Summer and Winter are identical twins living on a remote island, sheltered from the fallout of a
world destroyed by technology, environmental catastrophe and a global pandemic. As Summer would say: hoo boy, if that doesn’t sound gosh-darn close to our current reality. Yet this wonderful novel sparkles with magic and hope rather than doom and is one of my favourite reads this year. Summer and Winter survive on rations stockpiled by their father before he disappeared.

They spend their days reading their mother’s classic literature collection and enjoying nature on their island.Then a mysterious stranger, Edward, arrives and upends their world. Summer is suspicious and wonders who Edward really is, while Winter falls in love. Gradually a wedge is driven between the sisters, one that will expose the secrets of their past and possibly destroy their idyll.

This is a stunningly creative novel, with a blend of magical realism and fairytale elements, featuring an enigmatic bear and a talking whale as side characters. The innocence of the girls and the gorgeous writing offsets the underlying grimness and grief of their past. The story shows the deep bond of love, especially between sisters, and how love can motivate us to change for the better.

While this is technically billed as a YA novel, it’s one for adults too. Don’t miss it.

Reviewed by Melinda Woledge