THE SLEEPING CAR PORTER

In 1929, being a passenger train porter was fraught with challenges.

R.T. Baxter greets you at the train, loads your luggage, escorts you to your compartment and your berth, gets you water, gets you liquor, gets you a sandwich, tells you the train’s schedule, shines your shoes, offers comfort, watches your child, cleans your toilet, makes your bed, and generally doesn’t sleep. He is a train porter. His duties run around the clock and offer few sympathies for missteps. Baxter aims for more. Eight years ago, he found a textbook on dentistry on the train that inspired him to become a dentist. Now, he’s saved $967 of the $1,068 he’ll need for four years of dentistry school. His goal seems in reach, but the odds are against him. The same passengers who offer him the means to reach his goals—tips—stand to get him fired through their complaints. If Baxter is said by passengers to be disloyal, dishonest, immoral, insubordinate, incompetent, careless, or untruthful, he’ll earn demerits, and with enough demerits he’ll be fired. Baxter is judged for being Black, judged for being gay, and the train’s passengers can say anything they like to earn him these demerits or even worse, like jail time. The system is rigged. The porters must buy their meals from their employers, are financially liable for lost or stolen train goods like linens and towels, and are at the mercy of their clientele. To top it off, these multiday train runs are heavy on work and light on sleep. Baxter’s own sleep deprivation is perhaps the most intriguing character of the book. It leads to hallucinations, questionable decisions, and borderline supernatural suggestions.

You’ll probably be more generous with tips, and train rides will never be the same.