La’s Orchestra Saves the World by Alexander McCall Smith

This is a new one by Alexander McCall Smith. There is a different setting to this book but the style is the same. It begins with 2 men motoring down to Suffolk to visit a cottage that holds some vague memories. They have come to view the place where La had lived for many years and hear about the orchestra that she had created. They hear the story of this orchestra and La from the people.

This time the setting is in Suffolk, where a young woman comes to get away from the painful experience of being left by her husband, who then dies. This is a story of the woman who leaves behind a fair city life in order to come to terms with the reality. Her father in law gives her this small cottage in the countryside to start a life of her own. The change is great and the details of these differences are brought out well by the author. She tries hard to fit into this small village. Then, of course, the war starts and she feels the need to contribute to the war effort. The story talks about what life was like at that time not only for England but also in this small sleepy corner of the country.

Into the story comes an army officer who was a friend of her cousin. He finds out that she works for a farmer looking after the chickens and that the farmer needs a handy man. Thus, enters the Polish airman who was not unable to fly due to injury, into the story. She likes the man, but is he really who he says he is? Meanwhile, speaking to her army friend she comes on to the idea of starting an orchestra. Get people who play instruments together, both from the locally based regiment and nearby Bury. This takes on a life of its own and people become involved and practice is every month and concerts are given with the ultimate aim of a victory concert when the war is won.

The gentle ups and downs of the life of La and the people she encounters are a pleasure to read. The story flows as life does without any effort. It holds up to the expectation one has of this author’s writing. Made me think, sitting in the garden in the shade on a warm summer day with a chilled glass of ginger beer and reading about how La’s orchestra saved the world, would be idyllic.