As a child of the  80s, there us not too many movies that gut punched me, much like E.T. I was reminded of the movie, by the recent documentary HBO did on Steven Spielberg, who pretty much confirmed those feelings I had when I first saw it. As with many auteurs like the much contrived Darren Aranofsky, they often insert themselves literally, figuratively and philosophically into their work. Spielberg did so early and often, and the documentary does a good job of showing this in just about every one of his iconic films including E.T. He spoke about the struggles his family was doing with transition and how this particular story echoed some of those sentiments.

I had no idea at the time, how much it reflected my life growing up. When I was 7 my parents decided to go back to Trinidad and Tobago, an island country in the West Indies, who most foreigners often compared to Jamaica and most Trinidadians hated that comparison. Me and my sister, were basically returning to the homeland,  but only knew each other. Friends were initially hard to make, as the story of E.T.  was not really about the cute alien, it was about this family going through a transition. In India Swift and Michael Doig’s brilliant The Girl and The Glim, a similar tale of hope in a time of transition is undertaken

We meet a young girl, Bridgette, who most children who move , mostly miss their friends and feel like their world ended. She sruggles her first moving and does even worse on her first day of school, difficulty finding her classes, being late to most of them, and her troubles seem to never, end  as with most awkward kids, she kids picked on because of the fact she is short, as her life as a latchkey child ensues. Eventually one day, a bully locks her in aroom, where has to find an exit, where she escapes, leads her into a bit of trouble, and something follows her back. By the end of this installment, she finds someone who might not be as bad as everyone else  but deifntely holds a secret.

Overall, a great story that every adult will be able to identify with as you may know someone who has gone through it, maybe even you. The story by Swift is relatable and heartfelt. The art by Swift and Dog is beautiful. Altogether, a great story that is endearing and will leave you hopeful for the future.

Story: India Swift Art: India Swift and Michael Doig
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy