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 She is seen as outdated and in peril of losing her job, only to find these new younger friends of hers from the train can help.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 - The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand

Hi, and welcome back to another edition of Likely Stories. I’m Paige Connell, and I teach English at Midway High School. Growing up, I went to a private school for many years, though it wasn’t a boarding school, and whether it’s in real life or in pop culture, I think there’s just something about the prestige and allure of a private academy that makes people want to know all the potentially lurid details of life behind the curtain.

Likely Stories - Why I Love Horror by Becky Siegel Spatford

I have a confession to make. I hate jump-scare horror movies. I always have. I don’t enjoy being startled. It took me until adulthood before I could even watch fireworks without bracing myself for the next explosion. (Truth be told, I still kind of do). I’m not a huge fan of gory horror movies either. And yet, I absolutely love horror novels.

Likely Stories - Something We Said: Richard Pryor, a Notorious Word and Me by Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor

I’m Kevin Tankersley, and this is Likely Stories.

Likely Stories - The Land and Its People by David Sedaris

My name is Maggie McCarthy and today I will be reviewing The Land and Its People by David Sedaris.

Likely Stories - Two Old Women by Velma Wallis

I'm not a huge fan of hot weather. My summer reads tend to be set in cold climates, in wintertime- books that take me away from the heart of Texas. Two Old Women by Velma Wallis is a perfect diversion.

Likely Stories - A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L Peck

Imagine if one day you suddenly discovered that the tenets that have governed your life, through no choice of your own, have been undeniably broken. This is exactly where protagonist Soren Johanssen finds himself at the start of Steven L Peck’s novella, ‘A Short Stay in Hell.’

Likely Stories - Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Haven’t we all thought at one point how nice it would be to get away from the hustle and bustle of workaday life and return to living in simpler times? To disconnect, to live off the land, to embrace true family values? It sounds so refreshing in theory, but I’m not sure I could hack it in reality.

Likely Stories - Bone Valley by Gilbert King

Sometimes the most meaningful gifts come with a story inside them. Bone Valley tells the haunting case of a young man convicted of murder—and the decades-long search for the truth that followed. It’s a gripping look at justice gone wrong, and what it takes to make it right. Trust me—you won’t see the final turn coming.

Likely Stories - The 10 by E. A. Hanks

Gia Chevis reviews The 10 by E.A. Hanks—a reflective road trip memoir about memory, identity, and finding meaning in small moments along the way.

Likely Stories - Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

A charming but mysterious stranger arrives in a college town. He skirts questions about himself and his past, but soon becomes a vital part of the community through his kindness, his generosity, and his willingness to be friends with anyone.Welcome to “Likely Stories.”I’m Diane Kemper.