Spring / Smith, Ali

"'Spring' follows a string of characters and explores themes like immigration and human nature in general, as well as the aftermath of the EU referendum and growing tensions in the UK. The novel has two central narratives, the first is the story of Richard, an older man who is dealing with the loss of someone close to him. He boards a train to Scotland, with no particular destination in mind, to try and escape or solve his emotional turmoil. The second narrative is that of . . . Brit . . . . Brit works at a detention center for migrants where she unexpectedly meets a young girl named Florence. Like Richard, Brit and Florence also happen to board a train up north to Scotland"--Amazon.

A man mourning a lost past and a woman trapped in modernity connect through the medium, meaning, and hopefulness of the season of Spring, which also unites such historical figures as Charlie Chaplin, Katherine Mansfield, William Shakespeare, and Beethoven, as well as modern issues like Donald Trump and "Brexit.".