The People on Platform 5: A feel-good and uplifting read with unforgettable characters from the bestselling author of The Authenticity Project

Product Information

At first Iona seemed like she would be an Eleanor Oliphant type which initially raised hope. But as the story plays out we come to realize she's little more than an aging lesbian who enjoys counseling strangers she sees regularly on the train. A feel-good read, with great characters to care about, it takes current issues seriously but adds plenty of humour * Choice * It leaves] the reader with that fuzzy feeling you want from a feel-good book. Fans of her previous hit, The Authenticity Project, will not be disappointed * Woman's Weekly *

To be honest, that sense of being enveloped in love and support is so profoundly present in The People on Platform 5 that it often feels like a great big warm hug; that’s not meant in any kind of flippant way at all but rather in the sense that being made to feel like you belong and matter is the one of the most powerful things you can do for anyone. A magnificent, heart-warming novel celebrating the power of human connection - it's an absolute joy Freya Sampson, author of The Last Library

Clare Pooley graduated from Newnham College, Cambridge and spent twenty years in the heady world of advertising, before becoming a full-time writer. A glorious triumph of a novel; warm, funny and moving, with an unforgettable cast of characters Rosie Walsh The fantastic cast of eclectic characters will steal your heart & have you rooting for their happy endings'

A glorious triumph of a novel; warm, funny and moving, with an unforgettable cast of characters * Rosie Walsh * A joyous and uplifting story about unexpected friendships, and the chance connections that can change our lives Debbie Johnson ALSO READ: ‘Trespasses’: A thrilling account of forbidden love in the time of the Troubles Why should you read ‘The People on Platform 5’? It might all seem a bit fairytale-ish but is there really a bad thing? Not even a little bit; frankly I love the idea that you can find just the right people to help you, that they all end up overcoming any reluctance they have to form bonds with people they’ve only ever cursorily nodded at, and that they form the kind of supportive grouping capable of turning lives around. Filled with delightful characters... this heart-warming book explores relationships and the dilemmas of everyday life CandisPrior to writing and looking after children full-time, Pooley worked in advertising. She lives in London with her spouse, three children and two dogs. The wondrously good thing about The People on Platform 5 is that for all the magic of the narrative, it also feels really down to earth and quite real. The key character of the group who brings Piers (known as Smart-But-Sexist-Surbiton) and others together including Sanjay (Too-Good-To-be-True New Malden), Emmie, Martha, Jake and David together is Iona (Piers christens her Crazy Dog Woman before he really gets to know her), a onetime IT girl of the Eighties and Nineties who, with the love of her life Bea, is a flamboyantly extrovert lesbian who works as a magazine therapist and a woman with a take-no-prisoners approach to bringing people together. As they all confront their failures and their fears, they must rely increasingly on their new train friends. But can their newfound friendship solve even the most heartbreaking of problems?

The audiobook narrator, Clare Corbett, does a fabulous job delivering the one-liner comments creatively written by the author. With ageism, bullying, anxiety, dementia, and sensitive relationship issues to cover it's easier to digest these hard topics when served with a happy dose of humor on the side. Every day at 8:05, Iona Iverson boards the train to go to work. As a seasoned commuter, she knows there are rules that everyone should follow: It’s a tough ask in a world more inclined to injustice, vest self-interest and cruelty, accidental or otherwise, but that doesn’t stop us hoping that in amongst all of the hellish loose ends, there might be a definitive moment when all the brass rings fall within our grasp and all the hope springing eternal we’ve employed leads to the sort of happy ending that would make Cinderella swoon. Generally, our closest friends tend to be around the same age as us and share similar views and life experiences, which means that the help and advice they give you in tough times is probably advice you’d give yourself,” author Clare Pooley said in an interview with The Nerd Daily . THIS BOOK!!!!!! Complete and utter feel good fiction at its very, very finest. It was so heartwarming and it made me feel so happy.

Select a format:

Working for a woman's magazine, Iona grew popular over the years due to advice given to those struggling with life. In her 50s, she'd lived with her long time partner, Bea, who began to suffer with early Alzheimer symptoms and was eventually placed in a home. Her editor decides the magazine needs to attract a younger demographic and soon she's put on notice. Clare Pooley has found a delightful way to bring home the point that we need each other Kelly Corrigan, New York Times bestselling author The People on Platform 5 is a friendship-affirming novel about the power of relationships and how important it is to avoid preconceived assumptions about people. Based in the outskirts of London, Iona commutes with Lulu her pug, which draws attention from the other commuters. Regimented, she sits at the same table on her regular route and it's here she meets Piers, Sanjay, Martha, David and Emmie. Like most, each have issues they're coping with and as they connect with Iona, she offers advice for each and as its adopted, they realize what a gift it was to meet her. Pooley delivers not only acerbic, enchanting Iona but a compelling, tangled cast of quirky, complicated characters so engaging, it's enough to make you miss crowded commuter trains Laurie Frankel, New York Times bestselling author

This book is bursting with the kindness of strangers, and I was bursting with hope by the end of it Jenny Bayliss It’s this wondrously uplifting sense of love and unconditional support that makes The People on Platform 5 such a poignantly touching and funny book to read. Clare Pooley has found a delightful way to bring home the point that we need each other * Kelly Corrigan, New York Times bestselling author * Balancing that sort of realness with the feel-good sense that life can become miraculously better (though, to be fair not without some hard work and pain; there’s no wand waving going on here) is a feat in and of itself and it’s one Pooley manages impressively well, forming up in the process a story that feel accessibly honest even as it inspires you to dream and hope big. The characters don’t always see it that way but then that makes sense; we can be so consumed by the difficulties and trials in our life that we can’t see if there’s any sort of way forward.

Customer reviews

Pooley pulls no punches when it comes to how uncompromisingly difficult and awful life can be, but she does so in a way that doesn’t feel hopeless and which comes with a sense that it might be possible to find a way through. Iona is by far the star of the show. Currently 57 and working as a magazine therapist, with a past of showbiz, glitz and glamour behind her, Iona exudes warmth, quirkiness, wisdom…she is exactly the kind of person who we should all aim to be more like. Be more Iona we definitely should!! She is the ringmaster of the group. The person who brings them all together. Get ready to hop onboard this summer's unmissable book - the perfect feel-good and heart-warming read. Number 5 was my favorite, the magic bag lady. How much stuff can one woman stuff into a bag? Iona is prepared for it all. With nothing in common but their commute, an eclectic group of people learn that their assumptions about each other don't match reality. But when Iona's life begins to fall apart, will her new friends be there when she needs them most?