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44 Scotland Street #17
The Stellar Debut of Galactica MacFee
The latest installment in the warm and welcoming 44 Scotland Street series finds all our favorite residents of Scotland's most celebrated address navigating their enchanting and eventful lives.
Angus Lordie is approached in the park by a shadowy, Deep Throat-like figure with government secrets to share, who mistakes him for a journalist. Now, Angus is privy to some controversial plans of the Scottish Parliament—but just what is he meant to do about it? Elsewhere, Big Lou's husband Bob hires a personal trainer who changes his entire outlook on life, much to Lou's dismay. At the schoolhouse, young Bertie Pollock's class has a new ringleader, Galactica MacFee, who quickly comes between Bertie and Olive. All this proves too much for Bertie to bear, and he flees to Glasgow with best friend Ranald Braveheart MacPherson in tow. And the indomitable Irene again finds herself in Edinburgh...and it looks like there might be romance in the air.
Meanwhile, Matthew, too, is keeping busy. He invests in a brand new Pictish Experience Centre, meant to allow residents to experience what life was like for Scotland's mysterious early people, the Picts. And they may have made a fantastic discovery—the earliest known work of Scottish literature! But what exactly do those mysterious Pictish runes say? As always, McCall Smith draws on his seemingly unlimited stores of goodwill and generosity in describing the goings-on of this beloved cast of characters.
8 hrs. 24 min.
Angus Lordie is approached in the park by a shadowy, Deep Throat-like figure with government secrets to share, who mistakes him for a journalist. Now, Angus is privy to some controversial plans of the Scottish Parliament—but just what is he meant to do about it? Elsewhere, Big Lou's husband Bob hires a personal trainer who changes his entire outlook on life, much to Lou's dismay. At the schoolhouse, young Bertie Pollock's class has a new ringleader, Galactica MacFee, who quickly comes between Bertie and Olive. All this proves too much for Bertie to bear, and he flees to Glasgow with best friend Ranald Braveheart MacPherson in tow. And the indomitable Irene again finds herself in Edinburgh...and it looks like there might be romance in the air.
Meanwhile, Matthew, too, is keeping busy. He invests in a brand new Pictish Experience Centre, meant to allow residents to experience what life was like for Scotland's mysterious early people, the Picts. And they may have made a fantastic discovery—the earliest known work of Scottish literature! But what exactly do those mysterious Pictish runes say? As always, McCall Smith draws on his seemingly unlimited stores of goodwill and generosity in describing the goings-on of this beloved cast of characters.
8 hrs. 24 min.
267 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 14, 2024
205 people are currently reading
505 people want to read
About the author
Alexander McCall Smith
668 books12.7k followersAlexander McCall Smith is the author of the international phenomenon The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, the Isabel Dalhousie Series, the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, and the 44 Scotland Street series. He is professor emeritus of medical law at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and has served on many national and international bodies concerned with bioethics. He was born in what is now known as Zimbabwe and he was a law professor at the University of Botswana. He lives in Scotland. Visit him online at www.alexandermccallsmith.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 215 reviews
February 20, 2024
What a fabulous title for this seventeenth book in the 44 Scotland Street series. I have been reading this series since it began and what a lot has changed for some of the characters.
I guess we have all been holding our breath and waiting for Bruce to revert to his unpleasant former character. Well so far, so good. He showed a very pleasant side of himself in this book. Not so Irene who I doubt will ever change much. Her feared return to Edinburgh features some really amazing moments. McCall Smith is always imaginative but this was just hilarious.
It was nice to see Olive suffering from a taste of her own medicine for a change, but poor Bertie and Ranald were dreaming about escaping to Glasgow even more than usual. I think just about every character in the series had a mention somewhere along the way and of course Angus finished the book with one of his famous poems. Just perfect.
I guess we have all been holding our breath and waiting for Bruce to revert to his unpleasant former character. Well so far, so good. He showed a very pleasant side of himself in this book. Not so Irene who I doubt will ever change much. Her feared return to Edinburgh features some really amazing moments. McCall Smith is always imaginative but this was just hilarious.
It was nice to see Olive suffering from a taste of her own medicine for a change, but poor Bertie and Ranald were dreaming about escaping to Glasgow even more than usual. I think just about every character in the series had a mention somewhere along the way and of course Angus finished the book with one of his famous poems. Just perfect.
May 12, 2025
I enjoyed the several chapters in the middle devoted to Bruce inspecting an investment property with his friends, Ben and Catriona, the most. While Bruce is perhaps less interesting now he can no longer be called 'Horrid' Bruce, I still enjoyed his observations as they poked about the property and grounds and discussed the Picts.
Other highlights are chapters including a close shave with Irene, and those which feature Bertie and his friends. As a side note: I'm not keen on the most recent narrator's pronunciation on Irene, which he reads as Irenee.
Quote: "Love requires no justification, no excuse, nor does kindness, which is at love's right hand."
Other highlights are chapters including a close shave with Irene, and those which feature Bertie and his friends. As a side note: I'm not keen on the most recent narrator's pronunciation on Irene, which he reads as Irenee.
Quote: "Love requires no justification, no excuse, nor does kindness, which is at love's right hand."
January 18, 2025
Another delightful installment in the 44 Scotland Street series. Reading one of these books is like meeting old friends for a nice chat and a hot cup of tea. I will never tire of these sweet, simple, uplifting stories.
June 10, 2024
I always enjoy Alexander McCall Smith and have followed the 44 Scotland St series from the beginning. But by this, the 17th in the series, we seem to have a familiar formula with few new developments and nothing substantially different.
There are the usual observations by the usual stalwart characters: “(Angus) thought: who is there today to speak out for love? Who is there today to say that we must love one another - we just have to?” P. 24, or
“…Big Lou was markedly unfashionable. She was never plagued by doubts. There was right and there was wrong, and she could not understand why some people found it difficult to distinguish between them. …but what if the zeitgeist was selfish, intolerant, and punitive…? Then somebody like Big Lou, with her constancy, respect for others and disinclination to demonise those with whom she happened to disagree, might seem a refreshing exception.” P 30-31
And then there are the usual exhortations to common sense. For example: “Chromosomes are nothing to do with moral worth, we might remind ourselves.” P. 117; and “Kindness is important, isn’t it, Bertie?” P. 250
And there are a few interesting plot twists such as Irene’s adventure with cold water therapy and Fat Bob’s accident.
There is nothing wrong with consistency. One often wishes to see more of it in the behavior of certain people. But overall, in this book it seems there is something missing. I could not tell you what. I still enjoy reading each of AMcCS’s series and have tremendous affection for most of the characters, but this particular book left me wanting something a bit more. It was almost boring, despite the diversion of a smattering of details like “foreign accent syndrome,” speculation about the Picts, a brief discussion of ferrets, etc.
Oh well.
There are the usual observations by the usual stalwart characters: “(Angus) thought: who is there today to speak out for love? Who is there today to say that we must love one another - we just have to?” P. 24, or
“…Big Lou was markedly unfashionable. She was never plagued by doubts. There was right and there was wrong, and she could not understand why some people found it difficult to distinguish between them. …but what if the zeitgeist was selfish, intolerant, and punitive…? Then somebody like Big Lou, with her constancy, respect for others and disinclination to demonise those with whom she happened to disagree, might seem a refreshing exception.” P 30-31
And then there are the usual exhortations to common sense. For example: “Chromosomes are nothing to do with moral worth, we might remind ourselves.” P. 117; and “Kindness is important, isn’t it, Bertie?” P. 250
And there are a few interesting plot twists such as Irene’s adventure with cold water therapy and Fat Bob’s accident.
There is nothing wrong with consistency. One often wishes to see more of it in the behavior of certain people. But overall, in this book it seems there is something missing. I could not tell you what. I still enjoy reading each of AMcCS’s series and have tremendous affection for most of the characters, but this particular book left me wanting something a bit more. It was almost boring, despite the diversion of a smattering of details like “foreign accent syndrome,” speculation about the Picts, a brief discussion of ferrets, etc.
Oh well.
April 9, 2024
“Bertie wanted only that people should be kind to one another; but they never were. That was not the way the world was, and sometimes, as he thought about it, his small soul, composed as it was of pure goodness, felt overwhelmed by the nature of the world in which he was obliged to live.”
The Stellar Debut of Galactica MacFee is the seventeenth book in the popular 44 Scotland Street series by Scottish author, Alexander McCall Smith. The audio version is narrated by David Rintoul. Fans will welcome another update in the lives of the residents of 44 Scotland Street, their families, friends and associates.
Does Irene Pollock’s part-time return to Edinburgh spell the end of fun for Bertie? Luckily, Stuart’s mother, Nicola is still very much in the picture Irene almost doesn’t make it back when she partakes in cold water therapy on her own. As Irene is being sized up for the role of a fisherman’s wife in Peterhead, back in Edinburgh Nicola Pollock guiltily enjoys composing an obituary.
Seven-and-a-half-year-old Galactica MacFee arrives in Miss Campbell’s class from Stirling: the very self-assured daughter of snobbish Georgina and her neurologist husband. Galactica seems to have her life neatly mapped out, and has a criticism for everyone she meets. Bertie watches her interaction with the imperious Olive and her loyal lieutenant Pansy: trouble on the horizon!
While walking Cyril in Drummond Place Gardens late in the evening, a case of mistaken identity sees Angus Lordie privy to confidential information from a whistle-blower. In lives that sometimes lack drama, it’s hard to reject such tidbits about possible city amalgamations, and car ferries that can’t reverse and have doors at only one end.
An innocent remark from young Finlay sees Fat Bob vowing to lose weight. A personal trainer assures him they will achieve their goal, but will he really have to give up Big Lou’s mouth-watering bacon rolls? An incident during his fitness regime results in a loss of dignity and consciousness, and another bizarre side effect.
Bertie makes a case for the reintroduction of wolves in Glasgow, and when his best friend, Ranald Braveheart MacPherson’s birthday party, with Galactica, Olive and Pansy in attendance, ends in disaster, when Bertie’s denial of his engagement results in an unpalatable outcome, escape to that favourite city seems the best option.
While Matthew and Elspeth consider themselves to be exceedingly lucky to be alive and living where they do, Elspeth does wonder if this, triplets and domesticity, is to be her life. Matthew and Bruce are tempted to invest in a project promoting Pictish History awareness, and are excited to uncover a stone tablet with Pictish writing. Feeling lonely, Bruce realises that he has nobody and “it’s your own fault for being in love with yourself for so long.”
Characters muse on or discuss plenty of topics: politically correct terminology on steroids; discuss stand-offishness to Glasgow in Edinburgh; that discourtesy and aggression seem to be infecting public life; novels aimed at specific gender readers; rules about Icelandic names for children; xenoglossy; the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation; and the possible amalgamation of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Matthew and Angus opine on conceptual art. Big Lou sympathises with the Scottish nudists: “…if you were a nudist, and you lived in Scotland, wouldn’t you complain? Temperature, rain, midges…” Matthew decides that “snorl” is one of those Scots words of which the general sense was completely, even if you had never encountered the word before and had no idea what it meant. As always, Sister Maria-Fiore dei Fiore di Montagna offers aphorisms at every opportunity, often banal and sometimes blindingly obvious, but which are kindly tolerated by all who hear them.
Tradition, about which Angus states “the safest thing to do is to continue it until it is shown to cause harm to others or to impede defensible progress”, states that the final pages offer the reader a thoughtful poem. It’s no surprise that this serial novel, with its gentle philosophy and often tongue-in-cheek humour, is still hugely popular after twenty years, and more instalments are eagerly awaited.
This unbiased review is from an audio copy provided by NetGalley and Bolinda Audio.
The Stellar Debut of Galactica MacFee is the seventeenth book in the popular 44 Scotland Street series by Scottish author, Alexander McCall Smith. The audio version is narrated by David Rintoul. Fans will welcome another update in the lives of the residents of 44 Scotland Street, their families, friends and associates.
Does Irene Pollock’s part-time return to Edinburgh spell the end of fun for Bertie? Luckily, Stuart’s mother, Nicola is still very much in the picture Irene almost doesn’t make it back when she partakes in cold water therapy on her own. As Irene is being sized up for the role of a fisherman’s wife in Peterhead, back in Edinburgh Nicola Pollock guiltily enjoys composing an obituary.
Seven-and-a-half-year-old Galactica MacFee arrives in Miss Campbell’s class from Stirling: the very self-assured daughter of snobbish Georgina and her neurologist husband. Galactica seems to have her life neatly mapped out, and has a criticism for everyone she meets. Bertie watches her interaction with the imperious Olive and her loyal lieutenant Pansy: trouble on the horizon!
While walking Cyril in Drummond Place Gardens late in the evening, a case of mistaken identity sees Angus Lordie privy to confidential information from a whistle-blower. In lives that sometimes lack drama, it’s hard to reject such tidbits about possible city amalgamations, and car ferries that can’t reverse and have doors at only one end.
An innocent remark from young Finlay sees Fat Bob vowing to lose weight. A personal trainer assures him they will achieve their goal, but will he really have to give up Big Lou’s mouth-watering bacon rolls? An incident during his fitness regime results in a loss of dignity and consciousness, and another bizarre side effect.
Bertie makes a case for the reintroduction of wolves in Glasgow, and when his best friend, Ranald Braveheart MacPherson’s birthday party, with Galactica, Olive and Pansy in attendance, ends in disaster, when Bertie’s denial of his engagement results in an unpalatable outcome, escape to that favourite city seems the best option.
While Matthew and Elspeth consider themselves to be exceedingly lucky to be alive and living where they do, Elspeth does wonder if this, triplets and domesticity, is to be her life. Matthew and Bruce are tempted to invest in a project promoting Pictish History awareness, and are excited to uncover a stone tablet with Pictish writing. Feeling lonely, Bruce realises that he has nobody and “it’s your own fault for being in love with yourself for so long.”
Characters muse on or discuss plenty of topics: politically correct terminology on steroids; discuss stand-offishness to Glasgow in Edinburgh; that discourtesy and aggression seem to be infecting public life; novels aimed at specific gender readers; rules about Icelandic names for children; xenoglossy; the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation; and the possible amalgamation of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Matthew and Angus opine on conceptual art. Big Lou sympathises with the Scottish nudists: “…if you were a nudist, and you lived in Scotland, wouldn’t you complain? Temperature, rain, midges…” Matthew decides that “snorl” is one of those Scots words of which the general sense was completely, even if you had never encountered the word before and had no idea what it meant. As always, Sister Maria-Fiore dei Fiore di Montagna offers aphorisms at every opportunity, often banal and sometimes blindingly obvious, but which are kindly tolerated by all who hear them.
Tradition, about which Angus states “the safest thing to do is to continue it until it is shown to cause harm to others or to impede defensible progress”, states that the final pages offer the reader a thoughtful poem. It’s no surprise that this serial novel, with its gentle philosophy and often tongue-in-cheek humour, is still hugely popular after twenty years, and more instalments are eagerly awaited.
This unbiased review is from an audio copy provided by NetGalley and Bolinda Audio.
January 20, 2024
A delight as always
I always look forward to the new ‘Bertie’ book and this did not disappoint.
I wonder if Bruce will revert to type in the next book?
Has Bertie ever got a chance of attaining the great age of 8?
Will Ranald ever learn to read?
These, and other philosophical questions await us all!!
I always look forward to the new ‘Bertie’ book and this did not disappoint.
I wonder if Bruce will revert to type in the next book?
Has Bertie ever got a chance of attaining the great age of 8?
Will Ranald ever learn to read?
These, and other philosophical questions await us all!!
January 16, 2024
This one started off slowly and I wasn't altogether sure I would like it. It was a bit more philosophical than usual and the individual exploits of the characters I love seemed to be sidelined. It picked up pace however and I ended up enjoying the stories. I am not sure how much gas this series has left but I will hopefully enjoy it while it lasts
June 20, 2024
I love this series, but this latest offering is lacking. It feels like the Reader’s Digest version of a longer version that is, unfortunately, not in existence.
I am happy to have been given my Scotland Street fix, but hope the next is more developed.
I am happy to have been given my Scotland Street fix, but hope the next is more developed.
January 27, 2025
Not enough Bertie, and, dare I say it, not enough Irene, the mother we love to hate.
Galactica’s end came very sudden, done iin a sentence or two, when her directorship of the play didn’t work.
I’ll still carry on reading this series, but with a heavy heart because the standard has definitely fallen.
Galactica’s end came very sudden, done iin a sentence or two, when her directorship of the play didn’t work.
I’ll still carry on reading this series, but with a heavy heart because the standard has definitely fallen.
August 16, 2024
4.5 stars, one of my all time favourite series. This is book #14 in the 44 Scotland Street series. A gifted writer, with a quirky, intelligent style.
January 10, 2024
Oh poor sweet Bertie. He's really stuck in it here. The book opens up promising for him with his mother going for a swim and being swept out to sea but finding herself being rescued by a fishing trawler. We then forget about her until much later on when everyone is both concerned but also hopeful that she might not come back. I'd say poor Irene but given what she has done I can't feel a lot of sympathy for her. But Bertie has to deal with a new classmate Galactica MacFee. Where do they find these names? Not only is she a pain to Bertie but she upsets both Olive and Pansy and manages to ruin poor Ranald's birthday party. Bruce and Matthew fund themselves investing in what they hope will be a look into the early Scottish people. A stone is uncovered with Pictish writing on it but the writing might not be as profound as they'd hoped and the investment might not be as successful and could lead them to ruin. Angus and everyone's favourite nun Sister Maria Fiore find themselves caught up in several clandestine meetings with someone hiding in the rhododendrons at Drummond Place Gardens claiming to be high up in the Scottish civil service. And finally we come back to Irene who's story takes yet another unexpected twist that no one saw coming. This was another sweet fun entry to this wonderful series. It's always like visiting friends and touring Edinburgh while reading through these pages.
June 11, 2024
Wow. McCall Smith continues his downward spiral with another disappointing installment. It seems as if he literally has no idea what to do with some of these characters. Bruce is a wet blanket. The plot that Angus gets involved with goes absolutely nowhere. The best part is Galactica herself - a new girl who finally gives Olive a run for her money.
September 30, 2024
I always enjoy reading about these characters and the situations they find themselves in. Sometimes the resolutions are unsatisfactory. I wish we would get a bit more information. I always enjoy the dialogue on so many unusual subjects. Do people really have conversations like these? I would love a peek inside the author’s mind
October 14, 2024
I got a little bored with this one.
November 23, 2024
3.5
Oh Bertie, I just love you.
Oh Bertie, I just love you.
August 4, 2024
As usual, the best of McCall Smith´s series. Apparently "light", but indeed full of thought provoking issues. Love, kindness,provocative yet tender, an absolute delight.
June 5, 2024
3.5 stars
A new student joins Bertie's school, causing disruptions in class and at Ranald Braveheart MacPherson's birthday party. How will his classmates (Larch, Moss, Tofu, Olive, Pansy, and Socrates Dunbar) react to the power struggle that will ensue?
Fat Bob falls off a treadmill and develops a strange side effect.
Bruce and Ben discover the first Pictish poem, which is oddly modern.
A new student joins Bertie's school, causing disruptions in class and at Ranald Braveheart MacPherson's birthday party. How will his classmates (Larch, Moss, Tofu, Olive, Pansy, and Socrates Dunbar) react to the power struggle that will ensue?
Fat Bob falls off a treadmill and develops a strange side effect.
Bruce and Ben discover the first Pictish poem, which is oddly modern.
May 25, 2024
As always, a comforting read, in this case, most especially because the dreaded Irene doesn't really return to the fold. For an author who portrays kindness as the greatest attribute, he does go on and on with digs at political correctness. Anything can be taken to an extreme, including complaints about what has been taken to the extreme.
August 17, 2024
I love love love this series, but this one was a disappointment, IMHO. Way too little Bertie snippets. Too much of unknown situations. Very little of Irene (the one you love to hate). I will continue to read them, but hope Bertie figures prominently in the next installment.
November 15, 2024
Setting: Edinburgh, Scotland; modern day.
Another excellent book in this series based around the lives and loves of the myriad characters living in and around Scotland Street in Edinburgh.
In this episode, Bertie's mother Irene is considering moving back to Edinburgh but is a more mellow person than before; Bertie has a new classmate, Galactica McFee, who seems to have the measure of his nemesis, Olive; Matthew and Bruce are considering investing in a project being planned by Bruce's former schoolfriend Ben; Big Lou's new husband, Fat Bob, decides to get fit and Angus and Cyril have an unexpected encounter in Drummond Place Gardens.
I am up-to-date with this series now, having started again at the beginning of the series in January - but no doubt the author has more titles planned as I can't see him leaving it at No.17! Another entertaining and light-hearted read - 9/10.
Another excellent book in this series based around the lives and loves of the myriad characters living in and around Scotland Street in Edinburgh.
In this episode, Bertie's mother Irene is considering moving back to Edinburgh but is a more mellow person than before; Bertie has a new classmate, Galactica McFee, who seems to have the measure of his nemesis, Olive; Matthew and Bruce are considering investing in a project being planned by Bruce's former schoolfriend Ben; Big Lou's new husband, Fat Bob, decides to get fit and Angus and Cyril have an unexpected encounter in Drummond Place Gardens.
I am up-to-date with this series now, having started again at the beginning of the series in January - but no doubt the author has more titles planned as I can't see him leaving it at No.17! Another entertaining and light-hearted read - 9/10.
September 6, 2025
I love this series. I have even visited Edinbrgh recently, in part because of this series.
Unfortunately, I was not as happy with this one as with most previous ones.
It felt the author had "phoned it in". There was not much of AMS's usual gentle humor. The beloved Bertie made very few appearances. Many other characters had settled in/got married/continued their lives as usual.
I will still gladly read/listen to anything by AMS but it begins to feel that he no longer has his heart in this series.
Unfortunately, I was not as happy with this one as with most previous ones.
It felt the author had "phoned it in". There was not much of AMS's usual gentle humor. The beloved Bertie made very few appearances. Many other characters had settled in/got married/continued their lives as usual.
I will still gladly read/listen to anything by AMS but it begins to feel that he no longer has his heart in this series.
July 4, 2025
I simply love the Scotland Street series of books. I started them many years ago and my Dad asked what I was laughing at.. I gave him the book when I was finished & he loved it too. My mum’s response was “no thank you, it’s set in Edinburgh “ 😆😆 They were both born and bred Glaswegians 😊
I adore Bertie and Bruce ( I too being a Morrisonian) but all the characters intrigue me & they never fail to make me laugh 🤭
I adore Bertie and Bruce ( I too being a Morrisonian) but all the characters intrigue me & they never fail to make me laugh 🤭
October 12, 2024
Well the young Miss Galatica certainly puts the cat amongst the pigeons. Another wonderful tale with Bertie. After a bit of cliff hanger with the last one and what will happen with his mother this one does not disappoint.
December 9, 2024
Enjoyed this one enormously. Alexander McCall Smith’s musings, expressed through his characters’ dialogues, are always a hopeful tonic for difficult times.
April 8, 2025
A delightful continuation of our meeting of friends in Scotland street and an unexpected romantic outcome for Irene, where she was literally swept away.
May 31, 2024
As delightful as usual with the 44 Scotland Street series!
May 19, 2025
As always, Alexander McCall Smith does not disappoint in telling the stories about the residents of Scotland Street.
Irene had a near death experience when she went swimming in the North Sea. Thankfully she was rescued by a fishing boat where she learned how to fillet fish. Her son Bertie battles on at school where he was the centre of attention by the new girl Galactica MacFee.
This was a very enjoyable read but it’s best to read the earlier books in the series first.
Irene had a near death experience when she went swimming in the North Sea. Thankfully she was rescued by a fishing boat where she learned how to fillet fish. Her son Bertie battles on at school where he was the centre of attention by the new girl Galactica MacFee.
This was a very enjoyable read but it’s best to read the earlier books in the series first.
April 9, 2024
“Bertie wanted only that people should be kind to one another; but they never were. That was not the way the world was, and sometimes, as he thought about it, his small soul, composed as it was of pure goodness, felt overwhelmed by the nature of the world in which he was obliged to live.”
The Stellar Debut of Galactica MacFee is the seventeenth book in the popular 44 Scotland Street series by Scottish author, Alexander McCall Smith. The audio version is narrated by David Rintoul. Fans will welcome another update in the lives of the residents of 44 Scotland Street, their families, friends and associates.
Does Irene Pollock’s part-time return to Edinburgh spell the end of fun for Bertie? Luckily, Stuart’s mother, Nicola is still very much in the picture Irene almost doesn’t make it back when she partakes in cold water therapy on her own. As Irene is being sized up for the role of a fisherman’s wife in Peterhead, back in Edinburgh Nicola Pollock guiltily enjoys composing an obituary.
Seven-and-a-half-year-old Galactica MacFee arrives in Miss Campbell’s class from Stirling: the very self-assured daughter of snobbish Georgina and her neurologist husband. Galactica seems to have her life neatly mapped out, and has a criticism for everyone she meets. Bertie watches her interaction with the imperious Olive and her loyal lieutenant Pansy: trouble on the horizon!
While walking Cyril in Drummond Place Gardens late in the evening, a case of mistaken identity sees Angus Lordie privy to confidential information from a whistle-blower. In lives that sometimes lack drama, it’s hard to reject such tidbits about possible city amalgamations, and car ferries that can’t reverse and have doors at only one end.
An innocent remark from young Finlay sees Fat Bob vowing to lose weight. A personal trainer assures him they will achieve their goal, but will he really have to give up Big Lou’s mouth-watering bacon rolls? An incident during his fitness regime results in a loss of dignity and consciousness, and another bizarre side effect.
Bertie makes a case for the reintroduction of wolves in Glasgow, and when his best friend, Ranald Braveheart MacPherson’s birthday party, with Galactica, Olive and Pansy in attendance, ends in disaster, when Bertie’s denial of his engagement results in an unpalatable outcome, escape to that favourite city seems the best option.
While Matthew and Elspeth consider themselves to be exceedingly lucky to be alive and living where they do, Elspeth does wonder if this, triplets and domesticity, is to be her life. Matthew and Bruce are tempted to invest in a project promoting Pictish History awareness, and are excited to uncover a stone tablet with Pictish writing. Feeling lonely, Bruce realises that he has nobody and “it’s your own fault for being in love with yourself for so long.”
Characters muse on or discuss plenty of topics: politically correct terminology on steroids; discuss stand-offishness to Glasgow in Edinburgh; that discourtesy and aggression seem to be infecting public life; novels aimed at specific gender readers; rules about Icelandic names for children; xenoglossy; the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation; and the possible amalgamation of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Matthew and Angus opine on conceptual art. Big Lou sympathises with the Scottish nudists: “…if you were a nudist, and you lived in Scotland, wouldn’t you complain? Temperature, rain, midges…” Matthew decides that “snorl” is one of those Scots words of which the general sense was completely, even if you had never encountered the word before and had no idea what it meant. As always, Sister Maria-Fiore dei Fiore di Montagna offers aphorisms at every opportunity, often banal and sometimes blindingly obvious, but which are kindly tolerated by all who hear them.
Tradition, about which Angus states “the safest thing to do is to continue it until it is shown to cause harm to others or to impede defensible progress”, states that the final pages offer the reader a thoughtful poem. It’s no surprise that this serial novel, with its gentle philosophy and often tongue-in-cheek humour, is still hugely popular after twenty years, and more instalments are eagerly awaited.
The Stellar Debut of Galactica MacFee is the seventeenth book in the popular 44 Scotland Street series by Scottish author, Alexander McCall Smith. The audio version is narrated by David Rintoul. Fans will welcome another update in the lives of the residents of 44 Scotland Street, their families, friends and associates.
Does Irene Pollock’s part-time return to Edinburgh spell the end of fun for Bertie? Luckily, Stuart’s mother, Nicola is still very much in the picture Irene almost doesn’t make it back when she partakes in cold water therapy on her own. As Irene is being sized up for the role of a fisherman’s wife in Peterhead, back in Edinburgh Nicola Pollock guiltily enjoys composing an obituary.
Seven-and-a-half-year-old Galactica MacFee arrives in Miss Campbell’s class from Stirling: the very self-assured daughter of snobbish Georgina and her neurologist husband. Galactica seems to have her life neatly mapped out, and has a criticism for everyone she meets. Bertie watches her interaction with the imperious Olive and her loyal lieutenant Pansy: trouble on the horizon!
While walking Cyril in Drummond Place Gardens late in the evening, a case of mistaken identity sees Angus Lordie privy to confidential information from a whistle-blower. In lives that sometimes lack drama, it’s hard to reject such tidbits about possible city amalgamations, and car ferries that can’t reverse and have doors at only one end.
An innocent remark from young Finlay sees Fat Bob vowing to lose weight. A personal trainer assures him they will achieve their goal, but will he really have to give up Big Lou’s mouth-watering bacon rolls? An incident during his fitness regime results in a loss of dignity and consciousness, and another bizarre side effect.
Bertie makes a case for the reintroduction of wolves in Glasgow, and when his best friend, Ranald Braveheart MacPherson’s birthday party, with Galactica, Olive and Pansy in attendance, ends in disaster, when Bertie’s denial of his engagement results in an unpalatable outcome, escape to that favourite city seems the best option.
While Matthew and Elspeth consider themselves to be exceedingly lucky to be alive and living where they do, Elspeth does wonder if this, triplets and domesticity, is to be her life. Matthew and Bruce are tempted to invest in a project promoting Pictish History awareness, and are excited to uncover a stone tablet with Pictish writing. Feeling lonely, Bruce realises that he has nobody and “it’s your own fault for being in love with yourself for so long.”
Characters muse on or discuss plenty of topics: politically correct terminology on steroids; discuss stand-offishness to Glasgow in Edinburgh; that discourtesy and aggression seem to be infecting public life; novels aimed at specific gender readers; rules about Icelandic names for children; xenoglossy; the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation; and the possible amalgamation of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Matthew and Angus opine on conceptual art. Big Lou sympathises with the Scottish nudists: “…if you were a nudist, and you lived in Scotland, wouldn’t you complain? Temperature, rain, midges…” Matthew decides that “snorl” is one of those Scots words of which the general sense was completely, even if you had never encountered the word before and had no idea what it meant. As always, Sister Maria-Fiore dei Fiore di Montagna offers aphorisms at every opportunity, often banal and sometimes blindingly obvious, but which are kindly tolerated by all who hear them.
Tradition, about which Angus states “the safest thing to do is to continue it until it is shown to cause harm to others or to impede defensible progress”, states that the final pages offer the reader a thoughtful poem. It’s no surprise that this serial novel, with its gentle philosophy and often tongue-in-cheek humour, is still hugely popular after twenty years, and more instalments are eagerly awaited.
June 17, 2025
Somewhat disappointed in this one. The stories were very thin and there were a couple of plot lines that were just left hanging. I’d much rather wait longer for a more mature story on Bertie and his friends and family than have this, tbh.
I also don’t understand why we can’t have Bertie growing up more. Surely the character and the story deserve so much more development, with Bertie et al moving on to far more complex situations and feelings. I’ve seriously considered stopping reading this series now. Perhaps one more to see if it improves. Otherwise. It has been a very series overall. (Never forgetting that I actually walked in heavy rain to Scotland Street when I visited Edinburgh. So the series has meant that much to me.)
I also don’t understand why we can’t have Bertie growing up more. Surely the character and the story deserve so much more development, with Bertie et al moving on to far more complex situations and feelings. I’ve seriously considered stopping reading this series now. Perhaps one more to see if it improves. Otherwise. It has been a very series overall. (Never forgetting that I actually walked in heavy rain to Scotland Street when I visited Edinburgh. So the series has meant that much to me.)
December 17, 2023
Another highly entertaining and yet warm-hearted visit with the residents of Scotland Street. Will Irene come back to Scotland Street? Does anyone actually wish she would? How is Bruce getting on since becoming a changed man after his lightning strike and subsequent stay at a monastery? And who is this new classmate of Bertie’s, and challenger to Olive, Galactica MacFee? Will Bertie and Ranald Braveheart MacPherson finally get away from all their seven-year-old problems by running off to Glasgow, the promised land? What deep wisdom will Sister Maria-Fiore dei Fiori di Montagna impart? And what’s this about discovering the oldest Scottish poem on a rock at a proposed Pictish tourist attraction?
Each new installment has become an eagerly anticipated autumn tradition for me. As always, the characters and philosophy drive the story, not so much plot (though there are plenty of interesting happenings here). And that’s part of why I love Alexander McCall Smith.
Each new installment has become an eagerly anticipated autumn tradition for me. As always, the characters and philosophy drive the story, not so much plot (though there are plenty of interesting happenings here). And that’s part of why I love Alexander McCall Smith.
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