The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday
CDN$ 18.87
A Subtle Look at Obligations to Others and How to Recover from Mistakes - If you haven t read any of the earlier books in this series, don t start with this one. Without the entire back story, many of the subtleties in the story will be lost.Alexander McCall Smith continues his thoughtful investigation of the social contract and doing the right thing to others in a moral sense. Isabel Dalhousie, being portrayed as a mere human who knows ethics, struggles on behalf of us all with jealousy, regret, sloth, and concern for the hurting. How should we react?In this story, Isabel finds that her worries about losing Jamie seem to be growing. She continues to keep barriers between them while wanting to take the barriers down. Social engagements with people her age are particularly uncomfortable. She feels particularly threatened by Jamie s new friendship with a young composer, Nick Smart.Isabel is shocked to find that her old foe, Christopher Dove, is trying to manipulate her into publishing an article in the Journal of Applied Ethics. She grits her teeth at the effort required to treat Dove fairly.After a dinner party, Isabel is approached by the wife of a disgraced medical researcher to see if Isabel will try to find some way to rehabilitate the researcher s reputation. Isabel is no Miss Marple, and her efforts lead her in an unexpected direction.Between the major plot lines, Isabel takes great pleasure in her son, Charlie, her peaceful life, helping Cat out while she visits Sri Lanka, and looking to help those in need without hurting anyone s feelings. That last challenge is more difficult than she imagines.As always, the story exudes joie de vivre, affection for Edinburgh, pleasure in the company of others, and happiness in trying to do the right thing. It s a nice recipe for brightening up your day . . . so that even a rainy Saturday can look like heaven on Earth.Enjoy your life!