Book Review: La's Orchestra Saves the World

When I look for acceptable audio books, I often turn to Alexander McCall Smith. I absolutely love the narrator's accent in the Number One Ladies Detective Agency series. Lisette Lecat does such a fantastic job and I wouldn't have a clue about pronunciations of the Botswanan words or names. In La's Orchestra Saves the World, I revelled in the marvelous British accent of the narrator, Emily Gray. An excellent narrator can really turn a good book into a great book, in my opinion.

While I felt like Smith's series about the Scottish philosopher felt very similar in tone to the Number One Ladies Detective Agency books, this book was a welcome change of pace. The majority of the tale takes place during World War II. Smith tells the story of a young woman, La, who finds a place for herself after the unwelcome demise of a love relationship. She moves to a house in the country and begins to do her small part in helping with the war effort. Although it is not a plot-driven book, it ambled at an enjoyable pace and really held my interest. La proved to be an interesting character. I would have loved for the book to have continued on even further. Another masterpiece by Alexander McCall Smith!