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The Seventh Train
What if you can’t stand where you are because there’s nothing there? What if you don’t want to end up anywhere else in case that’s empty too? When life has lost its road map, sometimes the only way to get back on track is to get back on the rails.
The Seventh Train is a ride - a ‘road movie’ on the railways. It’s a journey that Elizabeth invented; the only original thought she has ever had in her previously uneventful life. Unbeknown to her, she is not travelling alone. If only she’d pretended that the spare seat was taken.
With a wonderfully eclectic cast of characters, The Seventh Train takes its passengers on a journey from the tragic to the strange, arriving finally at hope. By turns heart-breaking, thought-provoking and hilarious, this tale is a life-affirming exploration of the human spirit via the British railway timetable!
“Ingenious, great fun, and wholly original” - Fay Weldon CBE, on The Seventh Train
The Seventh Train is a ride - a ‘road movie’ on the railways. It’s a journey that Elizabeth invented; the only original thought she has ever had in her previously uneventful life. Unbeknown to her, she is not travelling alone. If only she’d pretended that the spare seat was taken.
With a wonderfully eclectic cast of characters, The Seventh Train takes its passengers on a journey from the tragic to the strange, arriving finally at hope. By turns heart-breaking, thought-provoking and hilarious, this tale is a life-affirming exploration of the human spirit via the British railway timetable!
“Ingenious, great fun, and wholly original” - Fay Weldon CBE, on The Seventh Train
233 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 2, 2019
15 people want to read
About the author
Jackie Carreira
9 books20 followersJackie Carreira is an author, playwright, musician and co-founder of QuirkHouse Theatre and the Foreword Festival of Fringe Literature.
First generation British of Portuguese parents, she grew up in East London and lived for a while in Lisbon as a child. After travelling the world playing music for 12 years, she hung up her bass guitar and picked up a pen. She’s been writing ever since and twice been a winner of the Kenneth Branagh Award for New Drama. Some of her plays are available online via lazybeescripts.co.uk.
If Jackie could have another life, she would be a full-time philosopher and get paid to ask questions all day. Her third novel will be published in 2024.
First generation British of Portuguese parents, she grew up in East London and lived for a while in Lisbon as a child. After travelling the world playing music for 12 years, she hung up her bass guitar and picked up a pen. She’s been writing ever since and twice been a winner of the Kenneth Branagh Award for New Drama. Some of her plays are available online via lazybeescripts.co.uk.
If Jackie could have another life, she would be a full-time philosopher and get paid to ask questions all day. Her third novel will be published in 2024.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 26, 2019
A quite unique read about travelling on trains and everything railways.
As a lapsed train spotted always comfortable under interesting motive power or idling around stations the subject matter is a pure delight. I have always enjoyed accounts aboard a train, from Russia with love, Stamboul train, 4:50 from Paddington, The ABC murders and The Blue Train.
Many a great documentary has been shown about great train journeys, from Michael Palin to Michael Portillo. Paul Theroux has allowed me to follow him on some tremendous railway adventures and the Orient Express still carries a sense of mystery and intrigue if not passengers.
The seventh train therefore had me in seventh heaven - hooked, (or coupled up), right from the start.
It is a deeply profound and revealing story. Quite an interesting piece of literature that reflects on the need to travel and how journeys are taken. Yet it conjures up many familiar experiences we all share from commuters to holiday makers on the train.
The scene in a railway buffet / cafe waiting for a train was pricelessly funny and timeless. It was like watching Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson in Brief Encounter.
Elizabeth is by far the most interesting and rounded character of those we meet. She has taken to a seemingly endless and continuous railway journey like train spotters on a 7 day rail rover or some Inter Railer scared to leave the U.K.
We slowly learn she is trying to find herself and shuns company in the process. Preferring to be an observer not a participant. It is working to a point but he sense of inertia may be the reason she has empathy for others where the rest in a hurry get angry with any delays and cancellations.
With time to waste and her own mind to ease she sits at a table of the busy platform cafe. Her reflection and tranquility is broken by those dreaded words. “Is this chair taken?”.
Funny, poignant and very readable the journey Elizabeth is compelled to take is both cathartic for her and reader alike.
A book to enjoy, where the motion of turning pages is as soothing as the wheels over the rails and the experience of arriving at the end leaves you happy but wanting more.
As a lapsed train spotted always comfortable under interesting motive power or idling around stations the subject matter is a pure delight. I have always enjoyed accounts aboard a train, from Russia with love, Stamboul train, 4:50 from Paddington, The ABC murders and The Blue Train.
Many a great documentary has been shown about great train journeys, from Michael Palin to Michael Portillo. Paul Theroux has allowed me to follow him on some tremendous railway adventures and the Orient Express still carries a sense of mystery and intrigue if not passengers.
The seventh train therefore had me in seventh heaven - hooked, (or coupled up), right from the start.
It is a deeply profound and revealing story. Quite an interesting piece of literature that reflects on the need to travel and how journeys are taken. Yet it conjures up many familiar experiences we all share from commuters to holiday makers on the train.
The scene in a railway buffet / cafe waiting for a train was pricelessly funny and timeless. It was like watching Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson in Brief Encounter.
Elizabeth is by far the most interesting and rounded character of those we meet. She has taken to a seemingly endless and continuous railway journey like train spotters on a 7 day rail rover or some Inter Railer scared to leave the U.K.
We slowly learn she is trying to find herself and shuns company in the process. Preferring to be an observer not a participant. It is working to a point but he sense of inertia may be the reason she has empathy for others where the rest in a hurry get angry with any delays and cancellations.
With time to waste and her own mind to ease she sits at a table of the busy platform cafe. Her reflection and tranquility is broken by those dreaded words. “Is this chair taken?”.
Funny, poignant and very readable the journey Elizabeth is compelled to take is both cathartic for her and reader alike.
A book to enjoy, where the motion of turning pages is as soothing as the wheels over the rails and the experience of arriving at the end leaves you happy but wanting more.
April 8, 2025
There were two topics I wanted to start my review with and both are warring to be the first to be mentioned(in my head), so I thought I could state both and then talk about them in reverse order and whoever reads this can pick which one ought to have come first.
1)The beginning part of the book mentions that this story was first a play and 2) I am probably not the only person who ever wanted to write about people who pass by in a train journey. The latter is a longer story but bear with me while I make its impact clear.
One of the colonial impacts left in India, is an Indian version of long train journeys, anyone who has ever used the trains here knows how long an average train journey is and the advantage of having sleeper berths on most of them. I used to have seventeen-hour trips alone on a train that took an extremely long route through three different states in the south, each with its own style of dressing and language and peculiarities and to top it all, the train was also used by people going even further along, all the way to the other end of the country. This added a lot of vividness to the surroundings, and I gathered enough fodder to want to actually WRITE. Each trip I would start to pen a random story about people who meet on the train but it never went anywhere and someday if I do ever write something longer than a review, there would be one long train journey in it. I just hope my (imaginary, future) train story could even have a percentage of the impact that this short book does. Coming back to the first point, since it was mentioned that this was also a play, I kept imagining the scenes on stage (as I have only recently become very familiar with stage plays) and felt that added an extra level of enjoyment. The only reason I was unable to give this book a complete five stars was that I enjoyed the idea of it as a play more than just a story!!
The story is very simple, it is a tale of a few people who meet by chance but end up travelling partway together. They are a reflection of many other people we meet on our way through daily life, some who actually have problems in life and others who have a significant lack of anything at all- both good or bad. The author uses few words to draw very stark pictures and lets you explore the minds of average (and maybe above average) individuals who need the emotional impact that the events of this story have saved for them. I have not introduced the characters here nor described their lives because it is not a big book and all of those introductions form the core of the tale. This would be an ideal book- club read because of the number of ways it can be enjoyed/dissected.
I highly recommend this book to those looking for a different read. I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is completely based on my own reading experience.
1)The beginning part of the book mentions that this story was first a play and 2) I am probably not the only person who ever wanted to write about people who pass by in a train journey. The latter is a longer story but bear with me while I make its impact clear.
One of the colonial impacts left in India, is an Indian version of long train journeys, anyone who has ever used the trains here knows how long an average train journey is and the advantage of having sleeper berths on most of them. I used to have seventeen-hour trips alone on a train that took an extremely long route through three different states in the south, each with its own style of dressing and language and peculiarities and to top it all, the train was also used by people going even further along, all the way to the other end of the country. This added a lot of vividness to the surroundings, and I gathered enough fodder to want to actually WRITE. Each trip I would start to pen a random story about people who meet on the train but it never went anywhere and someday if I do ever write something longer than a review, there would be one long train journey in it. I just hope my (imaginary, future) train story could even have a percentage of the impact that this short book does. Coming back to the first point, since it was mentioned that this was also a play, I kept imagining the scenes on stage (as I have only recently become very familiar with stage plays) and felt that added an extra level of enjoyment. The only reason I was unable to give this book a complete five stars was that I enjoyed the idea of it as a play more than just a story!!
The story is very simple, it is a tale of a few people who meet by chance but end up travelling partway together. They are a reflection of many other people we meet on our way through daily life, some who actually have problems in life and others who have a significant lack of anything at all- both good or bad. The author uses few words to draw very stark pictures and lets you explore the minds of average (and maybe above average) individuals who need the emotional impact that the events of this story have saved for them. I have not introduced the characters here nor described their lives because it is not a big book and all of those introductions form the core of the tale. This would be an ideal book- club read because of the number of ways it can be enjoyed/dissected.
I highly recommend this book to those looking for a different read. I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is completely based on my own reading experience.
June 3, 2019
Full review can be found here: https://thecaffeinatedreader.com/2019...
I received this book as being part of the book blog tour, my honest review is given in return.
So when you read the words above, you're intrigued but you're still not totally sure what you're getting into! I'm a big lover of theatre and not just musically inclined ones but I live and breathe plays when I get to them, they transport you and just utterly captivate you if they do their job right, so hearing this was a play first really got me to say 'yes please!'
As for what this book is about, it's about whatever you make it to be, it reminds me in its essence of Waiting for Godot where you could spend your time dissecting it or you could simply enjoy it.
Our main character who starts the journey with us is Elizabeth and she's a woman who wants to be on her own, she's realized her unhappiness in life and decides that something has to change. Her solution? Well, you'll have to read and find out but just know it heavily involves numerous seventh trains.
Carreira's writing is fluid and the transition from play to book seems effortless on her part, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to anyone who is intrigued and/or loves the theatre.
Content Warning: Suicide mentioned, discussed, and described. It is not the point of the book but it does play heavy in the journey for some. It is not ideation, however.
I received this book as being part of the book blog tour, my honest review is given in return.
So when you read the words above, you're intrigued but you're still not totally sure what you're getting into! I'm a big lover of theatre and not just musically inclined ones but I live and breathe plays when I get to them, they transport you and just utterly captivate you if they do their job right, so hearing this was a play first really got me to say 'yes please!'
As for what this book is about, it's about whatever you make it to be, it reminds me in its essence of Waiting for Godot where you could spend your time dissecting it or you could simply enjoy it.
Our main character who starts the journey with us is Elizabeth and she's a woman who wants to be on her own, she's realized her unhappiness in life and decides that something has to change. Her solution? Well, you'll have to read and find out but just know it heavily involves numerous seventh trains.
Carreira's writing is fluid and the transition from play to book seems effortless on her part, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to anyone who is intrigued and/or loves the theatre.
Content Warning: Suicide mentioned, discussed, and described. It is not the point of the book but it does play heavy in the journey for some. It is not ideation, however.
May 4, 2019
I’m certain I am not the only one who has ever contemplated walking away from my mundane life and starting anew. I’m sure many of us have thought of it from time to time, and a few may have just done it! Life can give us ups and downs, and for some more downs than ups. Fortunately, I’m grateful to have been given more ups so I haven’t thought of running away too many times.
In The Seventh Train by Jackie Carreira, Elizabeth — a 40-something spinster — decides to do just that, walk away. Along the way she encounters an intriguing cast of characters in her journey of “going nowhere”. I found this book to be extremely entertaining and heartfelt, as well as a bit philosophical. I found myself feeling all of the emotions for Elizabeth: empathy, sadness, happiness, pride, jealousy. Elizabeth’s character is definitely complex, and I found myself reading between the lines with her (so to speak). Her thoughts and actions take a unique juxtaposition many times throughout this book, and I found myself paying more attention to her actions than her thoughts.
I would highly recommend this new book to anyone who enjoys a good story. This is written with such an amazing voice and uniqueness that I believe many will find it as endearing as I did.
In The Seventh Train by Jackie Carreira, Elizabeth — a 40-something spinster — decides to do just that, walk away. Along the way she encounters an intriguing cast of characters in her journey of “going nowhere”. I found this book to be extremely entertaining and heartfelt, as well as a bit philosophical. I found myself feeling all of the emotions for Elizabeth: empathy, sadness, happiness, pride, jealousy. Elizabeth’s character is definitely complex, and I found myself reading between the lines with her (so to speak). Her thoughts and actions take a unique juxtaposition many times throughout this book, and I found myself paying more attention to her actions than her thoughts.
I would highly recommend this new book to anyone who enjoys a good story. This is written with such an amazing voice and uniqueness that I believe many will find it as endearing as I did.
May 30, 2019
This is a book of train journeys that are significant for not really ever arriving as far as the main character is concerned. They are an adventure yet also an escape, from what and to where is never clear. While it tackles some difficult topics head on, it is also very funny. It is eloquent on feelings that many might have but few admit to, let alone take life changing action. Elizabeth is a fascinating character, and remains the strongest in a book that eventually introduces several memorable and surprising people. Beginning in London, this is a book which reveals a fascinating insight into the Suffolk countryside, as well as the realities of British trains. Tackling themes such as loneliness and the rules that govern lives, this is a book of great contemporary relevance and puts a sometimes comic twist on serious ideas. I greatly enjoyed its characterisation and pace, and I was pleased to have the opportunity to read and review this lovely book.
The book opens at Harlow Town railway station. The announcer intones a warning of delay “This is due to a passenger on the line at Harlow Town”, a coded indication of a suicide in Elizabeth’s opinion. Managing not to argue with a singular woman in the cafe as other passengers gawp, she takes her coffee, shocked that the fatality is labelled an “inconvenience”. Daniel Cotter, the driver, realises that he has killed a human being, and is deeply traumatised. Elizabeth travels on to Cambridge, encountering in the cafe on the station a man who seems determined to discover why she is there, intent on taking a particular train, carrying no luggage to speak of, quietly determined. Then a memorable young woman arrives, loud, disruptive, encumbered with a suitcase obviously overstuffed with fashionable shoes and clothes. She breaks into Elizabeth’s thoughts, full of her own stories and phrases, most memorably “The world is my lobster!”. She wants to go to Brighton explore on her own, discover the world, change everything for two weeks. Elizabeth is pressed into explaining her story, her reason why “The seventh train” is important, even if she is not sure herself at certain points. She has her stories, and it transpires that she is not alone in making revelations. The train journey is the thing, but is the destination, the end, always important?
I found much to enjoy in this novel, developed from a play, which explains the realistic dialogue and deep feelings expressed here. There are surprises, but set in a context where they fit and make sense. The facts, the trains, do hold together, as I have some knowledge of one of the destinations mentioned in some detail. There are rules, there is a framework, an ultimately there is hope. This is a deceptively important book, with an unerring sense of purpose, even if at times the whole premise seems unfocused. It examines various experiences from a safe place, and demonstrates a great understanding of what makes the quiet, the anonymous passenger on a train may be thinking, why they do what they do. Carreira is a watcher of people who has committed her imaginings to a novel which has a quiet power, well expressed, and which has the capacity to make the reader think, while being entertained. I recommend it as an excellent read for all those who wonder about other people, and indeed their own motivations, when travelling on trains.
The book opens at Harlow Town railway station. The announcer intones a warning of delay “This is due to a passenger on the line at Harlow Town”, a coded indication of a suicide in Elizabeth’s opinion. Managing not to argue with a singular woman in the cafe as other passengers gawp, she takes her coffee, shocked that the fatality is labelled an “inconvenience”. Daniel Cotter, the driver, realises that he has killed a human being, and is deeply traumatised. Elizabeth travels on to Cambridge, encountering in the cafe on the station a man who seems determined to discover why she is there, intent on taking a particular train, carrying no luggage to speak of, quietly determined. Then a memorable young woman arrives, loud, disruptive, encumbered with a suitcase obviously overstuffed with fashionable shoes and clothes. She breaks into Elizabeth’s thoughts, full of her own stories and phrases, most memorably “The world is my lobster!”. She wants to go to Brighton explore on her own, discover the world, change everything for two weeks. Elizabeth is pressed into explaining her story, her reason why “The seventh train” is important, even if she is not sure herself at certain points. She has her stories, and it transpires that she is not alone in making revelations. The train journey is the thing, but is the destination, the end, always important?
I found much to enjoy in this novel, developed from a play, which explains the realistic dialogue and deep feelings expressed here. There are surprises, but set in a context where they fit and make sense. The facts, the trains, do hold together, as I have some knowledge of one of the destinations mentioned in some detail. There are rules, there is a framework, an ultimately there is hope. This is a deceptively important book, with an unerring sense of purpose, even if at times the whole premise seems unfocused. It examines various experiences from a safe place, and demonstrates a great understanding of what makes the quiet, the anonymous passenger on a train may be thinking, why they do what they do. Carreira is a watcher of people who has committed her imaginings to a novel which has a quiet power, well expressed, and which has the capacity to make the reader think, while being entertained. I recommend it as an excellent read for all those who wonder about other people, and indeed their own motivations, when travelling on trains.
June 15, 2019
I had previously read a book by this author which I enjoyed very much, so I was looking forward to The Seventh Train, especially as I knew parts of it were based in my home town of Bury St Edmunds. The novel has a very interesting premise, that of a perpetual train traveller with a set routine of which trains she takes and how many stops she stays on that train before getting off and catching the next. The forward states that this novel was originally a play, and as I read the book I could see it being performed as a three-act play with a small cast and minimal set.
The writing was elegantly simple and the characters, especially that of Elizabeth, are well rounded and believable. The pace is measured and deliberate, with time being given for the characters to develop and take root in the reader's mind. Just enough backstory on Elizabeth was supplied to show the readers the motive behind her actions so that even though I thought she was mad to be doing what she was doing, I could at least see why she was behaving that way.
This is a very insular and character led book, in that it really wouldn't matter where the action took place - after all, don't most train stations look alike - it is the characters which are its strength.
I enjoyed this book immensely and was surprised by how quickly I read it. As with her first novel, Sleeping Through War, the author left me wanting more and I will certainly be on the lookout for more by Ms Carreira.
The writing was elegantly simple and the characters, especially that of Elizabeth, are well rounded and believable. The pace is measured and deliberate, with time being given for the characters to develop and take root in the reader's mind. Just enough backstory on Elizabeth was supplied to show the readers the motive behind her actions so that even though I thought she was mad to be doing what she was doing, I could at least see why she was behaving that way.
This is a very insular and character led book, in that it really wouldn't matter where the action took place - after all, don't most train stations look alike - it is the characters which are its strength.
I enjoyed this book immensely and was surprised by how quickly I read it. As with her first novel, Sleeping Through War, the author left me wanting more and I will certainly be on the lookout for more by Ms Carreira.
May 22, 2019
This is a little gem of a book.
I’ve always been fascinated by trains and train journeys as metaphor. That covers from songs like Robyn Hitchcock’s I Often Dream of Trains to the symbolism of the Hogwarts Express as a symbol of growing up.
Carreira’s novel uses the train as a metaphor for the need for change as well as the instrument for delivering it.
Following Elizabeth on her journey as she meets fellow travellers looking for answers was a joy. The characters are alive.
I read in the author’s biography, and the introduction to the book, that she is a playwright. This doesn’t surprise me.
The novel would have reminded me of a well-written play had I not known this about her.
It’s something to with the gradual reveal of the characters but also in the way that the most mundane and frivolous of actions can have deeper meanings and consequences.
I don’t want that to sound like the book is ominously heavy going or trying too hard for meaning either. It is a joy to read and beautifully characterised but there is a lot going on under the surface and ultimately that’s why it was such an enjoyable read.
I’ve always been fascinated by trains and train journeys as metaphor. That covers from songs like Robyn Hitchcock’s I Often Dream of Trains to the symbolism of the Hogwarts Express as a symbol of growing up.
Carreira’s novel uses the train as a metaphor for the need for change as well as the instrument for delivering it.
Following Elizabeth on her journey as she meets fellow travellers looking for answers was a joy. The characters are alive.
I read in the author’s biography, and the introduction to the book, that she is a playwright. This doesn’t surprise me.
The novel would have reminded me of a well-written play had I not known this about her.
It’s something to with the gradual reveal of the characters but also in the way that the most mundane and frivolous of actions can have deeper meanings and consequences.
I don’t want that to sound like the book is ominously heavy going or trying too hard for meaning either. It is a joy to read and beautifully characterised but there is a lot going on under the surface and ultimately that’s why it was such an enjoyable read.
April 26, 2019
There are some stories that are so improbable that it is quite possibly true. This is one such story!
I am also having a problem with blogger/computer? that does not allow me to place the post in the position I want to.
Elizabeth has invented this idea - with the idea of going nowhere fixed, having no idea of what the future holds, or rather where the future will take her. She gets on to the seventh train at a station, goes four stops then gets down and does it again - and again. When she accidentally meets up with one character, then it becomes two, then they rope in a third the quartet becomes almost a family sharing their love of the unknown.
I was a tad bit envious of the lifestyle, the freedom of choice but it takes a brave soul and you do have to put something by to handle this on your own for a feasible amount of time.
I loved the quirkiness of it in total contrast to the sobriety of the character Elizabeth, the bounciness of one, the smart ass attitude of one and the normalcy of the other.
I am also having a problem with blogger/computer? that does not allow me to place the post in the position I want to.
Elizabeth has invented this idea - with the idea of going nowhere fixed, having no idea of what the future holds, or rather where the future will take her. She gets on to the seventh train at a station, goes four stops then gets down and does it again - and again. When she accidentally meets up with one character, then it becomes two, then they rope in a third the quartet becomes almost a family sharing their love of the unknown.
I was a tad bit envious of the lifestyle, the freedom of choice but it takes a brave soul and you do have to put something by to handle this on your own for a feasible amount of time.
I loved the quirkiness of it in total contrast to the sobriety of the character Elizabeth, the bounciness of one, the smart ass attitude of one and the normalcy of the other.
May 6, 2019
The Seventh Train is an intriguing road story of life, death, and railway cafes. I found Jackie's writing style very easy to read, as she sketches out characters both full of modern sensibilities and old contradictions. The beginning and ending are particularly poignant, as she raises the spectre of suicide, a complex, awkward, and harrowing subject, yet handled sensitively and with gravitas.
Net time I'm waiting for a train, if ever I have and see someone enunciate a number between one and seven like it's some secret sigil, at least I'll know what the game is, if not the rules of that game.
Net time I'm waiting for a train, if ever I have and see someone enunciate a number between one and seven like it's some secret sigil, at least I'll know what the game is, if not the rules of that game.
June 29, 2019
I loved this quirky, unusual novel. The highly original premise is that the main character always takes the seventh train and gets off at the fourth stop. Other characters join her and we are drawn into their individual stories while we find out what brings them to the railway network. The characters are well drawn, I both laughed and felt moved and found the book to be thought provoking and intriguing. A great summer read, it is well written while being highly readable. It was difficult to put down and I look forward to reading more from Jackie Carreira.
June 20, 2019
I really enjoyed this gem of a book! The concept of running away from life is real and hits home. The idea of staying on the trains - number 7 stop 4 - endlessly to end up anywhere is quite endearing. I loved the newness of this book, the feelings it invoked in me personally as well as for the characters train hopping.
Definitely recommend as a light, enjoyable read and will check out other books by this author.
Definitely recommend as a light, enjoyable read and will check out other books by this author.
April 29, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The Seventh Train introduces you to a likeable cast of characters all with their own distinct back story.
The writing was well paced and I finished this book in one sitting as I was so enjoying it. I would love to read more by this author and will be recommending this read to others.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my copy!
The writing was well paced and I finished this book in one sitting as I was so enjoying it. I would love to read more by this author and will be recommending this read to others.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my copy!
May 22, 2019
The Seventh Train has received a Chill with a Book Readers' Award.
www.chillwithabook.com
Really well written and a very clever plot. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Pauline Barclay - Founder of Chill with a Book Awards
www.chillwithabook.com
Really well written and a very clever plot. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Pauline Barclay - Founder of Chill with a Book Awards
August 15, 2020
This is the second book I've read from Jackie Carreira, both of which are gifted copies from the author. I am thrilled to give an unbiased review of both. Her first Sleeping Through War was equally as good, if not better. I've rated both books 5 stars as I'm really impressed by this writer.
A great concept from Jackie Carreira and a thoroughly engaging read. Loved it. If you appreciate a great tale about unexpected happenings in train journeys, this is for you. I've always enjoyed travelling by train - meeting people, listening to conversations, imagining what these strangers might do when they arrive at their destinations. This is the fodder for writers! Jackie Carreira's The Seventh Train takes that idea a stretch of the imagination further. This is a lovely tale that begins with a middle-aged lady, Elizabeth. She is waiting in a Cambridge train station cafe and doesn't want anyone to sit with her, or talk to her. Of course, she doesn't get her wish, quite the opposite! What happens next overturns everything you might imagine. A group of unconnected, different people of varying ages end up journeying together becoming unlikely companions. They have one thing in common. Read the book to find out what it is!
This is a thought-provoking book, one which also touches upon regret, sadness, a life not lived to the full. It also expresses many concerns about the working life of train drivers. What do they have to cope with in their job? We experience many different emotions when our train journey is delayed by a fatality on the line: sadness at the loss of life and what has brought that person to that desperate decision. There is also a sense of inconvenience as well, we are delayed in our journey. We don't know the person; we didn't see them jump. What impact do jumpers committing suicide have upon the train driver, who can see them?
Things to note: This story was originally a play. The author is also an award-winning playwright with QuirkHouse Theatre Company.
Highly recommended.
A great concept from Jackie Carreira and a thoroughly engaging read. Loved it. If you appreciate a great tale about unexpected happenings in train journeys, this is for you. I've always enjoyed travelling by train - meeting people, listening to conversations, imagining what these strangers might do when they arrive at their destinations. This is the fodder for writers! Jackie Carreira's The Seventh Train takes that idea a stretch of the imagination further. This is a lovely tale that begins with a middle-aged lady, Elizabeth. She is waiting in a Cambridge train station cafe and doesn't want anyone to sit with her, or talk to her. Of course, she doesn't get her wish, quite the opposite! What happens next overturns everything you might imagine. A group of unconnected, different people of varying ages end up journeying together becoming unlikely companions. They have one thing in common. Read the book to find out what it is!
This is a thought-provoking book, one which also touches upon regret, sadness, a life not lived to the full. It also expresses many concerns about the working life of train drivers. What do they have to cope with in their job? We experience many different emotions when our train journey is delayed by a fatality on the line: sadness at the loss of life and what has brought that person to that desperate decision. There is also a sense of inconvenience as well, we are delayed in our journey. We don't know the person; we didn't see them jump. What impact do jumpers committing suicide have upon the train driver, who can see them?
Things to note: This story was originally a play. The author is also an award-winning playwright with QuirkHouse Theatre Company.
Highly recommended.
February 23, 2023
The Seventh train is cleverly constructed and, despite the seriousness of some of the underlying themes, it is fun. Elizabeth, the main character, tired of her life which seems to be a string of meaningless jobs, embarks on a train journey from nowhere to nowhere. On the way she meets an eclectic mix of characters who all have their own reason to travel and their own story to tell. Elizabeth wants to be alone and tries hard not to let anyone sit at her table in the station café, but one by one others intrude on her solitude. The drama is first class, and I am not surprised that this originated as a play. Every action, expression and nuance are described perfectly. As someone who likes to be left alone to read and loves to travel on trains, I felt I could identify with Elizabeth and her quest for meaning. If you feel that you have lost your way in life and you love trains, then this is the book for you.
April 9, 2019
A nice little tale with a small cast of characters.
A lovely idea of jumping on the 7th train and going 4 stops.... you could land up anywhere.
Charming.
A lovely idea of jumping on the 7th train and going 4 stops.... you could land up anywhere.
Charming.
July 23, 2024
This took me a little while to get into but I am so glad I stuck with it. Totally different storyline and Was such a great read. Well done. 👏🏻
April 9, 2019
“What if you never want to get somewhere? What if you can’t stand where you are but you’re too frightened to arrive anywhere else in case there’s absolutely nothing there either?”
Elizabeth, a British woman in her 40s, decides not to go to work one day. She has a dead-end job, and a mother in a nursing home who no longer recognizes her. Life could not go on as it was any longer. Hence, Elizabeth decides to spend her time taking train trips from one station to another. She develops a system of train travelling that she believes is all her own, until one day other travellers not only shatter her solitude, but seem to be knowledgeable about her system of choosing trains.
Well . . . while reading this story, it was impossible not to continuously wonder if it was a realistic story or a fantasy. If it was fantasy, all one could think was it had better have an incredibly good and unpredictable ending, not something that had been done many times before in one way or another. If it was realistic, it still needed a great ending because the characters could not carry the story. This story was originally a play, and maybe in a play the characters could do so, but not in a novel. They weren’t that interesting on paper. What was happening wasn’t that interesting. Three stars. No curtain calls.
(Note: I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher or author.)
Elizabeth, a British woman in her 40s, decides not to go to work one day. She has a dead-end job, and a mother in a nursing home who no longer recognizes her. Life could not go on as it was any longer. Hence, Elizabeth decides to spend her time taking train trips from one station to another. She develops a system of train travelling that she believes is all her own, until one day other travellers not only shatter her solitude, but seem to be knowledgeable about her system of choosing trains.
Well . . . while reading this story, it was impossible not to continuously wonder if it was a realistic story or a fantasy. If it was fantasy, all one could think was it had better have an incredibly good and unpredictable ending, not something that had been done many times before in one way or another. If it was realistic, it still needed a great ending because the characters could not carry the story. This story was originally a play, and maybe in a play the characters could do so, but not in a novel. They weren’t that interesting on paper. What was happening wasn’t that interesting. Three stars. No curtain calls.
(Note: I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher or author.)
May 4, 2019
The Seventh Train is a clever circular book that mixes a colourful cast of characters with weird and wonderful stories. They all take place on trains or in train stations which, personally, I find fascinating and oddly romantic.
Our protagonist, Elizabeth, is a little bit closed off but she finds her wall of safety penetrated by others who without even knowing it have saved her from herself.
I really enjoyed The Seventh Train. It is a perfect one sitting read.
The Seventh Train by Jackie Carreira is available now.
Our protagonist, Elizabeth, is a little bit closed off but she finds her wall of safety penetrated by others who without even knowing it have saved her from herself.
I really enjoyed The Seventh Train. It is a perfect one sitting read.
The Seventh Train by Jackie Carreira is available now.
July 21, 2019
I really enjoyed The Seventh Train. Well written and with well crafted characters and plot. I think those who enjoy Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected will enjoy this as it has a sense of mystery and surprise.
I will be on the watch for other books by Jackie Carreira.
Merged review:
I really enjoyed The Seventh Train. Well written and with well crafted characters and plot. I think those who enjoy Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected will enjoy this as it has a sense of mystery and surprise.
I will be on the watch for other books by Jackie Carreira.
I will be on the watch for other books by Jackie Carreira.
Merged review:
I really enjoyed The Seventh Train. Well written and with well crafted characters and plot. I think those who enjoy Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected will enjoy this as it has a sense of mystery and surprise.
I will be on the watch for other books by Jackie Carreira.
June 16, 2021
The Seventh Train was well written. It kept me engaged until the very end. Strong characters and a book I recommend. Hope to read more from this author.
May 2, 2019
I liked the premise of this book - wanting to escape. But, it went from focusing on the main character, Elizabeth to quickly and unrealistically introducing a few more characters and that is when the story fell short for me. I wanted more of the character Elizabeth to be fleshed out. The rapid pace in which the strangers gel into a group was far fetched. I also did not like The repetition of the phrases used by Ellie. Overuse of The word "flippin" and "The world is my lobster". No thanks. The ending was not really an ending (maybe mimicking the other 7th trainer the director who's movie idea was to not have a beginning nor end?!). The epilogue was disjointed and overall, this is not a story I would recommend. It's a shame because it could have been so much more. I thank Netgalley for providing me with this book to read for an honest review in return.
November 21, 2024
A book about all those ordinary people you pass, and never give a second thought about, living extraordinarily. Very easy to read, pulling you gently on. Charming and uplifting despite touching on some heavy life subjects.
August 17, 2023
'Falling off my chair with boredom.' That was my summary of this book when I realised I was reading the words on the page but with little interest.
The narrator of the opening chapters is Elizabeth, a woman living on her own who is mildly OCD. The story opens at Harlow Railway Station, where she is reluctant to share her table at the busy cafe. Here she meets Ellie, a friendly girl who passes out of the story, and is also continually bothered by a man also travelling alone. He follows her on to her train (the seventh train) and sits down opposite her. At this point I'd have dialled the see it, say it, sorted number. After this the story gets seriously weird, almost science fiction. I gave it up.
The narrator of the opening chapters is Elizabeth, a woman living on her own who is mildly OCD. The story opens at Harlow Railway Station, where she is reluctant to share her table at the busy cafe. Here she meets Ellie, a friendly girl who passes out of the story, and is also continually bothered by a man also travelling alone. He follows her on to her train (the seventh train) and sits down opposite her. At this point I'd have dialled the see it, say it, sorted number. After this the story gets seriously weird, almost science fiction. I gave it up.
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