The Forgotten Affairs of Youth: 8 (Isabel Dalhousie) - Softcover

McCall Smith, Alexander

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0307739406 ISBN 13: 9780307739407

Publisher: Anchor Books, 2012

Synopsis

ISABEL DALHOUSIE - Book 8

Nothing captures the charm of Edinburgh like the bestselling Isabel Dalhousie series of novels featuring the insatiably curious philosopher and woman detective. Whether investigating a case or a problem of philosophy, the indefatigable Isabel Dalhousie, one of fiction's most richly developed amateur detectives, is always ready to pursue the answers to all of life's questions, large and small.

In this eighth installment in Alexander McCall Smith's captivating Isabel Dalhousie series, our irrepressible heroine tries to untangle complex questions about both the past and the present.

Isabel's new friend Jane Cooper, a visiting Australian philosopher who was adopted as a small child, has come to Edinburgh searching for information about her biological father. Naturally, Isabel is more than happy to offer her services. At the same time, she must find time for her own concerns: her young son Charlie, who's leaving babyhood further behind each day; her housekeeper Grace, who has recently begun getting financial advice from her spiritualist; her niece Cat, who's in a new relationship, and the most pressing question of all: when and how Isabel and Jamie will finally get married. As she investigates the forgotten affairs of youth Isabel begins to wonder what those affairs lead to in the present, and in the process she discovers a whole new understanding of the meaning of family.

About this title

Product Description:

The Forgotten Affairs of Youth In this latest installment of the beloved Isabel Dalhousie series, our inquisitive heroine helps a new friend discover the identity of her father. Isabel and her fianc know who they are and where they come from. But not everybody is so fortunate. Full description

Review:

"Entertaining and enchanting reading about characters you think you know--and wish you did." --Las Vegas Review Journal

"Dalhousie [is] back in true form. . . . An endearing, intelligent and kindly character." --The Charleston Post & Courier

"Readers get to soak up the cozy atmosphere of this Scottish university town and McCall Smith's gentle good will." --The Boston Globe

"A real treat." --The Plain Dealer

"Subtle, surprising, and incisive." --Sacramento Book Review

"You don't read these books to find out 'who done it, ' you read them for the pleasure of spending a few hours following a sensitive, intellectual woman as she roams around Edinburgh speculating ingeniously about everything from moral responsibility to aesthetics and metaphysics." --BlogCritics

"McCall Smith's latest novel featuring the wise but impish Edinburgh philosopher Isabel Dalhousie. . . . [And] countless small adventures and gentle observations." --The Toronto Star

"Totally absorbing. . . . Isabel is everything you'd want in a philosopher, but she is also quirky and witty." --Booklist (starred review)

"You needn't be a series-long admirer of Isabel Dalhousie to be beguiled by this curious philosopher and casual sleuth. . . . A heroine worth following." --Publishers Weekly

"McCall Smith's talent for dialogue is matched only by his gift for characterization. It's hard to believe that he could make up a character as complex and unique as Isabel. She is by turns fearless, vulnerable, headstrong, and insecure, but always delightful." --Chicago Tribune

"Endearing. . . . Offers tantalizing glimpses of Edinburgh's complex character and a nice, long look into the beautiful mind of a thinking woman." --The New York Times Book Review

"In Mma Ramotswe, [McCall Smith] minted one of the most memorable heroines in any modern fiction. Now, with the creation of Isabel Dalhousie, he's done it again. . . . She's such good company, it's hard to believe she's fictional. You finish [one] installment greedily looking forward to more." --Newsweek

"Isabel is a force to be reckoned with."--USA Today

About this edition

• Publisher: Anchor Books
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0307739406
• ISBN 13: 9780307739407
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288