Seven sections, or in fact seven matches, each match, like those of the fairytale Little Matchgirl, throwing light.
There are only a few weeks left for humanity, as atmospheric pollution has passed the tipping point. Beth’s room-mate decides to leave some mementoes, and there’s a palpable sense of loss as they make their little worlds…
The reference to The Little Matchgirl took me back to the mid-1960s and our FairyTale Treasury book, which had several stories gorgeously illustrated with photographs of puppets. However, there was one story that was only ever read to the Watson boys once, as it gave us the heebeejeebees, and that was The Little Matchgirl, which closed with this picture of the little girl, all alone in the world and frozen to death, being taken to heaven by her grandma. My god I’m welling up now…
