Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting

A Novel

By: Clare Pooley

Narrated by: Clare Corbett

Nobody ever talks to strangers on the train. It’s a rule. But what would happen if they did? From the New York Times and Globe and Mail bestselling author of The Authenticity Project, a heartwarming novel about unexpected friendships and the joy of connecting.

Every day Iona, a larger-than-life magazine advice columnist, travels the ten stops from Hampton Court to Waterloo Station by train, accompanied by her dog, Lulu. Every day she sees the same people, whom she knows only by nickname: Impossibly-Pretty-Constant-Reader and Terribly-Lonely-Teenager. Of course, they never speak. Seasoned commuters never do.

Then one morning, the man she calls Smart-But-Sexist-Manspreader chokes on a grape right in front of her. He’d have died were it not for the timely intervention of Sanjay, a nurse, who gives him the Heimlich maneuver.

This single event starts a chain reaction, and an eclectic group of people with almost nothing in common except their commute discover that a chance encounter can blossom into much more. It turns out that talking to strangers can teach you about the world around you—and even more about yourself.

Fun and touching

Fun - great storytelling - great narrator too.

Stories - something for everyone

Life - is short, find the meaning moments & right people (and animals) & make the most.

Delightful!

The reader is superb! The story is sweet with a happy ending. Sometimes that is exactly what you need !

Perfect mix of a light read with twists & turns!

I absolutely loved this book. It was last months book club pick (fyi, it’s a coed book club and the men enjoyed it also) and I wasn’t sure about it but when I couldn’t get it a physical copy at the library nor through the Libby app, I knew it had to be a good read. It’s hard to pick a favorite character but Iona is definitely a person I aspire to be.

Also, the narrator was AMAZING! The differentiation between the men’s voices and women, children…whomever, she nailed it! Well done!

Such fun!

Loved it! Fun book to listen to with really good narration! I enjoyed it very much!

I adore Iona and her friends

I don't ride a commuter train, but this charming book made me wishful for such an experience. Iona was such a well-written character. I really adored her. The narrator was good and I really enjoyed this book. One of my top 10 for the year for sure.