Pianos and Flowers

Alexander McCall Smith Alexander McCall Smith is the author of several popular series including the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, the Isabel Dalhousie books, and 44 Scotland Street stories. I think of his novels as gentle, humorous books that demonstrate the breadth of human nature, from selfish to......more

3.5★ “She is smiling, the young woman perched on the cross-bar; she is smiling broadly as they follow the tram lines. . . . She did not know what possessed her to accept a ride into work from Professor Mactaggart. She barely knew him, although she had seen him in the library, of course, when he came......more

The premise for this book: take a photo from The Sunday Times archives and write a story about it. Pick up another photograph and repeat. 14 times. Each story is full of details like education, occupations, and even future or past family information. If I had not read the Author's Note I would have......more

My decision to read Pianos and Flowers.    Brief Encounters of the Romantic Kind by Alexander McCall Smith was motivated largely by curiosity about the author.   I most certainly have heard of him and his very successful No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series which so far as I can tell is up to book......more