by Ali Smith
First published 2014
In a radical narrative split, Ali Smith delivers two interlocking stories that challenge how we perceive time, gender, and art. A Renaissance painter named Francesco del Cossa navigates 15th-century Italy's rigid social structures while hiding a profound secret. Centuries later, a teenage girl named George wrestles with her mother's recent death and her own emerging understanding of identity. Their narratives—which can be read in either order—reveal an extraordinary connection that transcends historical boundaries, exploring how individual perception reshapes reality. As Francesco's artistic vision and George's raw emotional landscape intersect, Smith creates a stunning meditation on perception, transformation, and the fluid boundaries of human experience.
Genres: art, literary-fiction, contemporary, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: dual-timeline, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Italy, Renaissance
Period: 15th Century, Contemporary
372 pages · Hardcover · Hamish Hamilton Canada