Two men, one nearing the end of his life, the other at an important transition point in his, set off independently to travel to Paris. They are strangers but their paths meet on the Eurostar train at Waterloo. Much to the irritation of the younger man, who regards the older man as a likely bore and distraction, they are seated next to each other for the three-hour journey. As the journey progresses the older man, Charles, tells the younger man, Martin, of his life. It is a life of some excitement and a lot of happiness but leads to two tragic events. It is a tale into which Martin is inextricably drawn, and through which he identifies a new direction for his own life.

Charles is travelling to meet his first love, a Frenchwoman, for the last time. Martin is hoping to meet a new love. The novel explores the motivations behind their journeys but has a sub-text which explores the linking of the French to the British via the channel tunnel. Though the emphasis is on the life of Charles, partly through his conversations with Martin and partly through introspection, Martin’s life is also recalled as he draws parallels with the older man’s experiences.

Charles had a very successful career at the core of a fast growing company which encompassed much international travel. Martin has a job that he does not really like. Both men have attempted to escape from the realities of their lives through alcohol, the older man’s alcoholism nearly leading to his death. Charles began drinking to assuage inconsolable losses caused by two near simultaneous events: dismissal from his job as a result of a boardroom conspiracy and the murder of his wife. He is rescued from terminal decline by the unending loyalty of his daughter. He then travels the world and enters into a deeply disastrous second marriage from which the only escape seems to be his own death. Through all of this misery he manages to salvage some happiness by recalling his earlier life.

The novel’s climaxes are mostly derived from Charles’ life. The motorcycle accident involving serious injuries to his best friend; his own near fatal adventure on a windmill leading to his first sexual experience with Madeleine, the Frenchwoman who has a subtle influence over his entire life; his rescue of a homeless Mexican couple in Los Angeles and the effect of this on his family life; and finally his recovery from alcoholism. These are set against Charles’ slide into the alcoholic abyss and Martin’s disappointing marriage.

Just Crossing is a novel based on an actual incident in the author’s life where two strangers are thrown together by chance for just a few hours. It is about their lives and the affect that the past life of one has on the future life of the other.

The novel contains approximately 85,000 words and is arranged in 12 chapters. 

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