Emma Donoghue boards a train destined for disaster

Bookends with Mattea Roach

There’s a famous black-and-white photograph of a train bursting through the side of a building and falling onto the pavement below. It was taken in 1895 — and Emma Donoghue’s latest novel, The Paris Express, reimagines the story behind that moment. In her retelling, the Irish Canadian writer fills the train with her own vibrant characters. From wealthy politicians to young anarchists, she dives into the complexities of the time as the train races toward its demise.

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• Jack Wang: Reimagining the lost stories of Chinese Canadians during WWII
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