Explore in ‘Chance Developments’ five charming and poignant short stories. I absolutely adore the premise for this little book and the stunning hardback cover made me ooh with delight. Alexander McCall Smith has imagined a background tale to the five black and white photos that appear at the beginning of each short story. The photos are eloquent and moving, the stories delve deeply into possibilities, love and friendship, joy and melancholy. From Sister Flora to a circus performer, each story is a small snapshot of what might have been, and as I read, I found myself drawn back to the photo, to look again and ponder. Alexander McCall Smith has transformed five forgotten photos into a discovery of delight. ~ Liz Robinson
Click here to read an exclusive interview with Alexander McCall Smith by Mary Hogarth.
A 'Piece of Passion' from the publisher...
'If you come across an old photograph what do you think about the people staring back out at you? Maybe that they are just anonymous people from another age, as if from another planet. Or do you, like McCall Smith, hear their voices, know their names, sense their hopes and dreams and imagine how their lives might have turned out.
Blessed with a wonderful, humane imagination, McCall Smith brilliantly constructs paths for these forgotten people - some joyous, others bumpy and winding, all with unexpected twists and turns.
An astonishing achievement: original and moving.' ~ Neville Moir, Editor of Chance Developments
Explore our '80+ Books That Deliver a Hug' listicle for more feel-good or uplifting books.
| Primary Genre | Romance / Relationship Stories |
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WITH A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR TO HIS CANADIAN READERSIt is said that a picture may be worth a thousand words but an old photograph can inspire many more. In this beguiling book, McCall Smith casts his eye over five ';orphaned' photographs from the era of black-and-white photography and imagines the stories behind them. Who were those people, what were their stories, why are they smiling, what made them sad? What emerges are surprising and poignant tales of love and friendship in a variety of settings an estate in the Highlands of Scotland, a travelling circus in Canada, an Australian gold-mining town, a village in Ireland, and the Scottish capital, Edinburgh. A dapper, roguish-looking man perching on a lady's knee sparks the story of a ventriloquist and an animal handler who work in a circus, and who, under the most delightfully unexpected circumstances, fall in love. The image of a woman haloed by light in a train station becomes the lighthearted tale of a nun's decision to leave the sisterhood and discover what and whom the big city has to offer. Some will find joy and fulfillment; others would prefer happier endings. Each of them, though, will find love, and that is ultimately what matters. Romantic, wistful and poignant, Chance Developments brims with flourishes of grace and humor that could only come from the pen of Alexander McCall Smith.From the Hardcover edition.
Chance Developments features in the following genres: eBooks of the Month, Family Drama, Modern and Contemporary Fiction, Shorter Reads, Romance / Relationship Stories, Fiction, Recommendations, General Fiction, Fiction: special features
Chance Developments is available in Paperback, Ebook, Hardback
Chance Developments was written by Alexander McCall Smith and published by Knopf Canada
£26.40
