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La's Orchestra Saves the World
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Emily Gray
- Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins
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La's Orchestra Saves the World
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Emily Gray’s narration brings vivid life to Lavender, a determinedly no-nonsense bluestocking who, shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War, finds refuge from a failed marriage in a bucolic English village. There she forms a local orchestra and develops a relationship with Feliks, a flute-playing Polish refugee whom she eventually comes to suspect of being a German spy. Gray’s performance carries reserves of wit and hesitant curiosity towards her new surroundings, her voice conveying a furrowed brow, a quizzical look, and a dry sense of humor, all of which make for an entertaining performance.
Gray is not always helped by her material: Although Alexander McCall Smith is a wildly successful author, with two very popular series of books translated into almost every known language; his latest is an unfocussed affair that doesn’t quite manage to do justice to the very big themes invoked. But only at a few moments does the awkwardness affect Gray’s sparkling performance, notably her handling of the male characters. The supporting cast of country folk are also drawn with a very broad brush, but, again, there is little in the book to support the narrator. Overall her performance is a real gift to the story, bringing spice and liveliness and real involvement to this slender tale.
The story focuses at the dilemma of tending to one’s own garden, Candide-style, in a period of history that demands action and resolve. The great historical forces can feel bolted on to the rest of the narrative, with the characters stumbling over the joints. Also, the author’s attitude towards the importance of music and art in times of war is unclear: Music, we are assured, can "heal the temper of the world", but the presence of a community orchestra seems an unnecessary layer and contributes very little to the story its members are barely visible. Far more convincing is the mirroring of Lavender's feeling that she has betrayed Feliks with Britain's betrayal of the Polish people in the Yalta Conference, and Gray distinctly portrays Lavender’s struggle as well as the character’s underlying moral strength, a quality that is the book’s finest attribute. Dafydd Phillips
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Story4 out of 5 stars 28
Daughters of Eden focuses on the lives and fortunes of four very different young women at the outbreak of the Second World War. Marjorie, left at a boarding school by her emigrating mother; plain Poppy, pushed into marriage with a mean-spirited aristocrat; Kate, despised by her father, but determined to prove herself; and man-mad Lily, who turns out to be the bravest of them all. That all of them are chosen to work undercover for the espionage unit at Eden Park is a surprise, not least to them.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
An amazing book everyone should read.
- By XX on 09-11-05
-
The Forgotten Secret
- By: Kathleen McGurl
- Narrated by: Melanie MacHugh
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 138
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 115
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 117
It’s the summer of 1919, and Ellen O’Brien has her whole life ahead of her. Young, in love and leaving home for her first job, the future seems full of shining possibility. But war is brewing, and before long, Ellen and everyone around her are swept up by it. As Ireland is torn apart by the turmoil, Ellen finds herself facing the ultimate test of love and loyalty. A hundred years later and Clare Farrell has inherited a dilapidated old farmhouse in County Meath.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
The Forgotten Secret
- By Amazon Customer on 08-31-20
By: Kathleen McGurl
-
The Sunday Philosophy Club
- An Isabel Dalhousie Mystery
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Davina Porter
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 904
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 584
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 578
New York Times best-selling author Alexander McCall Smith, winner of the first-ever Saga Award for Wit, has entertained millions with his beloved No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency mysteries. Now this phenomenally popular author introduces a fresh series, brimming with the charm and humor his stable of dedicated fans can't get enough of.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Advice For Prospective Listeners
- By DCinMI on 02-18-13
-
Celia's House
- By: D. E. Stevenson
- Narrated by: Lesley Mackie
- Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 118
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 101
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 100
In name and by birth, Celia was a Dunne. She had inherited the beautiful old family home by the Rydd Water – but was she bound to live her life by the principles of her predecessors? Was there some hidden restraint that compelled her to heed the past? Celia’s house is a moving and poignant story of the struggle between old and young: the older generation anxious to preserve the values they have helped create while their children are determined at all costs to make lives of their own.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Boarder area of Scotland
- By Jerri C on 03-14-11
By: D. E. Stevenson
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Dying in the Wool
- A Kate Shackleton Mystery, Book 1
- By: Frances Brody
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 113
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 101
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 101
Bridgestead is a peaceful spot: a babbling brook, rolling hills, and a working mill at its heart. Pretty and remote, nothing exceptional happens...until the day that Master of the Mill Joshua Braithwaite goes missing under dramatic circumstances, never to be heard of again. Now Joshua's daughter is getting married and wants to make one last attempt at finding her father. Kate Shackleton has always loved solving puzzles. So who better to get to the bottom of Joshua's mysterious disappearance?
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1 out of 5 stars
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Fluff & Nonsense
- By Sara on 01-03-15
By: Frances Brody
-
The Flight of Gemma Hardy
- A Novel
- By: Margot Livesey
- Narrated by: Davina Porter
- Length: 14 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 315
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 284
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 280
Fate has not been kind to Gemma Hardy. Orphaned then neglected, young Gemma seemed destined for a life of hardship and loneliness. Yet her bright spirit burns strong. Fiercely intelligent, singularly determined, Gemma overcomes each challenge and setback, growing stronger and more certain of her path. Now an independent young woman, she accepts a position as an au pair on the remote and beautiful Orkney Islands. But Gemma’s biggest trial is about to begin....
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4 out of 5 stars
-
f you loved Jane Eyre, you will like this novel.
- By Cecilia on 02-09-12
By: Margot Livesey
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Staying On
- By: Paul Scott
- Narrated by: Paul Shelley
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 87
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 73
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 72
Tusker and Lily Smalley stayed on in India. Given the chance to return ‘home’ when Tusker, once a Colonel in the British Army, retired, they chose instead to remain in the small hill town of Pankot, with its eccentric inhabitants and archaic rituals left over from the days of the Empire. Only the tyranny of their imposing landlady threatens to upset the quiet rhythm of their days.
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3 out of 5 stars
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A Pleasant Meander
- By Ian C Robertson on 09-22-14
By: Paul Scott
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The Best Man to Die
- An Inspector Wexford Mystery
- By: Ruth Rendell
- Narrated by: Davina Porter
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 169
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 142
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 144
Who could have suspected that the exciting stag party for the groom would be the prelude to the murder of his close friend Charlie Hatton? And Charlie's death was only the first in a string of puzzling murders involving small-time gangsters, cheating husbands, and loose women. Now Chief Inspector Wexford and his assistant join forces with the groom to track down a killer....
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4 out of 5 stars
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Classic who-dunnit
- By Kathi on 02-24-13
By: Ruth Rendell
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A Fatal Inversion
- By: Barbara Vine
- Narrated by: William Gaminara
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 98
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 85
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 86
In the long, hot summer of 1976, a group of young people is camping in Wyvis Hall. Adam, Rufus, Shiva, Vivien and Zosie hardly ask why they are there or how they are to live; they scavenge, steal and sell the family heirlooms. Ten years later, the bodies of a woman and child are discovered in the Hall’s animal cemetery. Which woman? And whose child?
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5 out of 5 stars
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Oh my!
- By Jill on 06-15-14
By: Barbara Vine
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Season of Darkness
- By: Maureen Jennings
- Narrated by: Tom Craig
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 65
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 58
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 58
Following the disastrous retreat of the British army from Dunkirk in 1940, England is plunged into a state of fear. The threat of a German invasion is real, and many German Nationals are interned in camps across the country. One such camp is on the ancient moor land of Prees Heath, near the small town of Whitchurch in Shropshire, where Tom Tyler is the sole detective inspector. Young women from all walks of life have joined the Land Army, to help desperate farmers keep the country fed. Then one turns up dead.
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4 out of 5 stars
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much better than average historical detective
- By connie on 09-30-12
By: Maureen Jennings
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Asylum
- By: Patrick McGrath
- Narrated by: Sir Ian McKellen
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,028
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,765
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,758
In the summer of 1959 Stella Raphael joins her psychiatrist husband, Max, at his new posting - a maximum-security hospital for the criminally insane. Stella soon falls under the spell of Edgar Stark, a brilliant sculptor who has been confined to the hospital for murdering his wife in a psychotic rage. But Stella's knowledge of Edgar's crime is no hindrance to the volcanic attraction that ensues -a passion that will consume Stella's sanity and destroy her and the lives of those around her.
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5 out of 5 stars
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So enjoyed this book!
- By Mebythesea on 10-07-08
By: Patrick McGrath
-
The Brimstone Wedding
- By: Barbara Vine
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 158
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 123
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 123
Unlike the other residents of Middleton Hall, Stella is elegant, smart and in control. Only Jenny, her care assistant, knows that she harbours a painful secret, and only she can prevent Stella from carrying it to the grave. As the women talk, Jenny pieces together the answers to many questions that arise: Why has she kept possession of a house that her family don’t know about? What happened there that holds the key to a distant tragedy?
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4 out of 5 stars
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Amazing reader elevates book to a higher level
- By Doggy Bird on 10-04-14
By: Barbara Vine
-
The Muse
- A Novel
- By: Jessie Burton
- Narrated by: Bahni Turpin, Maria Elena Infantino
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 391
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 361
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 356
England, 1967. Odelle Bastien is a Caribbean émigré trying to make her way in London. When she starts working at the prestigious Skelton Institute of Art, she discovers a painting rumored to be the work of Isaac Robles, a young artist of immense talent and vision whose mysterious death has confounded the art world for decades. The excitement over the painting is matched by the intrigue around the conflicting stories of its discovery.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Mixed narration
- By Amy Fleury on 08-05-16
By: Jessie Burton
-
A Share in Death
- By: Deborah Crombie
- Narrated by: Michael Deehy
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,869
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,510
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 2,500
A week's holiday in a luxurious hotel is just what Scotland Yard's Superintendent Duncan Kincaid needs. But his vacation ends dramatically with the discovery of a dead body in the whirlpool bath. Despite a suspicious lack of cooperation from the local constabulary, Kincaid's keen sense of duty won't allow him to ignore the heinous crime, impelling him to send for his enthusiastic young assistant, Sergeant Gemma James. But the stakes are raised significantly when a second murder occurs....
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3 out of 5 stars
-
series readers, start here
- By connie on 02-09-13
By: Deborah Crombie
-
Enemy Brothers (Living History Library)
- By: Constance Savery
- Narrated by: Paul L. Coffey
- Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 62
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 44
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 45
British airman Dym Ingleford is convinced that the young German prisoner, Max Eckermann, is his brother Anthony, who was kidnapped years before. Raised in the Nazi ideology, Tony has by chance tumbled into British hands. Dym has brought him back, at least temporarily, to the family he neither remembers nor will acknowledge as his own.
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5 out of 5 stars
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More people should read this wonderful story!!!
- By E.F.B. on 08-02-18
By: Constance Savery
-
The Last Summer
- By: Judith Kinghorn
- Narrated by: Jane Wymark
- Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 120
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 111
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 112
Clarissa is almost 17 when the spell of her childhood is broken. It is 1914, the beginning of a blissful, golden summer - and the end of an era. Deyning Park is in its heyday, the large country house filled with the laughter and excitement of privileged youth preparing for a weekend party. When Clarissa meets Tom Cuthbert, home from university and staying with his mother, the housekeeper, she is dazzled.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
The Last Summer Delivers
- By Carmen dela Cruz on 05-22-16
By: Judith Kinghorn
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Trains and Lovers
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 132
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 114
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Story4 out of 5 stars 112
In the words of Alexander McCall Smith: "You feel the rocking of the train, you hear the sound of its wheels on the rails; you are in the world rather than suspended somewhere above it. And sometimes there are conversations to be had, which is what the overarching story in this collection is all about. It is a simple device: people brought together entertain one another with tales of what happened to them on trains. It takes place on a journey I frequently make myself and know well, the journey between Edinburgh and London. It is best read on a train, preferably that one."
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5 out of 5 stars
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Loved It
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The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 404
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Val Eliot, a young woman working on an English farm during the war, meets Mike, a US Air Force pilot stationed nearby. When Val rescues a Border Collie named Peter Woodhouse, who is being mistreated by his owner, she realizes the dog would actually be safer with Mike. And so Peter Woodhouse finds a new home on the air force base, and Val finds herself falling in love.
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5 out of 5 stars
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wonderful
- By T. Bellan on 04-23-18
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Chance Developments
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- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Robert Ian Mackenzie, Jamie Jackson, John Keating, and others
- Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 58
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 52
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 51
It is said that a picture may be worth a thousand words, but an old photograph can inspire many more. In this beguiling book, Alexander McCall Smith casts his eye over five chanced-upon photographs from the era of black-and-white photography and imagines the stories behind them. Who were those people, what were their stories, why are they smiling, what made them sad?
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5 out of 5 stars
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Several "I wish that I had written that..."
- By N. David Blocher on 01-20-17
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The Forever Girl
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Susan Lyons
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 111
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 102
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 105
Amanda and her husband, David, feel fortunate to be raising their son and daughter in the close-knit community of ex-pats on Grand Cayman Island, an idyllic place for children to grow up. Their firstborn, Sally, has always listened to her heart, deciding at age four that she would rather be called Clover and then, a few years later, falling in love with her best friend, James. But the comforting embrace of island life can become claustrophobic for adults, especially when they are faced with difficult situations.
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3 out of 5 stars
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By Love Obsessed
- By SW Clemens on 05-11-14
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My Italian Bulldozer
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Timothy Ackroyd
- Length: 6 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 673
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 596
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Story4 out of 5 stars 598
When writer Paul Stewart heads to the idyllic Italian town of Montalcino to finish his already late book, it seems like the perfect escape from stressful city life. Upon landing, however, things quickly take a turn for the worse when he discovers his hired car is nowhere to be found. With no record of any reservation and no other cars available, it looks like Paul is stuck at the airport. That is, until an enterprising stranger offers him an unexpected alternative.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Suffused with Wisdom and Humor
- By SW Clemens on 04-17-17
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Pianos and Flowers
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 26
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 24
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Story4 out of 5 stars 24
In these stories, inspired by long-lost photographs, the lives of the people in the frame are imagined and then explored, layer by layer. What must have it like to be them? We share the lives of three sisters, brought up in Penang. We hear of what happened to them, and to their Chinese neighbours caught in the tides of war. We see a group of small boys in a Glasgow slum, their young lives stunted by poverty, and hear how life worked out in contrasting ways for them. We follow a young woman's search for love in the unlikely realm of Egyptian antiquities.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Rather Depressing
- By sharon on 02-02-21
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Trains and Lovers
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Robert Ian Mackenzie
- Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 132
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 114
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Story4 out of 5 stars 112
In the words of Alexander McCall Smith: "You feel the rocking of the train, you hear the sound of its wheels on the rails; you are in the world rather than suspended somewhere above it. And sometimes there are conversations to be had, which is what the overarching story in this collection is all about. It is a simple device: people brought together entertain one another with tales of what happened to them on trains. It takes place on a journey I frequently make myself and know well, the journey between Edinburgh and London. It is best read on a train, preferably that one."
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5 out of 5 stars
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Loved It
- By sharon on 07-20-14
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The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 404
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 364
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Val Eliot, a young woman working on an English farm during the war, meets Mike, a US Air Force pilot stationed nearby. When Val rescues a Border Collie named Peter Woodhouse, who is being mistreated by his owner, she realizes the dog would actually be safer with Mike. And so Peter Woodhouse finds a new home on the air force base, and Val finds herself falling in love.
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5 out of 5 stars
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wonderful
- By T. Bellan on 04-23-18
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Chance Developments
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- By: Alexander McCall Smith
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 58
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 52
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 51
It is said that a picture may be worth a thousand words, but an old photograph can inspire many more. In this beguiling book, Alexander McCall Smith casts his eye over five chanced-upon photographs from the era of black-and-white photography and imagines the stories behind them. Who were those people, what were their stories, why are they smiling, what made them sad?
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5 out of 5 stars
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Several "I wish that I had written that..."
- By N. David Blocher on 01-20-17
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The Forever Girl
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Susan Lyons
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 111
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 102
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 105
Amanda and her husband, David, feel fortunate to be raising their son and daughter in the close-knit community of ex-pats on Grand Cayman Island, an idyllic place for children to grow up. Their firstborn, Sally, has always listened to her heart, deciding at age four that she would rather be called Clover and then, a few years later, falling in love with her best friend, James. But the comforting embrace of island life can become claustrophobic for adults, especially when they are faced with difficult situations.
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3 out of 5 stars
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By Love Obsessed
- By SW Clemens on 05-11-14
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My Italian Bulldozer
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Timothy Ackroyd
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 673
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 596
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Story4 out of 5 stars 598
When writer Paul Stewart heads to the idyllic Italian town of Montalcino to finish his already late book, it seems like the perfect escape from stressful city life. Upon landing, however, things quickly take a turn for the worse when he discovers his hired car is nowhere to be found. With no record of any reservation and no other cars available, it looks like Paul is stuck at the airport. That is, until an enterprising stranger offers him an unexpected alternative.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Suffused with Wisdom and Humor
- By SW Clemens on 04-17-17
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Pianos and Flowers
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 26
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 24
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Story4 out of 5 stars 24
In these stories, inspired by long-lost photographs, the lives of the people in the frame are imagined and then explored, layer by layer. What must have it like to be them? We share the lives of three sisters, brought up in Penang. We hear of what happened to them, and to their Chinese neighbours caught in the tides of war. We see a group of small boys in a Glasgow slum, their young lives stunted by poverty, and hear how life worked out in contrasting ways for them. We follow a young woman's search for love in the unlikely realm of Egyptian antiquities.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Rather Depressing
- By sharon on 02-02-21
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Tiny Tales
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 62
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 56
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 56
From the original Greek financial crisis (when the profligate Gods of Olympus were punished by Odin and the other Norse Gods for their unchecked spending) to a handy unintended benefit of cosmetic surgery; from Pope Ron (the first Australian pope, who wants nothing more than to live quietly) to a rather droll cat named Stanley to Good President Wenceslas (benevolent leader of a snowy land) - these stories are by turns funny, poignant, and deliciously wicked, each one a gift begging to be unwrapped and enjoyed again and again.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A Wonderful Collection of Pithy Stories
- By Joan Zak on 05-17-21
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Heavenly Date and Other Flirtations
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: various
- Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 25
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 13
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 13
Alexander McCall Smith, the New York Times best-selling author of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and the recipient of two Booker Judges' Special Recommendations, delivers an intriguing collection of stories about dating. The emotions in these tales run from the thrill of finding happiness to the humiliation and loneliness of rejection.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Not expected
- By Robin Nystrom on 07-09-07
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The Five Lost Aunts of Harriet Bean
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Charlotte Parry
- Length: 2 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 15
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 11
Nine-year-old Harriet Bean can't believe her ears. She has aunts - five of them! Why has her absent-minded father never mentioned them before? Armed with a faceless family portrait and musty old clues, Harriet begins the quest for her long-lost aunts. But are her detective skills sufficient to track down muscular Veronica.
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2 out of 5 stars
-
Surprised
- By J on 07-31-12
-
The Sunday Philosophy Club
- An Isabel Dalhousie Mystery
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Davina Porter
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 904
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 584
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 578
New York Times best-selling author Alexander McCall Smith, winner of the first-ever Saga Award for Wit, has entertained millions with his beloved No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency mysteries. Now this phenomenally popular author introduces a fresh series, brimming with the charm and humor his stable of dedicated fans can't get enough of.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Advice For Prospective Listeners
- By DCinMI on 02-18-13
-
Conditions of Unconditional Love
- Isabel Dalhousie, Book 15
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
Isabel Dalhousie, everyone's favorite moral philosopher, is once again called on to help navigate a decidedly delicate dispute with all of the insight and compassion she has become known for. What makes Isabel's investigations so unique is her uncanny ability to view all sides of a situation with coolness and reserve — and she will tap deep into her stores of both in order to help see this one through. Meanwhile, Isabel and her husband Jamie will together be dealing with tricky personal issues of their own.
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Sense & Sensibility
- By: Joanna Trollope
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 91
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 84
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Story4 out of 5 stars 84
Elinor Dashwood, an architecture student, values patience and reliability. Her impulsive sister, Marianne, takes after their mother, Belle, and is fiery and creative, filling the house with her dramas and guitar playing while dreaming of going to art school. But when their father, Henry Dashwood, dies suddenly, his whole family finds itself forced out of Norland Park, their beloved home for twenty years.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Was this Really Written by Joanna Trollope?
- By Beach Girl on 07-15-14
By: Joanna Trollope
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Akimbo and the Lions
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Alexander McCall Smith
- Length: 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 46
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 36
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36
When Akimbo and his park ranger father accidentally capture a lion cub, Akimbo decides to name it Simba and care for it. The two soon become inseparable. But when Simba grows too big, Akimbo must make the right choice for his wild friend.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great story
- By Karla on 04-05-20
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The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Lisette Lecat
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 5,671
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,830
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,832
Mma "Precious" Ramotswe sets up a detective agency in Botswana on the edge of the Kalahari Desert, making her the only female detective in the country. At first, cases are hard to come by. But eventually, troubled people come to Precious with a variety of concerns. Potentially philandering husbands, seemingly schizophrenic doctors, and a missing boy who may have been killed by witch doctors all compel Precious to roam about in her tiny van, searching for clues.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Transcends its Genre
- By Gene on 12-07-03
-
The Perfect Passion Company
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Amy Alexander
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 21
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 18
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 18
As the new manager of the Perfect Passion Company, Katie’s mission is to help the lonely hearts of Edinburgh. With the assistance of her amiable and handsome office neighbor, William, she finds herself using a personal touch to find matches for the city’s lovelorn citizens. When an airline pilot comes to her looking for a woman to take care of him, Katie sends him to cooking school. The case of a hotelier with a particularly overbearing mother may require a delicate two-pronged approach.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Cute story
- By Dolce Momento on 05-07-24
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The Pavilion in the Clouds
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: David Rintoul
- Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 79
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 59
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 59
It is 1938 and the final days of the British Empire. In a bungalow high up in the green hills above the plains of Ceylon, under a vast blue sky, live the Ferguson family: Bella, a precocious eight-year-old; her father Henry—owner of Pitlochry, a tea plantation—and her mother Virginia. The story centres around the Pavilion in the Clouds, set in the idyllic grounds carved out of the wilderness. But all is not as serene as it seems. Bella is suspicious of her governess, Miss White’s intentions.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Get Over It
- By SW Clemens on 12-28-22
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The Strange Case of the Moderate Extremists
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: David Rintoul
- Length: 2 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 95
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 81
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 80
Detective Ulf Varg from the Department of Sensitive Crimes is often called upon to investigate unusual matters. But rarely is he asked to conduct an inquiry on behalf of his own family. Is such a thing ethical? Adding to Ulf's moral discomfort is the fact that he does not exactly see eye to eye with his younger brother Bjorn - a leading player in one of Sweden's right-wing parties, the Moderate Extremists. Still, family is family, so Ulf finds himself working to uncover the mole leaking secrets to a rival party, the Extreme Moderates.
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4 out of 5 stars
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I wanted to know who did what.
- By A. Bohn on 07-31-20
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The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency
- The Complete BBC Radio Series
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: full cast, Janice Acquah, Nadine Marshall, and others
- Length: 26 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 35
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 28
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 28
The complete BBC Radio adaptations of The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency featuring Botswana's only female private detective agency, run by the irrepressible Precious Ramotswe. Based on the hugely popular novels and brought to life with music and full casts, these evocative productions return us to Botswana, where Precious has more mysteries to solve.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic, an uplifting and joyous production
- By Victor @ theAudiobookBlog dot com on 01-05-23
What listeners say about La's Orchestra Saves the World
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- June W.
- 11-10-11
This quiet story stole my heart.
Totally different for AM Smith. I really loved this book. It is one that I told my friends about. Set in England during WW2, it is inspiring and lovely.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- J.
- 02-15-12
haunting, thoughtful
If you could sum up La's Orchestra Saves the World in three words, what would they be?
loads of atmosphere
If you’ve listened to books by Alexander McCall Smith before, how does this one compare?
musing, quiet, not as clever or rollicking as Scotland Street series -author and listener try hard to put themselves in the time and place
Which scene was your favorite?
rushing through the rain to the farm by bike - or perhaps the moment of looking up as the concert begins and there he is in the woodwind section
Who was the most memorable character of La's Orchestra Saves the World and why?
mostly told from La's point of view: she tries to understand everyone - farm folk were particularly nicely evoked
Any additional comments?
not nearly enough bookmark breaks for skipping forward and back in case you missed something: not even one per chapter, but something like one every eight chapters--drove me crazy!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Linda P-C
- 07-15-11
He's done it again!
I enjoy all of Alexander McCall Smith's books and decided to try this 'one off' novel. I'm SO glad I did! AMS has the gift of taking his reader wherever he wants them to be: a dusty town in the Botswana dry season, a back garden in an upscale neighborhood of Scotland, and now a country village in 1940's Sussex. I disagree with the review that said the music portions felt "bolted on" - as I believe that in a time of extended crisis the average person will either run around screaming about the sky falling, or will take a good grasp on the things in their lives that they CAN control. It may be music, or the vegetable garden (a necessity for many during those times of rationing), or even helping a disabled farmer continue to contribute to the war effort by caring for his chickens. To see how people are affected by those stressors all you have to do is look at the changed behavior of Americans in the days, weeks and months following 9/11 - and that was just one day of terror, not years of bombs falling out of the sky on a nightly basis.
So, he's done it again - the book is heartwarming and a nearly complete picture is painted of the charming Sussex village and the lonely young woman who finds herself there during a remarkable period of history.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- james david puckett
- 11-23-19
James
I just thought it was a great little story about the homefront in England during World War II and the narration was good also.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
- P. Chavez
- 02-11-10
B-O-R-I-N-G
I HAD TO WRITE A REVIEW BECAUSE I CAN'T BELIEVE ANYONE WOULD GIVE THIS BOOK 5 STARS! I loved the first three No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, after that they were still enjoyable, but gradually lost their spark. I was hoping that Smith would come roaring back with this new subject "La". Did the book ever begin? Was there a story worth writing anywhere in it? Nothing ever happened. What was there to like? I didn't even like "La". She could have opened up her home to people in need. But no, she was an aristocrat who tended chickens and thought herself noble for the effort. If you want to read an excellent story set in WW2, read "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society"
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3 people found this helpful