In 1895, a passenger train in France was running late, so the driver put on some extra speed to make up lost time.
As it came into the next station, the train failed to stop, crashed through a barrier and slammed into the wall of the station with the locomotive standing on its nose up against the building.
You can still see an image of that dramatic crash today, and this helped inspire Irish-Canadian author Emma Donoghue to write her new novel, "The Paris Express."
Donoghue is the best-selling author of the books "Room" and "Haven," and she’s coming to the Boise Contemporary Theater at the invitation of The Cabin. She joined Idaho Matters for a preview.
