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The Train That Carries Us
Sophie is out of time.
The train is gaining speed, and if she can’t find the driver, it will consume her completely. Each carriage holds the shadows she has spent a lifetime running from. They whisper through the walls, claw at her thoughts, and wait to splinter her the moment she falters.
The deeper she pushes forward, the faster the train hurtles on—as if it feeds on her fear. Memories warp into nightmare. Truth fractures. Every door opens inward to a reckoning, a memory, a choice. And with each step, Sophie risks tearing apart everything she thought she was.
But will she make it to the driver… before the train consumes her completely?
The Train That Carries Us is a haunting, lyrical debut about trauma, identity, and the defiant courage it takes to descend into darkness—
and return remade.
The train is gaining speed, and if she can’t find the driver, it will consume her completely. Each carriage holds the shadows she has spent a lifetime running from. They whisper through the walls, claw at her thoughts, and wait to splinter her the moment she falters.
The deeper she pushes forward, the faster the train hurtles on—as if it feeds on her fear. Memories warp into nightmare. Truth fractures. Every door opens inward to a reckoning, a memory, a choice. And with each step, Sophie risks tearing apart everything she thought she was.
But will she make it to the driver… before the train consumes her completely?
The Train That Carries Us is a haunting, lyrical debut about trauma, identity, and the defiant courage it takes to descend into darkness—
and return remade.
230 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 7, 2025
2 people are currently reading
1 person want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 11, 2025
Wow! Where to start with a review. If you are struggling with the first few pages, like I did, then push through the written diarrhoea of metaphors. They become much less intense, as the story gets going or rather more poetic and easier to follow.
Sophie’s train is an inner journey. The train metaphor — each carriage as a piece of Sophie’s past — works powerfully. It externalises internal trauma in a way that feels real, and with emotional depth.
I did struggle with the lyrical haunting prose. But, as I continued they started to carry weight and me along with them. It’s the kind of writing where you may linger on a single sentence, because the emotion hits hard. I am really glad I persevered with the book.
For readers who appreciate introspective, character-driven fiction, this is an impactful read. However, this subtlety may feel understated to readers seeking a more narrative-driven arc and plot. For those who suffer from childhood trauma, anxiety and low self esteem, I think this book would be like therapy sessions.
Ultimately, The Train That Carries Us succeeds not because of grand revelations but because of its honesty.
Honesty about trauma and survival. The book doesn’t neatly wrap things up just because there needs to be a happy ending, after all life is a journey and Sophie’s is not finished.
I sincerely hope she can slow her train and appreciate the ride, the views, the company, the laughter, and the sadder times along the way.
“You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” — Marcus Aurelius
“Only you can decide what breaks you. Only you.” ACOTAR series- Sarah J Maas
Sophie’s train is an inner journey. The train metaphor — each carriage as a piece of Sophie’s past — works powerfully. It externalises internal trauma in a way that feels real, and with emotional depth.
I did struggle with the lyrical haunting prose. But, as I continued they started to carry weight and me along with them. It’s the kind of writing where you may linger on a single sentence, because the emotion hits hard. I am really glad I persevered with the book.
For readers who appreciate introspective, character-driven fiction, this is an impactful read. However, this subtlety may feel understated to readers seeking a more narrative-driven arc and plot. For those who suffer from childhood trauma, anxiety and low self esteem, I think this book would be like therapy sessions.
Ultimately, The Train That Carries Us succeeds not because of grand revelations but because of its honesty.
Honesty about trauma and survival. The book doesn’t neatly wrap things up just because there needs to be a happy ending, after all life is a journey and Sophie’s is not finished.
I sincerely hope she can slow her train and appreciate the ride, the views, the company, the laughter, and the sadder times along the way.
“You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” — Marcus Aurelius
“Only you can decide what breaks you. Only you.” ACOTAR series- Sarah J Maas
November 23, 2025
The Train That Carries Us is an extraordinary book about deep trauma, breaking, healing and surviving. It is as equally haunting as it is beautiful. As fast and frenetic as it is calm and reflective.
The story starts at pace, Sophie’s pain screaming through the pages, packed with endless metaphor as if she is continuously grappling to translate unimaginable feelings and experiences into something every day and understandable. The prose is poetic and lyrical, rich with metaphor and sings at pace through the pages.
But as the journey continues through breaking, awakening and healing, the narrative slows to stillness and calm. The change in pace and prose was extraordinarily navigated and I found myself transported to my own places of stillness and reflection as Sophie stumbled into hers.
While I have not experienced the deep trauma of sexual abuse, Sophie’s story has made me explore things philosophically and psychologically. I have journaled and reflected, ruminated and plotted. Issues of silence and consent passed through generations will relate to almost every one of any gender.
This is a stunningly written novel with a profound impact and lasting legacy, and a powerful reminder for us all to live our truth and slow our own train.
The story starts at pace, Sophie’s pain screaming through the pages, packed with endless metaphor as if she is continuously grappling to translate unimaginable feelings and experiences into something every day and understandable. The prose is poetic and lyrical, rich with metaphor and sings at pace through the pages.
But as the journey continues through breaking, awakening and healing, the narrative slows to stillness and calm. The change in pace and prose was extraordinarily navigated and I found myself transported to my own places of stillness and reflection as Sophie stumbled into hers.
While I have not experienced the deep trauma of sexual abuse, Sophie’s story has made me explore things philosophically and psychologically. I have journaled and reflected, ruminated and plotted. Issues of silence and consent passed through generations will relate to almost every one of any gender.
This is a stunningly written novel with a profound impact and lasting legacy, and a powerful reminder for us all to live our truth and slow our own train.
November 6, 2025
This is a profound piece of modern Scottish fiction. The reader is drawn into a space betwixt and between to walk alongside Sophie as she wrestles with the lifelong impact of trauma — until she finds meaningful resolution. The author handles an incredibly sensitive subject with breath-taking beauty, creativity, and care, making the book impossible to put down; I devoured it in a single sitting.
Complex, absurd, and liminal, the narrative doesn’t unfold in dream or waking reality but in a world entirely of its own — a dimension Sophie has masterfully shaped to confront the events that have held her back. Every page resonates with depth, emotion, and originality that lingers long after you finish reading.
Powerful and transformative, this story will inspire confidence, congruence, and reflection in anyone who opens it. If you appreciate fiction that challenges, moves, and transports you, this book is an absolute must-read.
Complex, absurd, and liminal, the narrative doesn’t unfold in dream or waking reality but in a world entirely of its own — a dimension Sophie has masterfully shaped to confront the events that have held her back. Every page resonates with depth, emotion, and originality that lingers long after you finish reading.
Powerful and transformative, this story will inspire confidence, congruence, and reflection in anyone who opens it. If you appreciate fiction that challenges, moves, and transports you, this book is an absolute must-read.
October 28, 2025
Currently on my own journey of healing, this story was deeply moving and relatable. Leah writes with such vivid, emotional clarity — her metaphors are beautifully descriptive and bring the themes of recovery, strength, and personal growth to life. The imagery throughout paints a powerful picture of what it means to rebuild yourself after pain. It’s a story that touched a raw nerve yet offers both comfort and hope to anyone who has faced hardship and continues to heal.
October 28, 2025
This book is a journey through life’s challenges and traumas, bringing the darkness into the light and then letting the light shine above it all. The story gives such hope, showing you can persevere through difficult times and come out the other side better for it. Highly recommend, this book is such a powerful gift.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews