New York Times Literary Treat of the Week!

Librarian Bob has reviewed this new novel which is highlighted in the NYT Book Review.



McCall Smith, Alexander. La's Orchestra Saves The World. Pantheon.

For the first time McCall Smith ventures into historical fiction to present another of his admirable female main characters. Meet La,
short for Lavender, an exception for her sex in pre-World War II Britain in that she was educated at Cambridge. La is forced into marriage even though her university tutor considers it a "criminal waste." The view proves prophetic when the husband runs off to France with his mistress. Left alone in the country, La first raises eggs and vegetables for the war effort. The egg role is soon taken over by Feliks, a Polish refugee that later is suspected of being a Nazi spy and for whom La develops feelings. Meanwhile, she organizes an amateur village orchestra whose time together stretches from the Battle of Britain to V-E Day. This is a timely addition to the McCall Smith gallery what with the recent inclusion of HBO's "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" on DVD at Merrick Library.