The Elsewhere Express -- Samantha Sotto Yambao, Paperback

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 carrying 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, 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 lily pads 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 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 might Q be connected to it?

Author: Samantha Sotto Yambao
Publisher: Random House Large Print Publishing
Published: 01/20/2026
Pages: 692
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.81lbs
ISBN: 9798217294893
Large Print

About the Author
Samantha Sotto Yambao is a professional daydreamer, aspiring time traveler, and speculative fiction writer based in Manila. She is the nationally bestselling author of Before Ever After, Love and Gravity, A Dream of Trees, The Beginning of Always, and Water Moon.