Fans of Alexander McCall Smith’s relaxed writing style will be pleased that a new stand-alone novel has been published. The Winds from Further West introduces us to Neil Anderson.
Anderson, mid-30s, has graduated in medicine, continued his studies and earned a PhD. He sees an advertisement in the New Scientist, attends an interview and accepts the offer of a position with the Edinburgh Research Institute.
The newly employed researcher meets Chrissie. She invites him to share her apartment and they drift into a relationship. He realises he’s attracted to her but is not smitten. She’s in love with him, but only for a few weeks. He arrives home to find Chrissie and her latest beau in their bed. He moves out.
When Anderson is not undertaking research at the Institute, he gives the occasional lecture to university undergraduates. A student misinterprets what Anderson says in a lecture and makes a complaint. Anderson is forced to resign.
The homeless, unemployed and woeful medically qualified researcher arrives on the Isle of Mull, just off the west coast of Scotland, to review what has happened and recover his equilibrium.
McCall Smith writes in such a way that characters can become our friends and we get upset when they get upset. This happens with Neil Anderson who, fortunately, works out how to bring the two events that befell him to a satisfying conclusion. Thank you, Alexander McCall Smith.
Reviewed by Clive Hodges
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sir Alexander McCall Smith, often referred to as ‘Sandy’, is one of the world’s most prolific and best-loved authors. For many years he was a professor of Medical Law and worked in universities in the UK and abroad before turning his hand to writing fiction. He has written and contributed to more than 100 books including specialist academic titles, short story collections, and a number of immensely popular children’s books. His first book, The White Hippo—a children’s book, was published by Hamish Hamilton in 1980.
But it wasn’t until the publication of the highly successful’ The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency’ series that Alexander became a household name. The series has now sold over twenty million copies in the English language alone, and since the books took off, he has devoted his time to writing.
In addition to his many series, Alexander has written a number of stand-alone novels and short story collections, including , The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse, My Italian Bulldozer, The Second Worst Restaurant in France, Fatty O’Leary’s Dinner Party, Chance Developments and Pianos and Flowers, The Exquisite Art of Getting Even and The Private Life of Spies.
Earlier stand alone books include Trains and Lovers: A Heart’s Journey; The Forever Girl; La’s Orchestra Saves the World; and Emma—a reworking of the classic Jane Austen novel.
He has also authored many non-fiction titles, the latest of which are A Work of Beauty: Alexander McCall Smith’s Edinburgh and What W.H. Auden Can Do For You.
In 2015, Alexander started a new (and subsequently very successful children’s series) — The School Ship Tobermory. There are now four books in the series. This increased the number of children’s books he has written to more than thirty.
Alexander has received numerous awards for his writing and holds twelve honorary doctorates from universities in Europe and North America. In 2007 he received a CBE for services to literature and in 2011 was honoured by the President of Botswana for services through literature to the country. In 2015 he received the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction and in 2017, The National Arts Club (of America) Medal of Honor for Achievement in Literature. In 2020, he received the honorary fellowship of the FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival. And in 2022 he received the Lifetime Achievement in the Saltire Literary Awards. In 2024, he was honoured as Knight Bachelor by His Majesty King Charles III for services to literature, academia and charity.
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