us our distraction of the week. I'm Mel. I'm Dave. This is the Library of Lost Time.

The Irish author Emma Donahue is probably best known for her 2010 novel room. That story's told

from the perspective of a five-year slew of awards for her portrayal of the mom, including the

Bafta, the Golden Globe, and the Oscar. But when I think of Emma Donahue, I remember reading her book The Pull of the mom, including the BAFTA, the Golden Globe, and the Oscar. But when I think of Emma Donahue,

I remember reading her book The Pull of the Stars. I recommended that in our Ireland episode.

It's historical fiction set in Dublin at a special pregnancy. It's not. Okay. I mean, obviously,

there are very sad things happening. Yeah. But the story focuses on amazing women. They're brave and funny and smart and flawed. And somehow it's historical fiction that reads like a thriller. I didn't expect a story about the flu, the Paris Express, and it's based on a real-life train disaster. In 1895, the Granville

Paris Express train derailed and crashed through Montparnasse Station. Right. I remember seeing a picture

of that. There's like a famous image of a train just smashing through what looks like the

second story of a train station.

Yeah, it looks like it fell out the window of the train station.

Yeah, except it's a train. So. Yeah. So this book tells the story of that day through the voices of a

handful of passengers from all over the world. There are members of parliament, a medical student,

a secretary trying to convince her boss that moving pictures are the future. There are members of the train crew,

and this is the best part. The train engine itself tells part of the story. Oh, that's cool.

The other thing I find appealing is that the entire

story takes place in just one day. The chapters are named for times and stops along the route,

counting down to the crash. So the first chapter is 8.30 a.m. Embark Granville. Then later,

11.10 a.m. unscheduled, halt brieus.

The penultimate chapter is called 4 o'clock p.m. arrived Paris Montparnasse,

and the last is simply 4.01 p.m.

Because 4 o'clock is when the crash happened.

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