I generally enjoy Alexander McCall Smith's books a great deal. I found the beginning of this one disappointing, though. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to actually finish reading it, but it picked up. I really enjoyed most of the book and loved the ending. So, don't get discouraged if you find the beginning uninteresting or slow and keep at it!
This book tells the story of La (short for Lavendar) a youngish woman who ends up living in the country in Suffolk at the start of WWII. It tells about her "war work," taking care of hens for a local arthritic farmer and starting a small amateur orchestra for the nearby air base and the local villages. It is very compelling and I really enjoyed seeing a different perspective of the war. It does begin with a chapter from the future and then flashback to the actual story. Sometimes that works, but it isn't the best in this particular story. I actually read parts of the first chapter after I finished the book, and that worked better for me. The ending is clever the way it is, and I understand they wanted you to know what happened after that, but I do think the editing could have been managed better.
La's Orchestra is completely clean and appropriate for all readers.
It is a fairly quick charming read (once you get past the beginning chapters) and worth your time.
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