Oliver Mol was just about to have his first book published and was on the way to fulfilling his dream of becoming a writer when he was struck with a pain in his head he had never encountered before. After a visit to the chemist for some pain medication he returned home and waited for the pain to subside. But it didn’t. For 10 long and agonising months the pain continued and stripped Mol of everything he loved: his long, anticipated success as a writer, his love of writing, his relationship with his girlfriend and friends, and his ability to live a normal life.

Train Lord is not your run-of-the-mill memoir. Written in vignettes, its stream-of-consciousness style format reads more like a diary than a memoir, telling the story in pieces. It’s raw and painful to read in parts, describing in detail his physical and mental suffering as the chronic pain breaks him down completely, leaving him fearful that he will never recover. But there is also light, as Mol works hard to recuperate and start again, rebuilding relationships, finding joy in the smallest things, and finding meaning again, in new and old things.

The moments Mol shared with his parents are particularly tender and moving. He perceptively captures the tensions between parents and children: the expectations they all have of each other and who they think they are, versus how they’re perceived, are beautifully negotiated, particularly by Mol and his father.

And then there are the stories about being a train guard, the only job Mol could take on which didn’t require him looking at a computer screen, which triggered pain. The train stories are what brings the book together, from the tragedy Mol witnesses, to the lighter moments when he makes funny announcements just to see the passengers smile.

Train Lord isn’t an easy read; apart from the style of the writing, there’s pain and despair, which, particularly for anyone who has suffered from chronic pain, might be difficult to read. But if you’ve never experienced it, the author’s vulnerability on the page might just make you see those around you a little differently.

Reviewed by Anabel Pandiella

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
OLIVER MOL is the author of the critically acclaimed Lion Attack! He was the inaugural winner of the Scribe Nonfiction Prize for Young Writers. In 2020, the stage show of Train Lord proved a runaway success during the Sydney Fringe Season. Oliver Mol grew up dividing his time between Texas and Brisbane and now lives in Sydney.