Life Behind the Train Station is a fictional novel about a poor family with Native American and European ancestry. The story is based on life in North Carolina during the 1940's and early 1950's. Prejudices towards the poor and the paper genocide of the Native American people are muted tones of the story.
The story concerns the daily life of the Lister family. Much of the story is told through the eyes of one of the young Lister girls. It highlights their challenges as they navigate life through a world that is not always accepting of people of a different background or race. Detailed are the hardships, struggles, joys, and acts of evil faced by this family. Complications of family dynamics add to the provocations that the Lister family must accept or overcome.
Featured are the people that God places in their lives that teach them of God's love, redemption and mercy. These good people help the Lister family learn how to live Christian lives. They lead by example, accepting the Lister family as they are and showing them that all strangers are not bad. The Lister family learns to trust the goodness in others. Through God's grace, this family learns that although there are many dark sides to life, there is also much goodness in the world. Through difficult times, they learn to look to God for guidance. They have their Christian friends to support them through life's hardships and challenges. The family learns to have hope for a better life.
