The Winds from Further West Alexander McCall Smith 2024, 272 pgs., Polygon pub.
Every once in a while, even the most avid book lover will long for a quick and easy read, so long as the author is skillful and there is at least a modest message in the prose. Alexander McCall Smith is such a writer. Many readers will recall his series about a woman detective in Botswana, written in a style that is charming, capable of portraying a society different from our own, indulging in a wry humor, and at the same time delivering a gentle moral lesson.
Smith himself is a Scotsman. In fact, he has written a different series about a Scottish woman detective, also warm and inviting but not silly.
In addition, he has written a number of stand-alone novels, the latest one recently published. Its main character, Neil, is a physician working in a lab and teaching medical students at a research institute, a place where politics prevail and the new boss has proved herself manipulative, deceitful, and vindictive. Most of Neil’s colleagues prefer to go along with her demands rather than risk losing their jobs. When a false accusation is made against Neil, he resigns rather than fight the battle that would inevitably follow.
Neil has a gay friend, another physician, very loyal but also very combative; he urges a legal confrontation and feels Neil is taking the coward’s way out. He also offers Neil the use of his seaside cottage on the island of Mull off the coast of Scotland for a period of recovery and rumination. On the island Neil discovers a different way of life which immediately appeals to him. It is slower and simpler and seems devoid of political underhandedness; the people he meets are straightforward and honest, warm-hearted and generous–paragons of virtue. In the meantime, hints appear which indicate that Neil’s live-in lady friend is in cahoots with the nasty boss. It is a dilemma for our hero, and the outcome is interesting.
The book has its shortcomings; it is no Nobel prize winner. The villains are slimy human beings through and through, the island people are almost too good to be true, the resolution seems pretty quick and easy. But there is something to be said for a gentle tale that presents intrigue without violence and helps the reader recognize that there are different styles of courage. There are many sub-issues in the plot, reflecting modern times and present-day strains and stresses, but there is also an endearing old-fashioned patriotism which shines through the prose. Smith clearly loves his country with all its flaws, particularly the seacoast, which he describes in loving detail. This book makes you want to get on the next plane to Edinburgh, and from there on the next boat to Mull!