Smaill

Anna Smaill’s second novel is an ornate exploration of grief, friendship and brilliance, which centres on four characters, two of whom are cast as ordinary and two as extraordinary. After the suicide of her twin brother, Michael, Dinah moves from New Zealand to Japan to teach English. Michael was a musical prodigy; aged 10, he played piano better than his teacher. By 13, he was also eloquent beyond his years: The Magic Flute, he explains to his sister, is “the best” because “there is nothing tragic in it. The tragedy has…