The Elsewhere Express

When you lose your way in life, the Elsewhere Express just might find you. Step on board the train that can take you to your life''s purpose, in this cozy and inspiring fantasy from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Water Moon . What happens when you lose your way in life? The Elsewhere Express finds you. It''s a magical train carrying very rare and special cargo: a sense of purpose, peace, and belonging. Raya is one of those lost souls. She dreamed of being a songwriter, but when her brother died, she gave up on her dream and started living his instead. One day, as her thoughts wander while on the subway, she''s swept off to the Elsewhere Express. There she also meets Q, a charming, handsome artist who, like her, has lost his place in the world. Together they find a train full of wonders, from a boarding car that''s also a meadow to a dining car where passengers can picnic on lilypads to a bar where jellyfish and whales swim through pink clouds. But they also discover that the train harbors secrets - and danger: a mysterious stranger has stowed away on the train and brought with him a dark, malignant magic that threatens to destroy it. But in investigating the stowaway''s identity Raya also finds herself drawing closer to the ultimate question: What is her life''s true purpose - and might Q be connected to it?

About the author

Samantha Sotto Yambao is a professional daydreamer, aspiring time traveller, and speculative fiction writer based in Manila. She is the author of Before Ever After, Love and Gravity, A Dream of Trees, and The Beginning of Always. Water Moon, her latest novel and UK debut, was an instant Sunday Times bestseller.

Product details

• Authors: Samantha Sotto Yambao
• Publisher: Bantam UK
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 22.01.2026
• EAN: 9780857505316
• ISBN: 978-0-85750-531-6
• No. of pages: 336
• Dimensions: 156 mm x 240 mm x 40 mm
• Subjects: Fiction > Science fiction, fantasy; Japan, Fantasy, FICTION / Mystery & Detective / Cozy / General, FICTION / Fantasy / Contemporary, FICTION / Romance / Fantasy, FICTION / Magical Realism, Narrative theme: Interior life, Magical Realism, Narrative theme: Identity / belonging, Crime and mystery: cosy mystery, Romance: fantasy and paranormal, Narrative theme: Journeys and voyages