Review: The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse

Every now and then McCall Smith makes a departure from his numerous series to write a one-off novel. I’m not sure these books are as successful as his others, but they always express the same sentiments: kindness is supreme, love conquers all!
I liked the main character Val who works at a local farm as a land girl in England during WWII. And of course she falls in love with Mike, an American aviator, stationed in England.
It’s not all smooth sailing for Val and her American pilot, who crash lands in enemy territory. However, he has Peter Woodhouse with him. Peter Woodhouse is a dog, and it’s this unusual companion that helps Mike make an unlikely friend and protector.
This is a novel about inhumane times, where the people involved behave in a very humane way. And this is why I love Alexander McCall Smith: he always sees the best in his characters, and his characters rise to the occasion, always following their internal moral compasses, and choosing the way of kindness and generosity. When I finish a novel by McCall Smith, it’s usually with a sense that there is still hope for the human race.

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• Alexander McCall Smith