Spring, the third installment in writer Ali Smith’s 4-part series was published in 2019. It’s post Brexit in the UK and this gives a glimpse into every day life. TV director Richard is saddened by the loss of his good friend and while travelling to Scotland meets Brit and Florence whose stories had been running parallel. Florence is a young girl who has a special aura about her, Brit works in an immigration detention centre, a bleak place to be for both workers and detainees.
Like the Autumn and Winter books, Smith’s stories are rooted in everyday life but take in a dreamlike quality to them like they are happening out of time. Politics is once again in the story but lurks in the shadows. The real story is the people living their lives, interacting with others, and the moments we share with one another.
8/10
The Light Appears 