If you’ve ever read The Midnight Library, you’ll already know how brilliantly Matt Haig takes the simplest of situations and turns them into something unexpectedly powerful. He has a knack for drawing readers into ordinary moments and giving them extraordinary weight - the kind that lingers long after the final page is turned. The Midnight Train has exactly the same impact on the reader.
Even the name of the main character, Wilbur, paints a picture in my mind of a gentleman with kind eyes and a gentle heart. We first meet him as a young man, hopelessly in love and dreaming of the many happy years ahead. Fast forward six decades, and we find Wilbur at the other end of life, reflecting on the journey that brought him there. And he’s helped by the ‘midnight train’, that travels through time allowing him to step outside himself and become a quiet observer of his own life. From the carriage, he watches the years unfold - the choices made, the people he loved, the moments treasured and those he quietly regrets.
But can Wilbur alter the course of his younger self before it’s too late? And if he can, what becomes of the life he has already lived? That question sits at the heart of the story and keeps the pages turning. It explores the age-old wonder and danger of second chances. Would we really change our past if given the opportunity, or are even the painful chapters part of what shapes us? Thoughtful, moving and quietly suspenseful, the novel gently asks us to consider whether rewriting history would truly bring peace, or simply create a different set of regrets.
I read this cover to cover in two days. Wilma listened on audio (narrated by the English actor, James Norton). We both loved it. That tells you everything you need to know!
