Reviews - Days of Light | The StoryGraph

107 reviews for:

Days of Light

Megan Hunter

3.83 AVERAGE

trippingthebookfantastic's review against another edition

3.0

reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

nicolahaggett's review against another edition

5.0

emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

4.25

emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Days of Light is really the story of a life, focussed on six pivotal days spanning six decades. We first meet Ivy on Easter Sunday, 1938, when she is just 17. Ivy's family is upper-class but decidedly unconventional, and have come together that day to meet her brother's girlfriend. A tragedy occurs later in the day that will impact Ivy in varying ways over the decades to come. Ivy's life story was quietly and beautifully told. While I found some of her decisions flawed or incomprehensible her struggle with what to do with her life felt very believable, as did her getting caught up in events and just going with the flow rather than making conscious decisions. When she was older, Ivy made a decision that must surely have surprised many in her life. I loved both the fact that she made this decision and the fact that years later, she changed her mind when that choice was no longer right for her. There's no shame in changing your mind, and it is never too late to go after what you want in life, regardless of how old you are. This is a very character driven novel, but the sense of time and place is so well-depicted it's almost cinematic and I could easily visualise many scenes, with the English setting, and the many ways it changed over the decades, seeming to appear right before my eyes. The exploration of themes like art, grief, love, longing, faith, and finding yourself were all well canvassed, albeit with a light hand. I really enjoyed the understated nature of this book, and the way the gaps in the narrative lent it a spacious feel and left room for the reader to intuit some of what had happened and why.

Content Warnings

sungmemoonstruck's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

This slim, luminous novel chronicles six crucial days across six decades of the life of a woman searching for meaning after a tragedy forever marks her bohemian family. As short as this is, it never feels sparse. The characters are wonderfully full and real, the prose shimmers, and Hunter dips in and out of Ivy’s life effortlessly, capturing both her and England’s many transformations.

layton93's review against another edition

4.0

emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

ilseort's review against another edition

3.5

slow-paced

dhall58's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

amateuriconoclast's review against another edition

4.25

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

What a lovely book.

Days of light follows Ivy through her life by narrating specific impactful days throughout the years. Days, on which the trajectory of her life changed in some way or another.

The writing in this was deliciously atmospheric, lots of purple prose that pulled me right in. I myself felt like a family member inside the cottage or a fly on the wall in Ivy’s bedrooms. I found the characters very endearing overall as well.

I do have to admit that some of the decisions Ivy makes were not 100% understandable to me

specifically her becoming a nun as well as the book’s theme generally shifting to becoming very religion centered

but surprisingly that didn’t bother me so much.
This reminded me a lot of The Safekeep a lot of the time, another novel that I enjoyed a lot.

This book is not something Id usually go for but it worked very well for me. Great writing and nice narrative concept.

4.25 Stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC.

Content Warnings