There’s a really famous photo of a train accident at Paris Montparnasse station in 1895 – in it, the steam engine of the train has overshot the end of the line and is hanging out of the station through the giant glass windows. It’s an arresting image and one that Emma Donoghue has taken as the inspiration for her new book. Who was on that train, speeding unknowingly towards the derailment?
The book is very fragmented, skipping between lots of characters on the train across all the classes, including the railway staff. At first, I found this quite hard to follow, especially remembering who everyone was and how they all fitted together. However, after a while, it all came together and I started to find the characters engaging. It’s a true slice of late 19th century French life, from the train guards and stokers to high-ranking political figures, from the wealthy invalid in her own carriage to the young terrorist, from the schoolboy to the pregnant woman nearing her due date, the coffee seller to the woman aspiring to be a doctor. As is Donoghue’s tendency, there is a feminist slant to some of the stories – and it is the women who are often the strongest or the most visionary (something I like about her writing).
As well as basing the events on a real incident, Donoghue’s cast includes real people too – and this is all explained in the author’s note at the end. Fans of historical fiction will find a lot to enjoy here – the historical detail is pin-sharp and vivid, from the heat and steam of the engine footplate to the claustrophobic quiet of the private carriage for the sick woman.
It’s an immersive book if you can allow yourself to go with the narrative, switching between people and carriages frequently. I definitely enjoyed learning about the people, the time period and the incident itself and would recommend it to anyone who likes thought-provoking and intense reads. There’s certainly a lot of tension as the train hurtles towards its final destination with the passengers unaware of what’s coming.
With thanks to NetGalley for my review copy of the book – opinions are entirely my own.
Header photo by Adrian Botica on Unsplash.
