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The Unbearable Lightness of Scones by Alexander McCall Smith By Melissa J Wantuck  |
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The residents of 44 Scotland Street, their friends, and acquaintances return to begin the New Year with a new bundle of tales of intrigue, miraculous transformations, and the hint of an about-time romance.
Alexander McCall Smith’s 44 Scotland Street series continues in a fifth book with the January 12 release of The Unbearable Lightness of Scones (Anchor, 2010). Bertie, Matthew, Big Lou, Domenica, Angus all return and of course the canine particulars of Cyril continue to delight. Bruce won’t disappoint, eliciting more groans with his cantankerous narcissism.
Bertie, who has mysteriously remained six for four years now, faces a new set of obstacles in his quest for normal boyhood. He wants to join the cub scouts but his mother, Irene, disapproves. Irene is reeling from the loss of Dr. Fairbairn to a university position in Aberdeen and her defenses lower enough for Stuart to take a stand in Bertie’s favor. At last Bertie tastes victory only to have it thwarted again.
Matthew has found love and now marriage beginning a new round of challenges. Both he and his wife, Elspeth Harmony, individually cannot believe their good fortune in finding someone who loves them for who they are that they almost don’t believe it’s possible. Each wrestle with the same insecurities fearing the other doesn’t return the same loving feelings. Ordinarily their constant needless worrying would be annoying but it’s laughable because of their genuine goodness.
In between Big Lou’s perusal of her inherited literary works and running the coffee bar, the latest mistake in her life has landed a burdensome responsibility on her doorstep. Big Lou may finally be realizing Robbie’s shortcomings are too much for her to be expected to shoulder and she just might finally heed Angus’ and Matthew’s advice to break ties with him.
Domenica and Angus find themselves caught in an unlawful plight of theft and a black market goods exchange. Both are in a slump and need something to spark their creative juices although they’re ignoring a raging wildfire that, let’s be honest, has been raging out of control for some time now.
If Bruce’s impending fatherhood, revealed in The World According to Bertie, didn’t shock you enough—in the sense of the consequences rendered by the procreation of his haute personality on humanity—there’s an even bigger shock. It’s the kind of thing that lends to the credulity of miracles.
McCall Smith writes in the tradition of Charles Dickens with entertaining characters that evolve as they grow. Each of them have their own weaknesses that define them while carrying them through an array of adventures and misadventures that will result in more than a few chuckles. Once again, McCall Smith adds to their stories and introduces some new characters as well that promise to add to the entertainment. A few mysteries open up and only a couple are resolved so a sixth book is certainly in the future—unless you have access to The Scotsman and can follow the series there.
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