Sometimes you manage to find a book that truly speaks to your soul. The kind of book that you can’t imagine having lived without reading. This was that book for me.

Train Lord is a memoir. The author’s life was drastically changed by chronic pain. He manages to get a job working on trains and eventually things start changing.

This is probably the strangest format for a book I have read. It is broken up within the chapters into small chunks, which are each numbered. At first I hated this, I had a deep sense of regret for agreeing to read this. I was absolutely certain it wasn’t for me. But, that quickly changed and the second time I (reluctantly) picked the book up, I could not put it down! The format took some getting used to but I found it helped me to fly through the pages! Often you end up wondering what parts are true and what parts are fictional. I still have no idea, but I don’t mind that!

I struggle a lot due to disabilities and chronic pain, and because of that, I truly connected to this book. I am the same age that the author was when his chronic pain started, and the pain has changed my life in numerous ways too. I found myself nodding and taking notes of so many parts. It almost felt like I was reading my own inner thoughts. The mental impact of chronic pain should never be downplayed, and I loved the rawness with which this book discussed it. I had tears in my eyes towards the end, I was full of pride for the author and hope for my own future. This is definitely a book that I will be picking up again and again.

I recommend this memoir to any chronic pain sufferers, fans of memoirs, or loved ones of those suffering from chronic pain. But please be aware that it takes some getting used to. I want to thank Michael Joseph Books and Oliver Mol for allowing me to read an ARC of this book and give my personal thoughts.