Book: Bertie Plays the Blues by Alexander McCall Smith

I am a fan of Mr. Smith and this is the first of the 44 Scotland Street novels I've read. It's one more tale about a group of people / neighbors / acquaintances living in Edinburgh.

Bertie is a precocious young lad with a Tiger Mom mother which is why Bertie can play the saxophone….the blues… "In the background, drifting through from Bertie's room, they heard the sound of the saxophone. The blues, sad, haunting music - even when played by a small boy; but this was no average small boy, this was Bertie, who had had so much to worry about in his short life; who wanted only to have fun, to explore the world, to do the things he had seen other boys do; who wanted to wear jeans rather than pink dungarees; who wanted a a dog; who wanted to play rugby and cricket and have a bicycle with racing handlebars; who did not want to talk Italian and have psychotherapy; who waned to drink Irn-Bru and go fishing in he Pentlands; who wanted so much and had, it seemed to him, so little."

Angus and Domenica live in the same building and are having a dinner party. "Halfway through, Angus slipped out to check up on Cyril, who was waiting outside on the landing. Cyril's personal hygiene issues made it impossible for him to attend dinner parties in person, but he had been given a bone, and was happy with that, as most dogs are - and people, too, when the bone is metaphorical. Angus discovered that Bertie had heard Cyril barking and was sitting on the steps beside him, in his pajamas and dressing gown." To me, this is so sweet...

Mr. Smith must write as easily as he breathes. He is prolific and in addition to the 44 Scotland Street Series, he writes The Corduroy Mansion series; The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series (set in Botswana); The Isabel Dalhousie Novels; The Portuguese Irregular Verb Series plus a few other titles.

Just the thing when the mind is tired and in need of gentling…his writing is soothing, funny, smart and affirmative.