Rather cleverly too, the way in which these characters come together is not instantaneous; rather they take a while to let down their barriers, to actually come around to the idea that not saying “Hi” to a fellow commuter but becoming involved in their lives isn’t a bad thing, and it gives The People on Platform 5 an emotional heft and substance that makes the ending that follows feel well-deserved and truthful. Another totally original, thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying book from Clare Pooley. Full of original characters and wisdom, I absolutely loved it Katie Fforde Never give up a seat once occupied unless (a) it's for a pregnant lady (b) it's for someone old or infirm (c) Iona tells you to

Her dark but hilarious memoir, The Sober Diaries, has helped thousands of people around the world to quit drinking. A glorious triumph of a novel; warm, funny and moving, with an unforgettable cast of characters * Rosie Walsh * 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. This beautifully-written story, which rather audaciously dares to imagine what might happen if regular commuters on the same train line in London dared to actually speak to each other, is like a tonic for the soul because not only does it bring a number of lost big city souls into the kind of nurturing found family they all desperately need, but it does so in a way that helps them answer some big questions in their life and take some pretty positive steps forward.

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 read, with great characters to care about, it takes current issues seriously but adds plenty of humour Choice

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. A joyous and uplifting story about unexpected friendships, and the chance connections that can change our lives Debbie Johnson A feel-good read, with great characters to care about, it takes current issues seriously but adds plenty of humour * Choice * Prior to writing and looking after children full-time, Pooley worked in advertising. She lives in London with her spouse, three children and two dogs.

ALSO READ: ‘Trespasses’: A thrilling account of forbidden love in the time of the Troubles Why should you read ‘The People on Platform 5’? 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?