Here we have an unusual book. Not only is the story told through both a novel and a play, but it is also a historical fiction and a climate fiction, and is divided into two distinct parts: Cumulus and Cirrus. In the first, we are in the early nineteenth century, with six people who really lived then. In the second part, they return in essence, and, together with two new characters, hurtle through a Midsummer’s Day full of challenge and achievement.

The choice is yours whether to read the play first or dip into the novel. With the play, the choice is offered to begin in the present day, at a late-night office party where we meet John Constable, climate adviser. Or, using the helpful Contents listing, one can start chronologically, with Maria and John’s 1818 honeymoon in Dorset, during which he painted ‘Weymouth Bay’, now in London’s National Gallery.

Four men, four women. Two games, one a weather game for children. The other a television game show. The first half (Cumulus) spans a range of life events from around 1810 to 1828. The second half (Cirrus) takes place at a greater pace over a single day, Midsummer’s Day. Umbrellas at the ready!

Did Philip know about his French connection, and does it all end well?