The Pavilion in the Clouds (paperback)
ISBN:
9781846975868
Publisher:
Polygon
Publication Date:
7 April 2022
Now available in paperback- The Pavilion in the Clouds, a new stand-alone novel from the master storyteller.
It is 1938 and the final days of the British Empire. In a bungalow high up in the green hills above the plains of Ceylon, under a vast blue sky, live the Ferguson family: Bella, a precocious eight-year-old; her father Henry – owner of Pitlochry, a tea plantation – and her mother Virginia. The story centres around the Pavilion in the Clouds, set in the idyllic grounds carved out of the wilderness. But all is not as serene as it seems. Bella is suspicious of her governess, Miss White’s intentions. Her suspicion sparks off her mother’s imagination and after an unfortunate series of events, a confrontation is had with Miss White and a gunshot rings off around the hills.
Years later, Bella, now living back in Scotland at university in St Andrews, is faced, once again with her past. Will she at last find out what happened between her Father and Miss White? And will the guilt she has lived with all these years be reconciled by a long over-due apology?
Reviews
‘The ever fecund Alexander McCall Smith continues to surprise as well as please… This is one of the most enjoyable of his many enjoyable novels’
ALLAN MASSIE, THE SCOTSMAN
‘This utterly engaging standalone novel shimmers with atmosphere and family tension… a stirring, evocative psychological mystery set in 1938 as the British Empire limps through its final days’
LOVEREADING.CO.UK
‘Strong characters and beautiful settings, from the mountainous tea plantation in Ceylon to the rolling hills of the Scottish countryside’
ASIAN REVIEW OF BOOKS
‘Tinged with humour, this enigmatic and hauntingly hope-filled tale is inspired by McCall Smith’s many trips to the now Sri Lanka and his keen interest in pioneering fellow Scots such as Thomas Lipton, who made the tea industry what it is today… Although set in the past, The Pavilion In The Clouds, has profound resonance today’
SUNDAY POST
‘Most of the historical novels I review are so unrelentingly dark or dramatic that it makes a nice change to read one with so many touches of gentle humour… The characters are so well observed that I had to remind myself that the book is written by a man from a mostly female perspective, because he captures the nuances of female interactions so well’ Recommended
Historical Novel Society
‘A window to an era when the British knew the time had come for them to leave’
MintLounge
‘A new and exciting enigma’ FOUR STARS
Scottish Field
‘Insightful, sometimes poignant and often humorous, whether his setting is in present day London, Edinburgh, Botswana or pre-war Ceylon, McCall Smith’s grasp of people and relationships is superb’
Good Reads, 5 stars
‘Exceptional read… a journey of mistrust and forgiveness. A story of loss, finding oneself and love’
Amazon, 5 stars