This book was fun, but nothing I would recommend to a lot of people. It was too predictable but it had a satisfying ending that most readers will like.

The Dining Car was an interesting book, set on an antique railroad car. The main character, Jack, is a former college football player who has thrown away his chance at a pro football career. The book opens with Jack tending bar at an exclusive retreat for rich and influential men. One of them, Horace Button, is a writer and a bon vivant who hires Jack to be his majordomo/bartender on his private railroad car, the Pioneer Mother. Horace is an old-fashioned kind of man, with tastes for classic food and and an insatiable thirst for alcoholic beverages. Along with Horace's chef Wanda, Horace and Jack set off on a trip that changes life for all them in the end.
All the characters were so well drawn and their personalities were unforgettable. The descriptions of railroad travel and the scenery were very evocative and they made me want to travel across the country by train. The descriptions of the food were detailed and sounded delicious. Reading this book is taking a behind the scenes look at the world of the rich and powerful, the food they eat and the privileges they enjoy. I really liked this book and highly recommend it.

Jack Marshall has been hired to be the bartender for Horace Buttons on his private rail car. They travel attached to Amtrak trains and meet some interesting people. Horace's sister who is a politician is killed with her husband and he becomes the guardian of her daughter. Jack, Horace and Wanda (the chef) have much to learn about raising an eleven old girl but they are willing to try.

The Dining Car by Eric Peterson is a story of Jack Marshall a bartender on the "Pioneer Mother" which is a railcar owned by food critic Horace Button. Wanda is the cook aboard the railcar. Wanda and Jack share a very small room on the railcar. Once on the railcar Jack gets a crash course in fine dining from Wanda.

Every few chapters there is an article by the railcar owner, Horace Button, written on a restaurant in the town the railcar has stopped in. Jack is trying to run from the past, yet still holds on. The relationship between Jack and Wanda is interesting and grows throughout the book.

I found this book intriguing. I liked the concept of fine dining in an old railcar. The descriptions of scenes in this book are beautiful. It takes you to another place.

I think this would be a good book for anyone interested in the food industry, fine dining, and even journalism.

I acknowledge that I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.