The stranger who handed me a worn copy of Station Eleven on the subway

I was reading a random thriller on the F train in Brooklyn about 6 months ago, and a woman sitting next to me tapped my arm. She pointed at my book and said, "You deserve better than that, here take this one." She pulled out a beat-up copy of Station Eleven from her bag and just handed it to me before her stop came. I was so caught off guard I barely said thanks, but I read it that weekend and it completely stuck with me. Now I try to keep a spare book I loved in my bag to pass along if I see someone reading something that's just okay. Has anyone else had a random stranger give you a book that turned out to be amazing?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_tessa8d ago

Did you give her a chance to explain why she picked that book for you? I always try to ask for a quick reason when someone hands me a book, it helps me know what to expect and sometimes they share a cool story.

taylor128d ago

Wait, someone actually pulled a book out of their bag specifically to give to a stranger on the subway? That's wild. I can't imagine being that prepared or bold.

miles_young597h ago

Man, that's such a cool story. Did you ever figure out why she thought you needed that upgrade? Like, was it just a gut feeling about the book or was there something else going on?