Book info

• Title
• Author Alexander McCall Smith
• Year
• Genres

Thoughts

What a great concept for this book - four strangers meet on a train and share their experiences of love and life, but mostly love. They each have a very different story to be told, but each rooted in finding love and holding on to it. On the journey from Edinburgh to London, they recount their tales.

I had thought it would be a little more focused on conversations, rather than each story told mostly separately. They do weave in and out a little, but for the most part, they’re four quite individual stories being told, as though round a campfire. That being the case, it felt slightly unreal that such intimate details would be told to perfect strangers.

That can happen, I’m sure, but it didn’t feel like there was much of a catalyst to start the sometimes painful levels of honesty on display. However, if you can look past the fact that people don’t even make eye contact with strangers these days, let alone share their life stories, it’s a charming and ultimately hopeful book.

Rating: Unrated