The Unbearable Lightness of Scones

The Unbearable Lightness of Scones
by Alexander McCall Smith
Anchor Books, 2010. 344 p. Fiction

Bertie’s back! And so is the rest of the crew who reside at 44 Scotland Street. The charming characters who live in this apartment house in the heart of Edinburgh are sure to delight. The latest installment in the series documents the lives of the tenants and provides a whimsical, delicious look at current Scottish life. The goings on include six-year-old Bertie, who desperately wants to join the Cub Scouts and free himself from would-be-girlfriend Olive’s clutches. Angus is enmeshed in the guilty parenthood of his beloved dog, Cyril. Domenica wants her stolen teacup back. Matthew is washed out to sea and saved by…dun, dun, dun. And Big Lou just isn’t having much luck in the boyfriend department. As the lives of the tenants intertwine and mingle together McCall Smith helps us realize just how much we all depend on each other and how our lives create a domino effect.

There’s even a bit of romance for all the lovebirds out there. The question is, who will it be? As for the scones, you’ll dearly want to find a nice Scottish one to munch while reading. Recommended for fans of McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and Sunday Philosophy Club series.

DAP