Megan Hunter’s Days of Light, following her remarkable debut The End We Start From, weaves a story of grief, memory, and the passage of time. Set in 1938, the novel follows Ivy, a 19-year-old woman living with her bohemian artist mother, Marina, and her mother’s unfaithful lover, Angus, in the idyllic countryside of Sussex. Structured around six separate days spanning decades, the novel’s deliberate fragmentation echoes the style of Hunter’s previous work, though the thematic heart of this story veers towards the shattered English idylls of Ian McEwan’s Atonement or Graham Swift’s Mothering Sunday.
The novel begins with an unsettling tragedy: Ivy’s older brother, Joseph, drowns in a river on Easter Sunday, an event that sends shockwaves through her life. The early part of the novel is rich with detail, immersing the reader in the bohemian world of 1930s Sussex. Ivy’s loss, compounded by the historical backdrop of war and looming tragedy, shapes her emotional journey throughout the book. Hunter’s evocation of the world around Ivy is vivid, from the food at Joseph’s funeral to the sensation of the world slipping past Ivy in her grief. It’s in these moments of detail that the novel’s strength lies, capturing the beauty of a world slipping away in the wake of an irreplaceable loss.
However, as the novel progresses, it loses some of its initial momentum. Hunter’s choice to explore ordinary, unremarkable days—simple acts like caring for children or shopping for gloves—raises the stakes of everyday life, echoing Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway. While these moments may seem small, they contain vast emotional depths. Unfortunately, these carefully accumulated details sometimes feel more like a slow accumulation of minutiae than a driving narrative, and Ivy’s passivity as a protagonist becomes frustrating. She remains an elusive character, her growth unclear as the years pass.
While Days of Light succeeds in creating a haunting atmosphere of loss, the emotional and character development of Ivy feels incomplete. The novel grapples with the challenge of telling a story through the lens of a passive observer, which makes Ivy’s transformation from a passive young woman to one who takes transgressive action feel underdeveloped. Though Ivy’s perspective shapes the narrative, her internal world remains frustratingly distant, leaving readers grasping for a deeper connection with her.
Despite its structural challenges, Days of Light is a poignant exploration of how a single moment of loss can reshape a life. Megan Hunter’s lyrical prose and finely crafted imagery make for a compelling, if occasionally elusive, read. For those who appreciate the quiet power of everyday moments and the passage of time, this novel is an emotionally resonant journey.
Days of Light by Megan Hunter is published by Picador (£18.99). To support the Guardian and Observer, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.
