Likely Stories - Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley

By Diane Kemper

Published March 20, 2025 at 7:50 AM CDT

Have you ever been in a daily commute, or in a class, and sat next to the same people day in and day out, and not known one thing about them? Not their names, not their jobs, and certainly not their lives. You give them nicknames in your head attributed to what they wear and what they drink, but you have no idea who they are. Of course, you never speak. The first rule is “don’t talk to strangers.” What would it take to get to know these people, and in turn to let them into your life?

Welcome to Likely Stories. I’m Diane Kemper.

“Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting,” by Clare Pooley, is about Iona who is a larger than life magazine advice columnist. Back in the day, she was somebody, making London society headlines and partying until dawn. Now, all the commuters see her only as a quirky older woman who dresses outside her age, with a grumpy dog by her side. Every day she rides the Tube in London, ignoring the people around her, and they all ignore each other. It’s a cast of characters at all ages and stages on that train. A nurse with major anxiety, a down on his luck former star stock broker, a man stuck in a rut in his marriage, a frustrated advertising professional, and a high school girl being bullied in person and on her phone. It takes a life-threatening emergency on the commute to first bring them all together. From that moment forward, with Iona in charge, no one is the same, including her. The story that follows is how these strangers then become deeply connected and forever a part of each other’s lives.

The book alternates chapters told by each character. Iona threads her way through all their lives, sometimes upending them, but the reader gets the varying viewpoints from each player. The observations are very funny and truthful, and the character development is rich. Iona has troubles, too. She is seen as outdated and in peril of losing her job, only to find these new younger friends of hers from the train can help. It’s not just Iona giving substantial advice.

“Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting” is a light and quick read while also reminding us what matters. Clare Pooley may be my new favorite author as she writes about intelligent, capable, and witty women over 50. The book made me laugh, cheer, and raise my fist in victory for the modern older woman who triumphs in a world that is determined to overlook her.

Don’t pass on this story just because you are under 50. You will miss a gem.

The book with the long title, “Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting,” by Clare Pooley. As Iona says, “Love is the greatest risk of all, but a life without it is meaningless.”

THIS TITLE IS AVAILABLE IN FORMATS FOR THOSE WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT'S - YOU CAN FIND IT HERE VIA THE 'NATIONAL LIBRARY SERVICE FOR THE BLIND AND PRINT DISABLED.’

RECENT EPISODES OF LIKELY STORIES

Likely Stories - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Hello, I am Rebecca Flavin, Director of Engaged Learning Curriculum and Senior Lecturer in Political Science at Baylor University. One of the best books I have read so far this year is Shelby Van Pelt’s, “Remarkably Bright Creatures.”

Likely Stories - Mr. Texas by Lawrence Wright

“Mr. Texas,” by Pulitzer Prize winner Lawrence Wright, is a novel about the making of a Texas state legislator.

Likely Stories - The Unworthy by Augustina Bazterrica

Welcome to this weeks edition of Likely Stories, my name is Malcolm Foster, operations assistant at KWBU. The book I want to discuss today is a brutal, yet occasionally beautiful example of how some things, for better and worse, even in the most drastic of scenarios, never change.

Likely Stories - Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

Hi. Welcome back to Likely Stories. I'm Paige Connell and I teach English at Midway High School. The late 1960s must have been quite a time to be alive. I missed it by just a decade or so. Groovy tunes, free love, mod fashion, patriarchal oppression. Wait, that last one doesn't sound so fun, but it is a topic that the author delves into in the social commentary masquerading as a story about unwed pregnant teenagers in Central Florida.

Likely Stories - Thirst by Mary Oliver

In Thirst, Mary Oliver invites us into a quiet conversation between sorrow and faith, where nature and grace meet in every line.

Likely Stories - The Exceptions by Kate Zernike

Hello, I'm Rebecca Flavin, a faculty member at Baylor University. My sister in law, who is a rocket scientist. Yes. I'm serious. Gave me Kate Zernike’s most recent book, ‘The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins, MIT and the fight for Women in Science’. She knows I'm a fan of biographies and stories about brilliant, inspiring women, and this book checks both of those boxes.

Likely Stories - Death in Holy Orders by P.D. James

This is the Reverend Dr. Andrew Armond, associate rector of Saint Albans Episcopal Church here in Waco. Welcome to this week's edition of Likely Stories.