The Forgotten Affairs of Youth
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The eighth delightful installment in the ongoing saga of the life and loves of Isabel Dalhousie.
As the editor of an applied ethics journal, Isabel Dalhousie is usually tucked away in her editorial office, in the comfortable Edinburgh house she shares with her fiancé and their young son, and does not often meet many fellow philosophers. But while helping in the delicatessen owned by her niece, Cat, she meets Jane Cooper, an Australian philosopher who is spending a sabbatical in Scotland. Isabel learns that Jane needs to find out something about her past. Jane was born in Scotland but taken to Australia as a baby by her adoptive parents. She knows who her mother is, but her father's identity is still a mystery. Can Isabel help Jane unconver this important and potentially unsettling information? And in Isabel's own life, there is the ever-present question of marriage, and also the perennially difficult issue of her relationship with Cat, whose choice of men is as dubious as ever.
As the editor of an applied ethics journal, Isabel Dalhousie is usually tucked away in her editorial office, in the comfortable Edinburgh house she shares with her fiancé and their young son, and does not often meet many fellow philosophers. But while helping in the delicatessen owned by her niece, Cat, she meets Jane Cooper, an Australian philosopher who is spending a sabbatical in Scotland. Isabel learns that Jane needs to find out something about her past. Jane was born in Scotland but taken to Australia as a baby by her adoptive parents. She knows who her mother is, but her father's identity is still a mystery. Can Isabel help Jane unconver this important and potentially unsettling information? And in Isabel's own life, there is the ever-present question of marriage, and also the perennially difficult issue of her relationship with Cat, whose choice of men is as dubious as ever.
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Publisher:
New York :, Pantheon Books
Copyright Date:
©2011
ISBN:
9780307399618
Characteristics:
1 online resource
text file,rda
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Add a Comment8th title in the Isabel Dahlhousie series (total of 12 in the series thru 2018).
Author Alexander McCall Smith captures the insights of "intelligent information and reflection". I'd guess that some readers lose patience with his educated style of writing.
This plot is less intense that some of the earlier stores; less intense is okay.
This plot is good reading;
I enjoy the characteristics described about Grace, the keeper of the home's well-being. And the descriptions of toddler Charlie are sweet.
The fact that I really know little about Scotland's history makes me a typical reader.
This is another delightful outing with Isabel Dalhousie. McCall Smith writes such mannered lovely prose and writes it so engagingly. I loved the part when Charlie says a naughty word beginning with "s", and the playschool teacher is so mortified she won't even say it so she writes it down: "And underneath was written a word in common use among builders, soldiers, teenagers and novelists." Haha! - but not this novelist! He's so genteel.... I kind of wanted Charlie to be caught saying it again, on a day when Grace was picking him up, and her talk to him about it, and see what Isabel and Jamie did with that. - Also liked the mushroom scene and the quote, "There are old mycologists and there are bold mycologists, but there are no old, bold mycologists"! So many treasures in here, and in every Dalhousie novel (and the Precious Ramotswe ones, too). How does he do it? and long may he continue!
I always like Smith's books about Isabel Dalhousie. Not only a nice story, but also shows a slice of Scottish life. The mystery is easygoing - just a little life mystery, not murder and mayhem that so many mysteries are.
Once again, an enjoyable visit with Isabel and her peculiarly individual thought patterns..... these books are very quotable and very thought-provoking, though some of the characters (ie: Cat!) are so annoying! So great to be able to read another episode in Isabel's story, and the only problem now is waiting for the next one ;)
Always enjoyable to spend a few quiet hours mulling over the great moral issues that always seem to underscore the seemingly small, inconsequential events that make up a normal day in our modern lives. Best read sitting curled up in a comfy chair with a cup of tea.
A wonderful read. So nice to return to Edinburgh with Isabel Dalhousie and her intellectual musings on philosphy, art, music, poetry, relationships, Brother Fox, you name it!
One of the more moving Isabel Dalhousie stories