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Look Inside | Reading Guide
Reading Guide
Jun 04, 2019 | ISBN 9780804169936 Buy
Jul 31, 2018 | ISBN 9780307908971 Buy
Also available from:
Available from:
Jun 04, 2019 | ISBN 9780804169936
Jul 31, 2018 | ISBN 9780307908971
As a full-time mother, wife, and editor, Isabel barely has any time for herself. When her husband, Jamie, suggests acquiring extra help, she reluctantly agrees and soon hires a new au pair, and an intelligent assistant editor. Both women, though, have romantic entanglements that threaten to interfere with their work, and Isabel must decide how best to navigate this tricky domestic situation. Meanwhile, Isabel makes the acquaintance of the single mother of one Charlie’s friends, who is raising her son without the help of his father, a well-known Edinburgh organist. When Isabel sees her in the company of an unscrupulous man, she must once again call on her kindness and keen intelligence to determine the right course of action, at home, at work, and in the schoolyard.
Isabel finds herself grappling with ethically-complex matters of the heart as she tries to juggle her responsibilities to friends, family, and the philosophical community. With two small boys to raise, a mountain of articles to edit for the Review of Applied Ethics, and the ever-increasing demands of her niece, Cat, who always seems to need a helping hand at the deli, Isabel barely has any time for herself. Her husband, Jamie, suggests acquiring extra help, and she reluctantly agrees. In no time at all, Isabel and Jamie have a new au pair, and Isabel has an intelligent assistant editor to share her workload. Both women, though, have romantic entanglements that threaten to interfere with their work, and Isabel must decide how best to navigate this tricky domestic situation. Can an employer ever inject herself into her employees’ affairs?Meanwhile, Isabel makes the acquaintance of Patricia, the mother of Charlie’s friend Basil. Though Isabel finds Patricia rather pushy, she tries to be civil and supportive, especially given that Patricia is raising her son on her own, without the help of his father, a well-known Edinburgh organist, also named Basil. But when Isabel sees Patricia in the company of an unscrupulous man, she begins to rethink her assumptions. Isabel must once again call on her kindness and keen intelligence to determine the right course of action, at home, at work, and in the schoolyard.
ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH is the author of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency novels and a number of other series and stand-alone books. His works have been translated into more than forty languages and have been best sellers throughout the world…. More about Alexander McCall Smith
Praise for The Isabel Dalhousie Series “Isabel Dalhousie is one of the most irresistible sleuths in modern fiction.” —Tucson Citizen “McCall Smith’s heroes are among the most enduring in contemporary fiction . . . because they’re so humble in their quest for goodness.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch “Readers get to soak up the cozy atmosphere of this Scottish university town and McCall Smith’s gentle good will.” —The Boston Globe “[Isabel] is by turns fearless, vulnerable, headstrong, and insecure, but always delightful.” —Chicago Tribune “Genteel wisdom-filled entertainment.” —Los Angeles Times “Lighthearted . . . spiced by McCall Smith’s own subtle humor.” —The Washington Times
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