44 Scotland Street occupies a bustling, bohemian corner of the New Town, where the bourgeoisie is forced to rub shoulders with students, poets and artists.
Pat – now on her second gap year – moves in, but isn’t sure how long she’ll last with her rugby-loving flatmate, Bruce, who is narcissistic, philandering and infuriatingly handsome. Downstairs live pretentious Irene, whose five-year-old is in therapy after setting fire to his father’s copy of the Guardian, and Domenica MacDonald, sharp-eyed observer of the whole household’s activities. Alexander McCall Smith’s observations of his native Edinburgh are every bit as witty, incisive and humane as those of his adopted Botswana. |