The
Peppermint Tea Chronicles: 44 Scotland Street Series. Alexander McCall Smith. Anchor
Books: A Division of Penguin Random House. October 2019. pb, 336pp.; ISBN #: 9781984897817.
Welcome
to summertime in Edinburgh, Scotland. The residents of Scotland Street are financially
comfortable and for the most part sociable.
They have their ups and downs in life which are depicted herein in a mild
manner. They mirror everyday life
anywhere. They have discussions which
make readers think from a more sensitive point of view than those opinions
quickly glossed over elsewhere. The title refers to a refreshment occasionally
shared when one is having an intimate but important conversation about
something very meaningful to those partaking.
Stuart
is sharing that tea with a young woman Katie.
Stuart’s wife is away, studying for a Ph. D. but also deliberately away
from her marriage. So Stuart finally gives himself permission to enjoy life and
his son Bertie has the same new feelings. He and his best friend Ranald
Braveheart Macpherson take a jaunt to a local circus and wind up returning home
with an unexpected gift. One of the issues on Scotland Street is freedom, that
freedom to do what is best for one’s self and for one’s neighbors. So Big Lou, who runs the local coffee and
pastry shop, has a foster son who loves and has a great talent. So she will do what she can to foster that
love and freedom to nurture a career that’s loved, no matter how shocking it
appears.
The
wife of another couple, Delmonica, finds great joy in shopping for new clothes
for her husband, Angus, which he doesn’t notice so accustomed is he to dress
mindlessly.
Another
woman loves living in the country but finally admits that even though she has
small children to care for, she is lonely and yearning for more in life. These are just a few of the delightful scenes
accompanied by intriguing and stimulating conversations that lead to new
situations and that are guaranteed to engage readers as well as yearn for more
of the same. There are also numerous
witty exchanges that add to the realistically funny side of lives on Scotland
Street a/k/a in our lives.
Lovingly
crafted, enchanting contemporary fiction read with enchanting characters you
will feel are like perfect friends!
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