The People on Platform 5, by Clare Pooley

Today is one of those rare days where I wander out of my usual genre and try something lighter with my reading. After a recent thriller book binge, I picked up The People on Platform 5, as a palate cleanser of sorts….

What is The People on Platform 5 about?

Every day Iona, a larger-than-life magazine advice columnist, travels the ten stops from Hampton Court to Waterloo Station by train, accompanied by her dog, Lulu. Every day she sees the same people, whom she knows only by nickname: Impossibly-Pretty-Constant-Reader and Terribly-Lonely-Teenager. Of course, they never speak. Seasoned commuters never do.

Then one morning, the man she calls Smart-But-Sexist-Manspreader chokes on a grape right in front of her. He’d have died were it not for the timely intervention of Sanjay, a nurse, who gives him the Heimlich maneuver.

This single event starts a chain reaction, and an eclectic group of people with almost nothing in common except their commute discover that a chance encounter can blossom into much more. It turns out that talking to strangers can teach you about the world around you–and even more about yourself.

My Thoughts

I really was drawn in very quickly by these characters. They’re so eclectic and as different as can be! I found the writing to be delightful and I found myself chuckling out loud more than once. I love a book and writing style that make me chuckle! The People on Platform 5 is quite  lighthearted and sweet. Lighthearted aside, the book does touch on a lot of difficult topics…ageism, homophobia, bullying, abusive relationships and dealing with panic attacks. However, it is difficult to really get into these too deeply, because the tone is so light and airy and swiftly moving along (if that makes sense).

Everything wraps up really perfectly and sweetly….very very sweetly…so much sweetness. Just pass me the honey! I’m sure after 2yrs of covid though, this may be just the distraction that you need.

My Rating

The People on Platform 5 has a Goodreads rating of 4.33 stars. I’d give it around 3.5 stars, but only because it’s not really a genre I read often. The writing was great though, a cute plot that all ties up nicely in the end. This was also a quick read and will be enjoyable for you, if you’re a lover of this sort of feel good genre.

Thanks to the folks over at Penguin Random House SA who sent me this review copy. All opinions are my own.