Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley on June 7, 2022
Genres: Fiction / Literary, Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Women
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
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A charming, touching, heartwarming story about found family in unexpected places. This was a feel-good story that also touched on heavy topics like bullying, marriage issues, ageism, loneliness and work stress, and all with such great humor. The cast of characters is so diverse that you wouldn’t expect it to work as well as it did.
Iona Iverson is a fifty something Magazine advice columnist who commutes to work every day with her dog, Lulu. She doesn’t know the people on her train, but she makes up nicknames for everyone and she lives by her rules:
1. You must have a job to get to
2. Never talk to strangers on the train
3. Don’t consume hot food
4. 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
5. Always pack for any eventuality
Her fellow commuters all have a nickname for her also, as she carries a large bag that carries endless supplies. She has maintained her rules until it all changes one day when Piers, or “Smart-But-Sexist-Manspreader” chokes on a grape and Sanjay, a successful nurse, comes to his rescue. This is just the beginning of how the group comes together. They all seem to gravitate towards Iona, as she gives advice to all of them. They all seem to seek Iona out for advice on one thing or another. Little does Iona know that she needs them as much as they need her. She is being pushed out of her job because of her age and relevance to the company so she gets helps from the younger train group. Emmy, Martha, and David help her in ways that she didn’t know she needed. The whole group rallies around each other to help out.
I loved how each chapter was told from a different POV. You really got to know the characters and become connected to them. I was really emotionally invested in each of their stories by the end and rooting for them all. I think Pooley handled each theme she touched on with such heart, care, and hope. Each character dealt with their own issues of bullying, ageism, loneliness, relationship issues, and work stress with humor and wisdom. This would be a great book club pick. This is for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and A Man Called Ove.