Book Review: Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley

My Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Fifty-seven-year-old Iona Iverson, spends her thirty-six-minute morning commute (ten stops to Waterloo), preparing for her day and observing the commuters around her with her dog Lulu by her side. Working as an advice columnist (“magazine therapist”) for a women’s magazine for the last 30 years and married to her long-time partner Bea, she has a specific set of “rules” to adhere to as far as her commute goes among which are to always pack for any eventuality (which explains her well-stocked bag) and to not talk to anyone (though that does not stop her from giving her fellow commuters interesting names such as Smart-But-Sexist-Manspreader based on her observations of their behavior) However when one of her fellow commuters almost chokes on a grape and is saved by another commuter, this is just the beginning of a sequence of events through which a diverse group of people become friends, with Iona in the middle of it all. Initially, Iona, who is on the verge of being pushed out of her job is motivated to interact with the younger crowd to gain some insight into the lives and interests of younger people so that she can make changes in her approach to her job (she is being pressured by her boss who wants to boost readership in that demographic) but gradually she finds herself helping Piers, Sanjay, Emmie, David and Martha as they navigate through their own problems, her thoughtfulness and concern reciprocated when Iona finds herself in need of friends and support, proving first impressions might not always be accurate and it is only through kindness, compassion and communication can we truly understand one another.

The narrative is shared through multiple PoVs which enables us to get to know these characters, their backstories and the challenges they are facing in their present lives. Iona is a very interesting character whose life experiences make for an interesting read. With its engaging, well-paced narrative and a delightful cast of characters, Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley is an entertaining feel-good read full of heart , humor and wisdom that touches upon themes of ageism, loneliness, abusive relationships, cyberbullying and age-related illness among others . I paired my reading with the audio narration by Clare Corbett, which I thoroughly enjoyed.