With his characteristic warmth,inventiveness and brilliant wit, Alexander McCall Smithgives us more of the gloriously entertaining comings andgoings at 44 Scotland Street, the Edinburgh townhouse.Six-year-old prodigy Bertie perseveres in his heroicstruggle for truth and balanced good sense against hisinsufferable mother and her crony, the psychotherapist DrFairbairn, going as far as to make a short-lived bid forfreedom on a trip to Paris with the Edinburgh youthochestra. Domenica sets off on an anthropological odysseywith pirates in the Malacca Straits, while Pat attractsseveral handsome admirers, including a toothsome suitornamed Wolf. And Big Lou, eternal source of coffee andgood advice to her friends, has love, heartbreak anderstwhile boyfriend Eddiers"s misdemeanours onher own mind.