Book Review for \u201cDays of Light<\/em>\u201d by Megan Hunter.<\/h2>\nSummary: \u201cEaster Sunday, 1938. Ivy is nineteen and ready for her life to finally begin. Her sprawling, bohemian family and their friends gather in the idyllic English countryside for lunch, arranging themselves around well-worn roles. They trade political views and artistic arguments as they impatiently await the arrival and first sight of Frances, the new beau of Ivy\u2019s beloved older brother, Joseph. In this auspicious atmosphere of springtime, Ivy\u2019s world feels on the cusp of something grand\u2013but neither she nor those closest to her predicts how a single, enchanted evening and an unexpected tragedy will alter the rest of their lives. A radiant, philosophical, and intimate journey through time, \u201cDays of Light\u201d<\/i> chronicles six pivotal days across six decades to tell the story of Ivy\u2019s pursuit of answers\u2014to the events of this fateful Easter Sunday and to the shifting desires of her own heart. Moving through the Second World War up to the close of the 20th century, Hunter captures the galvanic love and transformative moments that define a winding, beautiful life.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\nAge<\/strong>: Adult; Genres<\/strong>: Literary Fiction; Settings<\/strong>: Era\/s:<\/em> Historical-Modern; Location\/s<\/em>: Great Britain \u2013 Mostly a fictional area of Sussex, and some London; Other Categories<\/strong>: Novel, Relationships, Loss, Trauma, LGBTQIA+, Religious (Christian), Romance.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/tcl-bookreviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/days-of-light.jpg\")
When I read the review for this by What Cathy Read Next<\/a>, I was sure that this was going to be my kind of book. So, I immediately looked for it, and lo and behold, there it was on NetGalley, and available for me to request. Well, imagine my surprise when Grove Atlantic\/Grove Press accepted my request almost immediately! Since I suddenly had a window in my reading list (due to a lack of approvals on both NetGalley and Edelweiss), I realized I could read it in more than good time to review it before publication. I love doing that! So, here we go, with one day before publication, and you\u2019re getting my review.<\/p>\nWell, I have to state right at the outset that this is one of the most beautifully written books I\u2019ve read in a very long time. Hunter\u2019s prose is lusciously poetic, and ultimately evocative, as we delve into these separate days in Ivy\u2019s life. From a fateful day in 1938, with England on the brink of a second World War, through another Easter Sunday in 1999, Hunter builds up Ivy\u2019s life through Ivy\u2019s eyes. These vignettes could almost be stories on their own, but as they come, chronologically, we get a comprehensive portrait of Ivy, where we\u2019re able to understand what is in her heart, what moves her, as well as who Ivy thinks she is, what Ivy is to those around her, and how she feels about all these things.<\/p>\n
I really enjoyed this format, although it is nothing innovative. But in Hunter\u2019s hands, it becomes more like a window into Ivy, but in small, easily digestible pieces. This is exactly what literary fiction is about. Building a character and taking them through their lives. I know that many people dislike literary fiction because they say that \u201cnothing happens\u201d but in this case, quite a bit happens to Ivy throughout her life, although because of the gaps between the days included in this story, we aren\u2019t witness to all these events. On the other hand, how we find out about those things that happened is recounted with the lens of hindsight, so that Ivy is able to judge her own actions and reactions to those events, while at the same time, being in her present. This might sound strange, but I assure you, it works very well.<\/p>\n
Now, with all this, you might be wondering why I didn\u2019t give this a full 5\/5 stars. I mean, I truly enjoyed this book, and I\u2019m sure that it will be a huge hit with many readers. Cathy described this as \u201cIntimate, intense, emotional\u201d and yes, it is all that. However, at one point this took a turn that made me uncomfortable. That has to do with my labeling this as being Religious (Christian) fiction. Don\u2019t get me wrong, this is probably the least preachy of any religious fiction I\u2019ve read, but I have a personal problem with the genre, no matter which religion is involved, including my own. So, while I had started to feel an affinity for Ivy, that bit distanced me from the story, and frustrated me somewhat. Obviously, if these types of things don\u2019t bother you, you\u2019ll probably adore this book. That said, I still really loved Hunter\u2019s writing, and (most of) the story, and emphasized with Ivy to a certain extent \u2013 especially at the end, which means that I\u2019m very much recommending it, and giving it four and a half stars out of five.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/tcl-bookreviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/ceea3-4andhalftiny.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/tcl-bookreviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/fc16c-netgalleytiny.jpg\")
The US release from Grove Atlantic\/Grove Press for \u201cDays of Light\u201d by Megan Hunter is June 10, 2025. This book is available (via the following affiliate links) from Amazon<\/a>, Blackwell\u2019s<\/a> (prices include international shipping), Waterstones<\/a>, WHSmith<\/a>, Kobo US (eBooks and audiobooks<\/a>), Booksamillion.com<\/a>, Barnes & Noble<\/a>, iTunes (iBooks<\/a> and audiobooks<\/a>), new or used from Alibris<\/a>, Awesome Books<\/a> (not an affiliate link) or Better World Books<\/a> (promoting libraries and world literary), as well as from Bookshop.org<\/a> and UK.Bookshop<\/a> (to support independent bookshops, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic). I would like to thank the publishers for sending me an ARC of this novel via NetGalley.<\/em><\/p>\nThis novel qualifies for the following reading challenges: New Release Challenge<\/a> (#20), Historical Fiction Reading Challenge<\/a> (#13) 20 Books<\/a> of Summer<\/a> (#1).<\/p>\nStart your own WordPress blog today!<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\tPublished<\/strong>
\n\t\t\t
Age<\/strong>: Adult; Genres<\/strong>: Literary Fiction; Settings<\/strong>: Era\/s:<\/em> Historical-Modern; Location\/s<\/em>: Great Britain \u2013 Mostly a fictional area of Sussex, and some London; Other Categories<\/strong>: Novel, Relationships, Loss, Trauma, LGBTQIA+, Religious (Christian), Romance.<\/p>\n Well, I have to state right at the outset that this is one of the most beautifully written books I\u2019ve read in a very long time. Hunter\u2019s prose is lusciously poetic, and ultimately evocative, as we delve into these separate days in Ivy\u2019s life. From a fateful day in 1938, with England on the brink of a second World War, through another Easter Sunday in 1999, Hunter builds up Ivy\u2019s life through Ivy\u2019s eyes. These vignettes could almost be stories on their own, but as they come, chronologically, we get a comprehensive portrait of Ivy, where we\u2019re able to understand what is in her heart, what moves her, as well as who Ivy thinks she is, what Ivy is to those around her, and how she feels about all these things.<\/p>\n I really enjoyed this format, although it is nothing innovative. But in Hunter\u2019s hands, it becomes more like a window into Ivy, but in small, easily digestible pieces. This is exactly what literary fiction is about. Building a character and taking them through their lives. I know that many people dislike literary fiction because they say that \u201cnothing happens\u201d but in this case, quite a bit happens to Ivy throughout her life, although because of the gaps between the days included in this story, we aren\u2019t witness to all these events. On the other hand, how we find out about those things that happened is recounted with the lens of hindsight, so that Ivy is able to judge her own actions and reactions to those events, while at the same time, being in her present. This might sound strange, but I assure you, it works very well.<\/p>\n Now, with all this, you might be wondering why I didn\u2019t give this a full 5\/5 stars. I mean, I truly enjoyed this book, and I\u2019m sure that it will be a huge hit with many readers. Cathy described this as \u201cIntimate, intense, emotional\u201d and yes, it is all that. However, at one point this took a turn that made me uncomfortable. That has to do with my labeling this as being Religious (Christian) fiction. Don\u2019t get me wrong, this is probably the least preachy of any religious fiction I\u2019ve read, but I have a personal problem with the genre, no matter which religion is involved, including my own. So, while I had started to feel an affinity for Ivy, that bit distanced me from the story, and frustrated me somewhat. Obviously, if these types of things don\u2019t bother you, you\u2019ll probably adore this book. That said, I still really loved Hunter\u2019s writing, and (most of) the story, and emphasized with Ivy to a certain extent \u2013 especially at the end, which means that I\u2019m very much recommending it, and giving it four and a half stars out of five.<\/p>\n This novel qualifies for the following reading challenges: New Release Challenge<\/a> (#20), Historical Fiction Reading Challenge<\/a> (#13) 20 Books<\/a> of Summer<\/a> (#1).<\/p>\n Start your own WordPress blog today!<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \n\t\t\tPublished<\/strong>When I read the review for this by What Cathy Read Next<\/a>, I was sure that this was going to be my kind of book. So, I immediately looked for it, and lo and behold, there it was on NetGalley, and available for me to request. Well, imagine my surprise when Grove Atlantic\/Grove Press accepted my request almost immediately! Since I suddenly had a window in my reading list (due to a lack of approvals on both NetGalley and Edelweiss), I realized I could read it in more than good time to review it before publication. I love doing that! So, here we go, with one day before publication, and you\u2019re getting my review.<\/p>\n<\/p>\nThe US release from Grove Atlantic\/Grove Press for \u201cDays of Light\u201d by Megan Hunter is June 10, 2025. This book is available (via the following affiliate links) from Amazon<\/a>, Blackwell\u2019s<\/a> (prices include international shipping), Waterstones<\/a>, WHSmith<\/a>, Kobo US (eBooks and audiobooks<\/a>), Booksamillion.com<\/a>, Barnes & Noble<\/a>, iTunes (iBooks<\/a> and audiobooks<\/a>), new or used from Alibris<\/a>, Awesome Books<\/a> (not an affiliate link) or Better World Books<\/a> (promoting libraries and world literary), as well as from Bookshop.org<\/a> and UK.Bookshop<\/a> (to support independent bookshops, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic). I would like to thank the publishers for sending me an ARC of this novel via NetGalley.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t