The Midnight Train by Matt Haig — A Journey Back Through One Man's Life, Without Being Able to Change It

Wilbur Budd is 81 and the owner of a chain of bookshops. He spent his life putting work first, and it cost him his marriage to Maggie, the love of his life. Then, out of the blue, Maggie calls and suggests they try being friends again. Shortly afterwards, Wilbur dies. He wakes up on the Midnight Train, a mysterious train that stops at key moments of his past, from his honeymoon in Venice with Maggie to the death of his brother Doug. His guide is Agnes Bagdale, who once owned the bookshop he loved as a boy and died long before him. There is one strict rule. Wilbur can watch, but he must not interfere or speak to his younger self, because changing anything could splinter his timeline and create a much worse version of his life. The Midnight Train was published on 26 May 2026 by Viking in the US and Canongate in the UK. It is a companion to Matt Haig's worldwide bestseller The Midnight Library, returning to its big question of how we live with our regrets. Looking back with older eyes Each stop on the train is a scene from Wilbur's life, and seeing them again as an old man changes how he understands them. Revisiting his brother's death with adult eyes is one of the book's most affecting threads, as is the slow realisation of what his devotion to work really cost him. Publishers Weekly praised how convincingly the book captures Wilbur's fears and regrets across a life shaped by sacrifice, and called it a heartfelt companion to The Midnight Library. Short chapters and a darker turn Haig writes in his familiar style, with very short chapters, one of them just a single sentence, which makes the book quick and easy to read. Ray Palen at Bookreporter called it a "grand adventure" full of wonder and reflection, and noted that the arrival of a character called the Dreamer, another version of Wilbur, takes the story in a darker direction and changes its rules. What to be ready for The book deals with death, grief and regret, including a fatal car accident. Like much of Haig's writing, it leans towards life lessons, and Publishers Weekly felt it sometimes relies on platitudes. Readers who found The Midnight Library too sentimental may feel the same here. Who will enjoy it If you loved The Midnight Library, or books like Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven, this is an obvious next read. It is also a good choice for anyone thinking about the choices they have made and the people they have lost touch with. Our verdict The Midnight Train is a gentle, moving and thoughtful novel about love, regret and the moments that shape a life. It covers familiar ground for Haig, and some readers will find it a little too neat. But its warmth and its reminder to value the people we love while we can make it a comforting and quietly powerful read.