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  • Published: 22 August 2023
  • ISBN: 9781804990971
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 416
  • RRP: $22.99

The People on Platform 5

A feel-good and uplifting read with unforgettable characters from the bestselling author of The Authenticity Project



No one writes about community and unexpected friendships like Clare Pooley. Joyful and heart-warming, this is the perfect book-club read

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:

· You must have a job to go to
· Don't consume hot food
· Always pack for any eventuality
· You must never speak to strangers on the train

Iona sees the same group of people each day - ones she makes assumptions about, gives nicknames to, but never ever talks to.

But then, one morning, Smart-but-Sexist-Surbiton chokes on a grape right in front of Iona. Suspiciously-Nice-New Malden steps up to help and saves his life, and this one event sparks a chain reaction.

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?

  • Published: 22 August 2023
  • ISBN: 9781804990971
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 416
  • RRP: $22.99

About the author

Clare Pooley

Clare Pooley graduated from Newnham College, Cambridge and spent twenty years in the heady world of advertising, where the line between authenticity and fiction is constantly blurred, before becoming a full-time mum. She is the author of the hugely popular blog, Mummy was a Secret Drinker, under the pseudonym Sober Mummy and her memoir, The Sober Diaries was published in 2017 to critical acclaim. Her blog has had over two million hits and her TEDx talk, Making Sober Less Shameful, has had over 110,000 views.

Clare’s debut novel The Authenticity Project is inspired by her decision to expose the rather grubby truth about her seemingly perfect life in her memoir.

Clare writes from her kitchen table in Fulham, London where she lives with her long-suffering husband, three children, dog and an African pygmy hedgehog.

Also by Clare Pooley

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Praise for The People on Platform 5

A 1st class journey. Just wonderful

Beth Morrey, author of Saving Missy

A magnificent, heart-warming novel celebrating the power of human connection - it's an absolute joy

Freya Sampson, author of The Last Library

Uplifting, joyful & funny, yet also poignant, perceptive & clever

Tracy Rees

The People on Platform 5 is nothing short of sheer and utter delight. It presents the best of humanity - the sweet and bashful kindness and generosity that lives in all of us. I can't think of a more joyful book!

Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A For Aunties

Heartwarming, funny, a delicious dive into the profound and ridiculous modern world in which we live. Clare Pooley reminds us why we need each other

Tara Conklin, New York Times bestselling author

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 feel-good ensemble story will bring joy to readers who loved Anxious People and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine-not to mention fans of quirky London-set fare such as Ted Lasso...a warm, fun pick-me-up of a book

Mary Laura Philpott

Clare Pooley has found a delightful way to bring home the point that we need each other

Kelly Corrigan, New York Times bestselling author

Another totally original, thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying book from Clare Pooley. Full of original characters and wisdom, I absolutely loved it

Katie Fforde

Clare Pooley is the queen of feel-good fiction. She takes relatable situations and characters and somehow makes them magical. The People of Platform 5 is funny, tender and true-to-life while also being thought-provoking. It was magnificent and a joy to read

Phaedra Patrick

This book tackles so many interesting themes, all with Clare's trademark humour, wonderful writing, and vibrant, loveable characters - Feel-good fiction at its best. It almost made me miss the commute

Sophie Cousens, author of This Time Next Year

A gloriously entertaining and completely addictive read. The People on Platform 5 will be sure to steal your heart. Clare Pooley's writing is astute, wickedly funny, clever and charming. I adore this book

Hazel Prior

This book is bursting with the kindness of strangers, and I was bursting with hope by the end of it

Jenny Bayliss

A joyous and uplifting story about unexpected friendships, and the chance connections that can change our lives

Debbie Johnson

A glorious triumph of a novel; warm, funny and moving, with an unforgettable cast of characters

Rosie Walsh

Insightful, funny and full of warmth and relatable characters. A brilliant read

Sarah Morgan

I loved meeting the people on platform 5 - a delightful story about connection and friendship in a disconnected world

Marianne Cronin, author of The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot

Leaving you with that fuzzy feeling you want from a feel-good book

Woman & Home

Entertaining and uplifting

Good Housekeeping

An uplifting and heart-warming book that champions friendship and community

Libby Page

This utterly joyful novel takes you on an unforgettable journey with characters you wish you could meet in real life... I loved The People on Platform 5 even more than The Authenticity Project - it's glorious

Eva Carter

Filled with delightful characters... this heart-warming book explores relationships and the dilemmas of everyday life

Candis

Tackling many relevant issues, it's a heart-warming read

Heat

Poignant, totally joyful, this is a great read

Fabulous

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

A feel-good tale about the power of real-life connections

Sun

You can always rely on Pooley to deliver not just wonderful, lively characters but a story that leaves you feeling uplifted and hopeful

CultureFly

Utterly gorgeous. A proper good pick-me-up of a book

Ruth Jones

A celebration of multi-generational friendships and human resilience – and a lesson in not jumping to assumptions…There are laugh-out-loud moments and poignant ones too…it really brightened my day

Good Housekeeping

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