The Elsewhere Express (Hardback)

The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao is a cosy, whimsical fantasy about grief, purpose, and the kind of magic that finds you when you’ve lost yourself.

You can’t buy a ticket for the Elsewhere Express. The train appears only to those who are drifting, carrying rare cargo: belonging, peace, and the chance to rediscover who you’re meant to be.

Raya never meant to abandon her dream of becoming a songwriter. But after her brother’s death, she stepped into the life he left behind instead, slowly losing sight of her own. Then one ordinary day on the subway, she’s swept onto the Elsewhere Express, a train unlike anything she’s ever seen.

On board, she meets Q, a charming artist who feels just as unmoored as she does. Together they wander through meadow-filled carriages, picnic on lily pads in the dining car, and sip drinks beneath pink skies where whales and jellyfish drift past the windows. But the train is more than wonder and whimsy. A mysterious stowaway has brought dark magic aboard, threatening to unravel everything.

As Raya and Q search for answers, Raya is forced to confront the question she’s been avoiding: what does she truly want from her life, and is she brave enough to claim it?