He allows himself to be tired, confused, small in the face of the vastness of Russia and its own existence. In several passages, I closed the book and was deeply moved and reflective, feeling that soft tightness in my chest that only the truth provokes. The train ceases to be just scenery and becomes a constant metaphor. Each stop seems to ask the reader something. Each match seems to teach that not everything needs closure. The feeling of crossing the country from East to West is also that of crossing internal layers - memories, expectations, identities that no longer serve. When the book approaches the end, there is a kind of melancholy that is not sadness. It's recognition. The author arrives at the destination, but it is clear that "home" is no longer a fixed point on the map. Home is this internal state that is built when we learn to be with ourselves, even on the move. I finished the book differently from when I started. Quieter. More attentive. Wanting to travel, yes - but, above all, wanting to listen better to the world and myself. This is not a book for those who just want to get to know Russia. It is a book for those who have already felt the call of the road, even without leaving the place. For those who understand that some trips don't take us far - They take us inside. And some books, like this one, don't end. They just follow us.
Literary Titan

East to West Across Russia follows a man who chases a childhood dream across the entire span of Russia. He flies to Vladivostok and then rides the Trans Siberian Railway all the way to Moscow. Along the way, he wanders through fog-soaked hills, quiet cities, lonely platforms, and the deep interior of his own memory. The story blends real travel with imagined scenes that reveal his heartbreak, his longing, and his hunger for meaning. Russia’s forests, rivers, and rail stations move past his window like an old film reel, and he uses every mile to reach inward as much as he reaches westward. The writing swings between poetic and raw, sometimes in the space of a single page. I liked that about it. The style is big on feeling and big on atmosphere. I caught myself smiling at the simple little moments, like the chaos of breakfast or the clinking of tea glasses on the train. Other times I felt a tug in my chest when he drifted into memories of lost love or those spiraling thoughts that come when the world is quiet and a person finally has to face himself. The prose has a kind of earnest honesty that feels almost old-fashioned, and it hit me harder than I expected. There were moments, though, when the intensity of the reflection felt a bit heavy. Every small detail seems to carry emotional weight, and every encounter becomes a doorway into deeper meaning. Part of me admired that dedication. Still, the narrator’s sincerity kept me grounded. I found myself rooting for him even when he veered into melancholy. His curiosity about Russia, about its people and history and vastness, felt real. His tenderness toward strangers, even brief ones like Alexei on the plane, made the journey feel warm and human. By the time I reached the final pages, I felt the quiet satisfaction that comes after finishing a long trip and finally setting your bags down. I walked away thinking this book fits readers who love travel stories that linger in the soul rather than just list places on a map. It will speak to anyone who enjoys reflective writing, who has ever chased a dream across a border, or who has ever tried to heal by moving forward one small step at a time. If you want a journey that is both physical and emotional and are willing to sit with someone else’s heart for a while, this book is a good companion.
John A. Hopkins

I’m not a good reader (in the sense that I don’t read many books etc.) but once I put my hand on this book, I couldn’t leave it down.. But why? I’ve been to Russia and Ukraine (3 times) so- a book where the Protagonist travels the Trans-Siberian Express and documents his experiences and thoughts captured my imagination. I believe the character only referred to as “N” is a real person and past love of the Protagonist (and I intuit that his heart has been broken over the loss of that love).. Perhaps this trip was a way that the Protagonist thought/ felt would help him “exorcise her ghost”?! I’m anxious that I’ll lose this review (as I’ve done the last three) so I’m gonna post it now.. Finally, I wish the Protagonist all the best for making a beautiful book available for us to read and experience.. Yours- JohnH
Elijah Bloom

I was told about this book from a work colleague. He said that there was a passage devoted to Judaism and a critique on the Holocaust. In a world that is becoming ever more violent, ever more frightening and at times without an underlying message I fear that we are going to return to that time in the world when the Jewish people will be attacked once more just like they were during the great onslaught by the Nazis onto the Jews in the second world war. Christianson in this very honest and sweet memoir is pleading with the world to change our ways and find that elusive path towards peace before it is too late. I applaud the author for the research that he carried out on Judaism and the sensitivity and historical knowledge that was necessary in order to show the reader a little of what my people went through when they were attacked and almost erased by the Nazis on European soil. The world said never again but we continue to be attacked. We need books like East to West and messages of condemnation so that we can see the world as it truly is.