The Geometry of Holding Hands (Isabel Dalhousie #13)

The Geometry of Holding Hands is the 13th Isabel Dalhousie novel by Alexander McCall Smith. Due out 28th July 2020 from Knopf Doubleday on their Pantheon imprint, it's 240 pages and will be available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is such a gently written, slow, introspective series. The main character is a philosopher and the books more or less revolve around her life and experiences and the lives of the people in her orbit: her husband Jamie, her sons Magnus & Charlie, her niece Cat, her housekeeper/factotum/nanny Grace and others who live in the village and/or academic colleagues. The narrative moves along quite slowly and the overall effect is of a long and unhurried chat with an old friend.

It's not necessary to have read the books in order, however, the large changes which occur (marriage, children, etc) will be obvious if they're read out of order.

Especially with the desperate struggles, illnesses, upheavals, and sadness which seem universal in the world right now, this series and these characters are a balm to the soul. It's full of music, food, and Scottish sensibility. Wonderful.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.