“Tell me where all past years are…”
Francis Spufford’s Nonesuch (Scribner 2026) was one of my anticipated releases of 2026. I really enjoyed Light Perpetual (a novel that rewrote history, allowing five children killed in the 1944 London Woolworths bombing to survive and live through the 20th century), and I was looking forward to another “historical” novel. Spufford delivered and then some. I didn’t realize Nonesuch was the first of a duology until the last page, but I’m not mad about it – I want more Iris. Beginning in 1939 and going through the London Blitz, Nonesuch follows Iris Hawkins, a financial secretary who loves sex, pretty things, and the economy. She’s sarcastic, shrewd, and wicked smart. Often underestimated because she’s a “pretty girl,” not much slips by her unnoticed. Through a series of events, she ends up at a party where she meets Lall Cunningham, a beautiful, blonde fascist. The two have a near instant dislike for each other, which only grows when Iris leaves the party with Geoff, the young man previously enamored with Lall. The decision to leave with Geoff ultimately leads to Iris being tasked with thwarting a plot by magical, time-traveling fascists to change history to serve their purposes. With all the men rounded up, the Order is led by none other than Lall and these two women keep crossing paths. Meanwhile, Iris is also fighting falling in love, keeping her employer afloat during the chaos, and working as a firewatcher to protect the buildings as the Germans continue to bomb the city.
Nonesuch is a fantastic bit of historical literary fantasy, and I couldn’t put it down. At 481 pages, I was sad to see it end – that is until I saw “to be continued…” The follow-up, Arcady, is rumored to be published in 2027.
Read this book.
A Girl Named Tommi 