I never thought I’d feel nostalgic for my commuting days but The People On Platform 5 has accomplished the impossible. The world Clare Pooley conjures up of the daily lives played out in a railway carriage isn’t quite how I remember those hours, mostly because – gasp – people actually talk to each other. But that’s all part of the appeal of this brilliantly uplifting and escapist read.
It sweeps you along with no signs of plot delays, literary signal failures or unnecessary diversions. Even with a wide cast of larger-than-life characters, Pooley handles each of them deftly. Important themes are carefully woven into the plot lines in and, for fans of her first novel, The Authenticity Project, there’s even a cheeky in-joke about a certain Mr Julian Jessop, which made me smile.
In fact, there’s lots to smile about in this book and reading it feels like an uplifting respite from the daily grind. Train journey, optional.

I requested this straightaway, as I really enjoyed the author's previous book. So glad I did- this one was even better.
We are introduced to several strangers who only have the train commute in common..
Likeable characters of differing ages and backgrounds, with a variety of personal struggles.
A feel good light read- perfect for these miserable rainy days.

Thank you to Netgalley for a pre publication copy. In return for an honest review! #Thepeopleonplatform5 #netgalley

Iona commutes everyday on the train to London. She often has to share her space with the designer suit man and the girl on the train. She has multiple unspoken rules of commuting. Until one day designer suit man starts to choke on a grape. After calling for medical attention, nurse Sanjay saves his life. Iona soon finds out his name is Piers and girl on the train is Emmie. This cements the beginning of their friendship. Until one day teenage Martha is commuting to school when she vomits on Piers! How can their lives be entwined? Will this be the beginning or the end?

This book found its way into my emails from publisher. The Authenticity project which was Claire's debut novel was my favourite of 2021. So I have been waiting for another from Claire and here it is.

This book covers some very emotional but modern topics which are essential to be spoken about. It really turns traditions, old beliefs and values on their head although shows how all of these are still firmly engrained into modern society. These topics cover Gambling, ageism, sexism society's view of the perfect London job, divorce, single parent hood, dementia, emotional abuse and blackmail as well as nursing home fees amongst other things. All of these topics are written with power and gusto in a book that challenges the sexism, ageism and vision of perfection in London commuting. It shows that not everything is as it seems to the outsider but that by being kind and at times vulnerable. You can be who you want to be and help others to achieve the same.

The characters are all loveable in their own way. You can see they are all clawing at the pages for their story, thoughts, feelings and ideas to be heard. The way their lives entwine and how similar they all are. However so different on the outside to others on their commute is done so artistically it really makes this book special. We have all made up names for others on our commutes with the unwritten rule. Maybe we should follow the characters in this story and spread some love and kindness during our commutes. You never know whose life you could change.

As wirh her debut this book has not disappointed. Claire has a very special writing talent which is done seamlessly, artistically and sympatheticly to the characters. It is something special.

Cannot wait for the next Claire Pooley novel.

<i>Trains</i>.

There is something magical and soothing about trains. I particularly enjoy long journeys when you have to pack snacks and more than one book. I love listening to music while looking out the window... and coming up with stories about fellow passengers. I think this is probably one of the experiences I have missed the most during the pandemic.

Can you imagine when I came across Clare Pooley's <i>The People on Platform 5</i>? Yes, please, and thank you so much to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, for the opportunity to read this book ahead of its publishing date – May 26th 2022.

It's wonderfully easy to fall in flow with <i>The People on Platform 5</i> and its delightful family of characters. One minute you are all strangers to each other and the next you cannot wait to see them again. This is one of the things I love about this book – your relationship with the characters mirrors the relationship of the characters between themselves.

Grape – <i>the</i> event.

One single piece of fruit is what unlocks the voice of the main six characters – Iona, Piers, Sanjay, Emmie, Martha and David. As they unveil details about one another, their voices grow stronger and their texture more defined. Though quite light in tone, it digs deep.

I would call it a book of chances – about taking chances, giving others (and ourselves!) chances, being able to recognise chances... and surprising yourself!

It reminded me of Fredrik Backman's <i>Anxious People</i>.

<i>What would Iona do</i>? She would recommend this book, and so do I.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I liked this feel good story, liked all the characters at the station and basically it made me smile.

Clare Pooley writes books with characters you care about. I loved The Authenticity Project and I was excited to receive the ARC of The People on Platform 5. I sat down to read just a couple of chapters and lost my whole afternoon to Iona, Emmie, Sanjay, Piers and Martha. I adored them all.

With a book like this it could easily stray into sentimentality but it just doesn’t. The author makes relevant points about mental health, feminism and cyber bullying with a cast of interesting and relatable characters. I quite honestly loved this book and I know it’s going to stay with me. I’d give it six stars if I could.

Absolutely loved this book from start to finish. Perfect amount of characters, chapters just enough to encourage you to keep reading on to the next character. Great descriptions of each character, I would love to get on this train!!! Well done Clare Pooley you 🌟

I adored this book, which brings together a group of strangers who take the same train London every day. Having lived in London myself I’ve played the game of inventing nicknames and back stories for the passengers who commute with me every day but who I would never dare speak to, so this really appealed to me.

Here we meet Sanjay the oncology nurse, Emmie the marketer, Martha the bullied school girl, Piers the London stock trader, and, at the centre, the wonderfully eccentric Iona, ex burlesque dancer and current agony aunt for the ironically named Modern Woman, which seems anything but modern. Brought together by a near death experience, we get to know these wonderful characters and see how just a little moment of communication on an otherwise silent train changes the course of their lives.

I loved all the characters, who were all very believable, and really enjoyed seeing the relationships develop. I ended the book feeling bereft that I would no longer be part of this group who felt like friends.
My only criticism is the role of Iona herself, who is 57 but seems to be described and treated as someone twenty years older. I get that she needed to be in her fifties for the story of her wife Bea, who has early onset dementia, to work, but I just felt she seemed much older than her years. Being a fifty-something woman myself, I found it worrying that people even ten years younger than me could potentially see me as some eccentric old dear and I really hope that’s not the case!

However, this did not detract from my enjoyment of the book or life for all the characters. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Published in the USA as Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting.

Publisher: Random House UK, Transworld Publishers

Release date: 26th May 2022

Pages: 368

Representation: LGBTQIA+(Sapphic), British Indian.

Trigger warnings: Mention of suicide, dementia.

Summary: Iona gets the same train every day, and every day on the commute, she sees the same people. As per the unspoken carriage rules, Iona has never spoken to any of them; Instead, she watches and judges. When one of her fellow passengers nearly dies, the rules break down, and it leads Iona to challenge her preconceived notions and allow herself into a world of friendship she didn't know could exist.

It's challenging to write about a character-driven book without spoiling the story because the characters are the story.

The People on platform 5 is a feel-good, once-in-a-lifetime story. It creates a heartwarming feeling that you'll be longing to replicate for weeks after you've closed this book.

Focusing primarily on Iona, Clare introduces us to a cast of characters that feel more like friends than anything else. We're welcomed with open arms, and with every page, we read about them, we get to love them more. The character development had me hating a character initially and loving him in the end. It was superb.

The plot was subtle but moved forward at a pleasant pace. It gave me just enough to keep me wanting more, like dangling a steak in front of a dog. I couldn't wait to keep reading. I wanted to know what would happen to these new friends because it was impossible to not care about them.

I didn't feel overwhelmed with information. Every change in POV gave us a new puzzle piece of the story but never felt forced. I actively looked forward to each new chapter and POV change, which is a first for me; usually, I'm not too fond of multiple POVs. I especially enjoyed the fact that throughout the book, all of the POVs referenced each other in creative ways; one character would do something and hope no one noticed, and in the next POV, they talk about the fact that they had seen it.

There is one more thing I have to mention: Iona. Iona was a character unlike any I've seen before. She's strong, passionate, unique and not ashamed to own up to her mistakes. She's unapologetic in herself and knows to stand up for what's right. She actively tries to make the world a better place and has no internal battle whether to help or not. She is, ultimately, good. She is good, and she is herself. It's something so simple but often so neglected, and I won't lie when I say that since finishing this book, I have thought about Iona every day.

If there's one thing to take away from this book, it's that we can all Be More Iona. #bemoreiona

Shining glory: The Characterisations were incredible. We got to know the characters, and it was hard not to love them, even those we disliked initially. Our perceptions of them changed whilst Ionas also changed.

Fatal flaw: This book has no traditional flaws, but one key thing may be an issue; It's tailored towards a British Audience. Non-British audiences may struggle to understand all the references or even the very British train etiquette rules the book uses as its premise.

Read this if: You love character-driven stories. You want an easy, feel-good read with loveable characters.

Skip this if: You don't like single-location plots, the book equivalent of TV' bottle episodes. You prefer plot-driven books, as opposed to character-driven ones. You don't like books with multiple POVs.

Everyday the same people do the morning and evening commute. Even though they see the same faces each day, no-one speaks. Until one day when one of the commuters starts to choke, this is the ice breaker and from that point on the small group involved in saving the commuters life strike up an unlikely friendship.

I loved this book, really felt as if I was one of the small group of friends and became fully involved in their lives. Being from the north, where we know each others life story within 20 minutes of meeting a stranger, the thought of not speaking to the same people you commute with each day seems really strange.

There is a wonderful mix of characters, someone for most people to identify with. The main character is Iona, eccentric, stubborn and forthright. Iona is a magazine therapist (DO NOT call her an agony aunt) but at 57 her colleagues consider her a dinosaur. What her colleagues don't realise is that she was an influencer decades before social media existed.

Emmie works in advertising, she loves her job but wants to do something more rewarding than simply sell toothpaste. Sanjay is a nurse who moved from A&E to Oncology because he wanted to connect more with his patients. Sanjay has adored Emmie from afar for months but isn't brave enough to ask her out.

Piers is an arrogant city trader, he hates his job but has a lifestyle he has to maintain for his family. Martha is an awkward school girl, struggling on the fringes of the in-crowd at school. Things become even worse for her when she does something really stupid.

Each of our characters is dealing with problems; school, work, relationships. As individuals these problems are huge, but when they begin to share their concerns they are met with support and solutions.

Yes all the problems are tied up neatly, but that is what you want from a feel good novel. I'd love to re-visit the characters in a couple of years time to see how their lives develop.

A really good read. Iona is a fabulous warmhearted, beautiful character but she is a bit eccentric and as she travels to work e very day she meets some people who all in one way or another become involved with her and friendships start to emerge. Soon a little group of them who all have problems and difficulties in their lives become so attached to her that when they discover things aren't easy for her either they really want to help and in doing so they find a way to help each other. Love all the characters and they make this book a really interesting read .

I loved this book! Iona is a larger than life character, but I also loved the other members of the group travelling together. The story is told from the different points of view of the different characters in turns. They all had their problems and they all found their solutions supporting each other. It is heartwarming to read about such an unlikely "hub" of friends. I was really sorry when the story finished. I can recommend it to absolutely everyone. You will like it.

Wow what a feelgood hug of a book! Love love loved it! It's like reading a book full of your favourite friends.
As in her previous book The Authenticity Project there is a fantastic cast of characters that you will fall in love with and cheer for. They all meet on the commute to and from work - never talking - until something happens and they are forced to communicate - headed by the delightfully quirky Iona who brings them all together and listens to their private battles that they are all dealing with. This will leave you with a happy heart !

A total joy. Once again Clare Pooley brings together a diverse cast of characters so beautifully to life. and with wonderful observational humour. I loved this book from first page to last. We should definitely all #BeMoreIona

such an easy and engaging read! the premise of it looked very intriguing, other commuters on the bus/train as mine and the fact that they are actual people living their lives is something that always pops into mind so this was right up my alley! the execution did not disappoint. i highly recommend it.

This was a cracking read with some great characters especially the indomitable Iona who seemed to like nothing more than sorting others out but does have her own worries and weaknesses underneath the confident exterior. The lives and worries of these commuters were each told in their own voice and although there were no shocks for me it was great to see how they gradually inveigled their way into each other’s lives, generally with Iona’s pushing to be fair but nonetheless it was great to see how a group of strangers came to gradually know each other and befriend and benefit each other in their own ways. 9/10

The number one rule of public transport is don’t make eye contact the second rule is don’t engage in conversation.

Every day Iona Iversen boards the train to go to work where she sees the same people and makes assumptions about their lives. One day one of the passengers starts to choke right in front of her which leads to unlikely friendships and alliances being formed.

I can’t begin to explain how much I love this book it was simply brilliant I will be recommending it to everyone I know.

I have to admit, I was a little paranoid that this wouldn't match the love I have for The Authenticity Project. And as someone who hasn't missed her commute in the past 2 years I was reluctant to embrace a train story.

I could not have been more wrong on both counts, this is stunning.

A perfect bunch of unexpected characters meet on their commute corralled by the "rainbow lady" Iowa. I had to giggle at all their names for each other before they properly know each other as that is something I did regularly with my regularly seen commuters. All of them are facing their own (mostly private) battle until they start talking to Iowa. I loved every single character with equal measure (not always from the start!)

Some really topical issues come through their lives and these characters are all relatable and endearing in the own way (at least eventually.)

This has made me wish all train journeys were like this, and I nearly missed my commute.. Nearly...

An absolutely gorgeous, joyous read.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. I absolutely loved this book from the first page, the characters were so real and relatable and all had human frailties that endeared them to me even more. There were a number of characters but not so many as to overwhelm the reader and all very different from one another but with their commute in common. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know.

This book shocked me in the best possible way, I loved how all the characters were developed and loved how the setting was worked. There's nothing I would really change.