The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue[ONLINE] - option 1

The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue is a propulsive plot- and character-driven novel by the author of Room. The novel is based on an actual 1895 Paris Montparnasse train disaster. It's a thriller of sorts, with a large cast of characters, all with their qualities, concerns, and quirks. Pressed together on a train, their histories, hopes, plans, and secrets begin to emerge.

Caveat from Joan: though you might want to look up the historical event, I think you'll enjoy The Paris Express most if you delay that until you've read the novel. But even if you think you know what happens, you'll be surprised!

"Within those walls, Donoghue created an expansive world by turns joyous and disturbing ... Riveting ... We do get textured glimpses into the characters’ broader lives via multiple points of view ... Meticulous research has gone into the writing of this thriller ... If the steam engine is an astonishing feat of engineering, so is Donoghue’s propulsive and thought-provoking 16th novel." - Washington Post