Book Review: The People on Platform 5 by Clare Pooley
The People on Platform 5 is the story of a disparate group of daily commuters in London who travel by the underground rail between Hampton Court and Waterloo stations. Their lives begin to intersect after an incident occurs during their commute forcing them to break the unsaid rule of public transport “Never speak to strangers”. Perceptions they held about each other are shattered and friendships are formed.
The main character/commuter is 57-year-old Iona Iverson, with a larger-than-life personality, a colourful fashion sense that makes her stand out in the seas of greys and blacks, and a perceptive, compassionate heart.
‘Iona knew the best way to persuade someone to talk is to stay quiet. People when confronted with silence feel the overwhelming urge to fill it with something’
She also has no problem taking a stand and telling it like it is.
There are so many important topics deftly woven into the story, like ageism, bullying at school, toxic masculinity, mental health and the struggles faced by gay communities.
“They want us to be small, so we have to stand tall. They want us to be invisible, so we have to be seen. They want us to be quiet, so we have to be heard. They want us to surrender, so we have to fight”
Clare apparently wrote this book during the pandemic when she looked back at her train journeys fondly. She used to see the same people repeatedly, and gave them nicknames in her head like Iona. She said in London trains, people never spoke to one another, and this story idea came to her when she wondered what could transpire if they did.
It’s a book with a lot of heart and humour and about friendships that are forged in unlikely circumstances when some rules are broken.
-Anju