A Time of Love and Tartan by Alexander McCall Smith
| A Time of Love and Tartan by Alexander McCall Smith | |
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| Category: General Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Ruth Ng
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| Summary: An awful lot happens in this particular episode of the Scotland Street saga. Block some time in your diary...you'll probably want to read it all in one go! | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 256 | Date: July 2017 |
| Publisher: Polygon An Imprint of Birlinn Limited | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 9781846973826 | |
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Here we are, back on Scotland Street, eager to see what everyone (especially Bertie…) has been up to! This is now the twelfth book in the Scotland Street series which is remarkable. That a serial novel has such momentum, and that the characters within have become so very familiar to AMS's loyal readers, is a testament to his skills as a writer. This time around our nerves are on edge as Pat ventures back towards a relationship with the dreadful Bruce! Surely she'll see sense...won't she?! Matthew, of all people, is in trouble with the police, Irene is busy planning a PhD, and Bertie? Could there be a happy ending for Bertie in the air?
As always, I was eager to begin reading this book, and found it hard to put down at bedtime. I love the short chapters, which allow me a quick snippet whilst cooking the pasta for dinner, or perhaps another sneaky chapter to read whilst the kids are in the bath. I love Bertie, very much, and I'm always eager to see what's happening in his life, and whether anything significantly suitable has happened to his dreadful mother! If Bertie (and his familial struggles) are the bits you look forward to too then this book has lots you'll be interested to read...I don't want to spoil the story but there were certain moments for Stuart that were very enjoyable, and satisfying to read!
Even though I love Bertie, I also find myself very attached to the other characters of Scotland Street too, and I always have a sense of 'ah, there you are' when they appear again and we get to find out what's happening in their lives. Poor Matthew has found himself in a rather tricky situation thanks to a panic in a bookshop involving the book Fifty Shades of Grey. I did laugh at his antics! Domenica and Angus seem, worryingly, to be heading for upset for a little while, but then things are looking up for Elspeth and the triplets with the arrival of a new, male au pair. There are Forest People guests to entertain, coffee to be drunk, and a school performance of Waiting for Godot...There's a lot to love!
I did feel the tone, through a lot of this book, was a little different to AMS's usual gentle, comforting feel. There was a little bit more edge somehow, a bit more bite to his words. I wondered if perhaps his writing was reflecting the times we have been living through recently in our world. There is a part where the Duke is speaking to Matthew and he says There's something very unpleasant on the loose. We may pretend that it isn't; we may deny it, but we know that there are more and more people who hate those whom they used not to hate. And there are even some who encourage this hate, who harbour that hate within themselves and are happy to see it flourish in the breasts of others...we unleash these forces at our peril: a virus behaves in exactly the same way wherever you release it. Nobody is above it, and we are just as vulnerable as anybody else. That's why I'm sad, Matthew; that's why I'm sick at heart. When I'm reading these books, I often find interesting moments that make me stop and think, or heartwarming moments that make me smile deep down inside. This time there was more of a sadness in the book, and I felt nervous from time to time about different characters and their situations and emotions. Yet as much as I love the comforting aspect of his stories, I actually welcomed this more serious side, and I felt, like Matthew, that I knew exactly what the Duke meant.
Ultimately, there was a sense of change coming to Scotland Street in this book, just as happens in real life. Yet even with the more noticeable social and political comments, AMS still shows us where small happinesses can be found; in forgiveness, a new kilt, a winning rugby team, and that certain kind of soft light that falls in Scotland. Lovely, as always.
Just in case you're losing track of this series, here's a helpful chronological list, to keep you on track: Alexander McCall Smith's 44 Scotland Street Series in Chronological Order
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You can read more book reviews or buy A Time of Love and Tartan by Alexander McCall Smith at Amazon.com.
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