44 Scotland Street 02 Espresso Tales

Alexander McCall Smith's many fans will be pleased with this latest installment in the bestselling 44 Scotland Street series. Back are all our favorite denizens of a Georgian townhouse in Edinburgh. Bertie the immensely talented six year old is now enrolled in kindergarten, and much to his dismay, has been clad in pink overalls for his first day of class. Bruce has lost his job as a surveyor, and between admiring glances in the mirror, is contemplating becoming a wine merchant. Pat is embarking on a new life at Edinburgh University and perhaps on a new relationship, courtesy of Domenica, her witty and worldly-wise neighbor. McCall Smith has much in store for them as the brief spell of glorious summer sunshine gives way to fall a season cursed with more traditionally Scottish weather.Full of McCall Smith's gentle humor and sympathy for his characters, Espresso Tales is also an affectionate portrait of a city and its people who, in the author's own words, "make it one of the most vibrant and interesting places in the world."From the Trade Paperback edition. Praise for Alexander McCall Smith’s......Page 3 Preface......Page 13 1. Semiotics, Pubs, Decisions......Page 19 2. Letting Go......Page 22 3. Narcissism and Social Progress......Page 25 4. On the Way Back to Scotland Street......Page 28 5. All Downhill from Here......Page 32 6. Domenica Gets into Top Gear......Page 35 7. Anger and Apology......Page 38 8. An Exchange of Cruel Insults......Page 41 9. Sally’s Thoughts......Page 45 10. Bruce’s Plan......Page 49 11. A Bus for Bertie......Page 51 12. A Thin Summer......Page 55 13. Bertie’s List......Page 58 14. Pat and Bruce Work It Out......Page 61 15. Domenica Advises......Page 65 16. Bertie Goes to School Eventually......Page 68 17. Down Among the Innocents......Page 71 18. On the Way Home......Page 74 19. Matthew’s Situation......Page 78 20. Second Flowering......Page 82 21. Demographic Discussions......Page 85 22. Chow......Page 88 23. An Astonishing Revelation Is Almost Made......Page 92 24. Bruce Meets a Friend......Page 95 25. Agreement Is Reached......Page 98 26. Bertie’s Idea......Page 102 27. Socks......Page 105 28. Lonely Tonight......Page 108 29. At the Film Theatre......Page 111 30. At Big Lou’s......Page 115 31. Act and Omission......Page 118 32. The Two Wicked Uncles: Possible Solutions......Page 121 33. Bertie Makes a Move......Page 124 34. Bertie Prepares to Cross Dundas Street......Page 128 35. Halfway Across......Page 131 36. Ramsey Dunbarton......Page 134 37. The Ramsey Dunbarton Story: Part 1 – Early Days......Page 138 38. The Ramsey Dunbarton Story: Part 2 – Courting Days......Page 142 39. The Ramsey Dunbarton Story: Part 3 – Further Highlights......Page 145 40. Bertie’s Plan Is Launched......Page 148 41. Irene’s Plan for Bertie......Page 151 42. Bertie Escapes!......Page 154 43. Rugby!......Page 158 44. Going Back......Page 161 45. Dinner with Father......Page 165 46. The Language of Flowers......Page 168 47. Information......Page 171 48. Private Papers......Page 175 49. Australian Memories......Page 179 50. A Trip to Glasgow in the Offing......Page 182 51. On the Glasgow Train, a Heart Is Opened......Page 186 52. Arriving in Glasgow......Page 189 53. Lard O’Connor......Page 192 54. A Game of Cards and a Cultural Trip......Page 195 55. At the Burrell......Page 199 56. Domenica Meets Pat......Page 202 57. The Natural Approach......Page 205 58. Moray Place......Page 208 59. Robert Garioch......Page 212 60. The Ramsey Dunbarton Story: Part IV – Legal Matters......Page 215 61. The Ramsey Dunbarton Story: Part V – Johnny Auchtermuchty......Page 218 62. The Ramsey Dunbarton Story: Part VI – a Perthshire Weekend......Page 221 63. Bertie Receives an Invitation......Page 225 64. Bertie’s Invitation Is Considered......Page 228 65. Stuart Intervenes......Page 231 66. Tofu’s Party......Page 235 67. Bruce’s Enterprise......Page 238 68. A Petrus Opportunity......Page 241 69. The Best Laid Plans o’ Mice and Men......Page 244 70. Cyril Howls......Page 248 71. Crushed Strawberry......Page 251 72. Ink and the Imagination......Page 254 73. Wee Fraser Again......Page 258 74. The Wolf Man, Neds, Motherwell......Page 261 75. Cyril’s Moment of Glory......Page 264 76. Bruce Has Uncharitable Thoughts about Crieff......Page 267 77. Bruce Gets What He Deserves......Page 270 78. Old Business......Page 274 79. At the Gallery......Page 277 80. Dogs and Cuban History......Page 280 81. Havana......Page 284 82. A Great Sense of Purity......Page 287 83. In Moray Place Gardens......Page 290 84. The Memory of Pigs......Page 294 85. Encounter, Catharsis, Flight......Page 296 86. In the Café St Honoré......Page 300 87. Domenica Takes Food to Angus......Page 303 88. Bruce Reflects......Page 306 89. The Restoration of Fortunes......Page 309 90. Self-assertiveness Training for Civil Servants......Page 312 91. Stuart Paints Bertie’s Room......Page 316 92. Discussions Take Place Between Irene and Stuart......Page 319 93. The Gettysburg Address......Page 323 94. Bertie’s Dream......Page 326 95. The Wind Makes the Trains Sound Faint......Page 329 96. The Ramsey Dunbarton Story: Part VII – Bridge at Blair Atholl......Page 332 97. The Ramsey Dunbarton Story: Part VIII – I Play the Duke of Plaza-Toro......Page 335 98. Younger Women, Older Men......Page 338 99. Janis Exposed......Page 341 100. Big Lou......Page 344 101. In the Bookshop......Page 347 102. Matthew Thinks......Page 351 103. All Goes Well for Bruce......Page 354 104. Preparing Dinner......Page 357 105. Farewell......Page 360

new York Times Best-selling Author Alexander Mccall Smith, Creator Of The Beloved No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novels, Crafts The Second Irresistible Installment In His Scotland Street Series. Espresso Tales Follows The Charming And Immensely Popular 44 Scotland Street, As All The Favorite Residents Of That Edinburgh Address Return.

publishers Weekly

mccall Smith Is Such A Prolific Author That He Needs At Least Three Readers To Keep Up With Him. The Series That Transpire In Scotland Have Two Performers. Davina Porter Narrates The Sunday Philosophy Club Series While Mackenzie Performs The Series About 44 Scotland Street. Porter Is The Better Performer As She Catches The Various Cadences Of Edinburgh's Middle Class. Mackenzie's Characters Sound Pretty Much Alike In Terms Of Their Accents, With The Exception Of Angus's Hearty Brogue. Its Also Annoying That Some Of The Women Are Given The Same Tiny Voices Used For A Six-year-old Genius. Best Is Mackenzie's Over-the-top Enactment Of Lard, A Glaswegian Gangster And His Cohorts With Their Barely Comprehensible Street Slang And Thick Accents. The Major Problem With This Production Is The Lugubrious Pace Of The Narration. Although Espresso Tales Is The Second Book In A Series, The Audio Helpfully Provides Two Summaries Of Characters And Events At The Beginning. Despite The Reader's Lack Of Pep, The Author's Sly, Gentle Humor Shines Through And Makes This Audio Charming And Engaging. Simultaneous Release With The Anchor Paperback (reviews, May 22). (july) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

44 SCOTLAND STREET - Book 2 The residents and neighbors of 44 Scotland Street and the city of Edinburgh come to vivid life in these gently satirical, wonderfully perceptive serial novels, featuring six-year-old Bertie, a remarkably precocious boy—just ask his mother. Back are all our favorite denizens of a Georgian townhouse in Edinburgh. Bertie the immensely talented six year old is now enrolled in kindergarten, and much to his dismay, has been clad in pink overalls for his first day of class. Bruce has lost his job as a surveyor, and between admiring glances in the mirror, is contemplating becoming a wine merchant. Pat is embarking on a new life at Edinburgh University and perhaps on a new relationship, courtesy of Domenica, her witty and worldly-wise neighbor. McCall Smith has much in store for them as the brief spell of glorious summer sunshine gives way to fall a season cursed with more traditionally Scottish weather.Full of McCall Smith's gentle humor and sympathy for his characters, Espresso Tales is also an affectionate portrait of a city and its people who, in the author's own words, “make it one of the most vibrant and interesting places in the world.” It was a chance encounter with Armistead Maupin (of Tales of the City fame) in San Francisco which inspired Alexander McCall Smith to write his daily novel about the residents of 44 Scotland Street, a fictitious building in a real street in the author's home town of Edinburgh. With its multiple-occupancy flats, Scotland Street is an interesting corner of the city, verging on the Bohemian, where haute bourgeoisie rub shoulders with students and the more colourful members of the intelligentsia. The comings and goings at 44 Scotland Street first made their way into print in The Scotsman newspaper in the first half of 2004. Espresso Tales features further escapades from the fringes of the New Town which appeared in The Scotsman during 2005. This new novel gives Scotland Street aficionados a chance to catch up with the occupants of what must surely be Edinburgh's most well-known literary address, and to meet more of the inhabitants of this unique corner of the city The sequel to 44 Scotland Street continues to follow the residents of the converted Edinburgh townhouse, as young Bertie prepares for kindergarten, former surveyor Bruce contemplates a new career, and Pat embarks on a new life at the university