This is a bit of an easier read then most of Ali Smith’s books. It’s mainly about Sands, who’s father is sick in hospital, during the covid years so she can’t really visit him. She is an academic. One night a woman, Marina, calls her out of the blue, with a story about being detained at the border. They knew each other at uni but didn’t really like each other. Now they tell each other stories which really affect each other. Marina’s family ends up moving into Sands’ house. There is also an interlude about a woman blacksmith back in medieval times. This is quite interesting about what life was like back then.