After the lovely but sad Shuggie Bain, I wanted something light-hearted and easy to read. I had many books on my TBR and asked the internet to help me decide what to read next. There were several suggestions, but overall the two 44 Scotland Street books seemed the popular verdict.
So, I embarked on them, reading them back to back. And I think I am in love with this series and plan to read the rest of the books.
What’s the 44 Scotland Street series about?
This series was born when Alexander McCall Smith was asked to create a serialized story (similar to what Charles Dickens and the like used to do in Victorian times) for The Scotsman. Soon, it got very popular and ended up published in book form.
44 Scotland Street
Welcome to 44 Scotland Street, home to some of Edinburgh’s most colorful characters. Pat a twenty-year-old who has recently moved into a flat with Bruce, an athletic young man with a keen awareness of his appearance. Their neighbor, Domenica, is an eccentric and insightful widow. In the flat below are Irene and her appealing son Bertie, who is the victim of his mother’s desire for him to learn the saxophone and Italian–all at the tender age of five.
~ Synopsis from goodreads
As you can expect from a serialized novel, this book is a collection of short vignettes about several people who live at 44 Scotland Street.
In tone, the book is chipper, with a gentle wit and mockery of the various people in the stories. It’s a very cozy novel – I read it happily, confident that nothing too bad would happen to these lovable people (yes, even the bad guys are pretty sweet).
Don’t go into this book/series expecting a plot-based novel. Sure, a lot is happening in the book – a fancy ball, love triangles, an encounter with a famous crime writer; there’s even a small mystery surrounding the origins of a painting. But this is not a book where the story matters all that much.
It’s just a fun, light-hearted, gentle story guaranteed to lift your spirits.
Espresso Tales
Espresso Tales is a continuation of the events in the first book – but with a slight change in focus on the characters. The first book introduced all the characters, but the primary people were Pat, her unreciprocated love for Bruce, and the plot about the painting.
In this book, the focus shifts to 5-year-old Bertie, who is chafing under the restraints placed upon his mom, and his efforts to rebel against her iron discipline.
I found Espresso Tales more charming than the first book. McCall Smith could delve into Espresso Tales’ plot since book one already introduced all the characters and settings.
Also, Bertie is adorable – brilliant, while also being extremely innocent. I just raced through Espresso Tales – enjoying Bertie’s adventures at his new school and his simple longings. All the poor boy wants is to play rugby; go to a classmate’s birthday party; watch trains; go fishing, wear jeans, etc. Instead, he is forced to go to psychotherapy, wear pink clothes, live in a pink room, learn Saxophone and Italian, and practice yoga.
Bertie wearing pink overalls everywhere (part of his mom’s initiative to raise him gender-neutral) reminded me of my childhood. At that age, even I was forced to wear overalls, and I used to feel so ashamed to see all my friends in jeans and me still in those kiddish clothes. Now, neither of my kids has ever worn overalls. Banished from my house!
And oh! I cannot end this review without calling out the lovely illustrations by Iain McIntosh, which lend this book its unique charm.
Well, I went a little off track there. You can tell I don’t have much to say about the books. Honestly, there’s not a lot there, but it’s fun, entertaining, and wholesome. Just what I was in the mood for.
