The Elsewhere Express

The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao is out now (published January 20, 2026).

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The Elsewhere Express
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The Elsewhere Express Release Date: January 20, 2026

Published

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 wistful, Ghibli-esque fantasy from the bestselling author of Water Moon.

“A delicately layered dream of a book that glimmers with the promise of hope after grief, The Elsewhere Express will carry you to the stars.”—Molly O’Neill, author of Greenteeth

You can’t buy a ticket for the Elsewhere Express. Appearing only to those whose lives are adrift, it’s a magical train seeming to carry very rare and special cargo: a sense of purpose, peace, and belonging.

Raya is one of those lost souls. She had dreamed of being a songwriter, but when her brother died, she gave up on her dream and started living his instead.

One day on the subway, as her thoughts wander, she’s swept off to the Elsewhere Express. There she meets Q, an intriguing 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 lily pads to a bar where jellyfish and whales swim through pink clouds.

Over the course of their long, strange night on the train, they also discover that it harbors secrets—and danger: A mysterious stranger has stowed away and brought with him a dark, malignant magic that threatens to destroy the train.

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 is it a destination the Elsewhere Express can take her to?

 

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[Average Rating: 5]

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Genre: Fantasy

Samantha Sotto Yambao

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Book Club Journal: Reading Log For Adults & Kids Who Love Books!
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