The White Widow: A Novel

By Jim Lehrer

Some bus drivers never meet a "white widow"--a wild card, a woman traveling alone who can change the course of a driver's life, and not always for the best. In this subtle, poignant novel, based on the true experiences of the anchor of PBS's News Hour with Jim Lehrer, Jack T. Oliver, who drives the Houston to Corpus Christi run for the Great Western Trailways bus line, is about to meet his.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Nov 21, 2012
• ISBN: 9780307824462

Reviews for The White Widow

[phyllis.shepherd · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A bus driver falls victim to his own fantasies about a beautiful woman who rides his bus.

[moonshineandrosefire · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Some bus drivers can go their whole careers and never cross paths with the type of woman known as a 'White Widow'. A White Widow is a wild card; a woman traveling alone who can change the course of a driver's life, and not always for the best.Jack T. Oliver has a solid marriage, a cozy home in Corpus Christi, Texas, and a job he loves - driving the Houston to Corpus Christi route - for the Great Western Trailways bus line. In a few weeks, Jack will be promoted to Master Operator in recognition of his many years of perfect service and punctual driving record. It may not be everyone's idea of the most exciting life - but it's comfortable, it's good, and it's Jack's. That is until a White Widow boards his bus, on a one-way ticket from Victoria to Corpus Christi. Suddenly, Jack Oliver's otherwise orderly life is turned completely upside down. Within weeks, without ever even learning her name, the White Widow's passage through Jack's life has been as unforgettable as it has been irrevocable. His unstoppable, ruinous passion for a complete stranger will ultimately cost him dearly: in ways that Jack T. Oliver could never have predicted - not even in his wildest dreams.To be perfectly honest, I'm not entirely sure if I would have chosen this book to read for myself. It's not that I would have dismissed it, it's just that I never actually saw it until Mareena brought it to my attention. It was an unusual premise to begin with, so I was drawn into the story for that reason. The story was also extremely well-written and poignant, and it held my attention right up until the end.Now, Jim Lehrer is a very successful journalist as well as an author; although in the past, both his father and himself worked as bus drivers. This novel is loosely based on the author's true experiences during his brief time spent as a bus driver. While the story was certainly interesting overall, the author's appreciable and, at times, intricate knowledge of bus transportation was sometimes lost on me. However, I would give this book a B+!