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La’s Orchestra Saves the World / Alexander McCall-Smith
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Alexander McCall-Smith hits another homerun with this standalone novel set in England during World War II. As usual, his characters drive the novel, but there is a wonderful sense of place and time that is different from his other writings.

Lavender, known as “La,” has been unlucky in love and sets off from cosmopolitan London to a lonely refuge in Suffolk. The Blitz keeps her marooned in the countryside and she looks for things to do to keep her busy. She forms a small orchestra, made up of townspeople and airmen from the nearby field, and they practice once a month, preparing for a victory concert that is too long in coming.

Alexander McCall-Smith just seems to have a knack for painting wonderful pictures with words. Like a Vermeer genre painting, his books create a picture of domesticity that is so accurate, it’s like watching a movie in your head.
©Ken Vesey, 7 June 2010

Comments

  1. wclaspyJune 9, 2010 at 5:52 AM

    I think this one will have to join me at the beach this summer!

    ReplyDelete

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