Winter

November 27, 2017
In the solid second entry in Smith’s seasonally themed quartet of novels (following Booker Prize-finalist Autumn), three estranged relatives and a charming stranger argue their way through Christmas in a manor house in the English countryside. After splitting up with his longtime girlfriend, Art, a copyright specialist turned nature blogger, decides to pay Lux, a girl he meets at a bus stop, to impersonate her during a visit to the home of his difficult mother, Sophia. Complicating matters is the arrival of Iris, Sophia’s activist sister, whose presence dredges up painful memories for Art and Sophia. Interspersed between debates on Brexit, conservationism, and American politics are flashbacks to various episodes from Sophia and Iris’s youth, including poignant scenes of Iris’s nuclear disarmament protest and Sophia’s first encounter with Art’s absent father. Like Autumn, the novel employs a scattered, evocative plot and prose style, reflecting the fractured emotional, intellectual, and political states occupied by its contemporary characters. Though the approach misses more than it hits this time out, it’s still an engaging novel due to the ecstatic energy of Smith’s writing, which is always present on the page. Agent: Andrew Wylie, the Wylie Agency.

Starred review from December 1, 2017

It's the Christmas season in London, but there is little holiday cheer for Art Cleves. After an acrimonious breakup with his girlfriend, Art receives a barrage of abusive messages in response to a series of fake tweets sent from his account by his vengeful ex. Setting out to visit his mother in Cornwall, he impulsively invites Lux, a multipierced young woman he encounters at a bus stop, and pays her to accompany him and impersonate his ex. What they find when they arrive is a house in disrepair, an empty fridge and larder, and Art's mother, Sophia, in a state of confusion. Seeking help, they enlist Sophia's long-estranged sister, an old radical, to bring some order to the chaos. Over the course of the next few days, Lux serves as intermediary between the family members and helps them uncover long-buried secrets. VERDICT This second installment in Smith's seasonal quartet combines captivating storytelling with a timely focus on social issues. Enthusiastically recommended; we're now eagerly awaiting Spring. [See Prepub Alert, 7/31/17.]--Barbara Love, formerly with Kingston Frontenac P.L., Ont.

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2017

It's the Christmas season in London, but there is little holiday cheer for Art Cleves. After an acrimonious breakup with his girlfriend, Art receives a barrage of abusive messages in response to a series of fake tweets sent from his account by his vengeful ex. Setting out to visit his mother in Cornwall, he impulsively invites Lux, a multipierced young woman he encounters at a bus stop, and pays her to accompany him and impersonate his ex. What they find when they arrive is a house in disrepair, an empty fridge and larder, and Art's mother, Sophia, in a state of confusion. Seeking help, they enlist Sophia's long-estranged sister, an old radical, to bring some order to the chaos. Over the course of the next few days, Lux serves as intermediary between the family members and helps them uncover long-buried secrets. VERDICT This second installment in Smith's seasonal quartet combines captivating storytelling with a timely focus on social issues. Enthusiastically recommended; we're now eagerly awaiting Spring. [See Prepub Alert, 7/31/17.]--Barbara Love, formerly with Kingston Frontenac P.L., Ont.

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2017

Following Autumn, the first of four novels named for the seasons and drawing on their moods, Smith takes an icy look at the era of Brexit and fake news, examining themes of history and memory and celebrating our will to survive. (She and Knausgaard are clearly in sync.) From the winner of Baileys and Costa Novel honors, thrice short-listed for the Man Booker Prize.

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.