Tessa Hadley

Interwoven round a single moment, The London Train, Tessa Hadley’s extraordinary new novel, is the story of two separate lives and the instant in which they overlap. Paul, married with two children, goes in search of a daughter from his previous marriage and finds his life increasingly drawn in with hers. Cora, moving back to Cardiff, receives a call from her sister-in-law to say that her husband has disappeared. Joining the stories is the London Train and a meeting which has consequences reaching further than anyone can see. Hadley’s portrayal of character is perceptive and intriguing; The London Train is a fascinating exploration of the effect of a random impulse.