The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse by Alexander McCall Smith, is set mainly during WWII and is a deceptively simple tale about love and life during wartime. The story is divided between three main characters: Valerie (Val) Eliot, a member of the Women’s Land Army; Mike Rogers, a US pilot; Ubi, a German soldier. Mike and Val meet and fall in love. When a sheepdog, curiously named Peter Woodhouse, is rescued from an abusive farmer, Val is determined to find him a safe home. Mike takes him to the American base where he quickly becomes mascot and even goes on flights with Mike. When Mike’s plane is brought down, Peter Woodhouse acts as catalyst to bring the American pilots together with Ubi, the young German soldier who never wanted to be one and he decides he will protect them.

As heartwarming as their romance is, I found Val and Mike’s separate stories more interesting. But it is the images of the deprivation caused by war first in Britain and later, of war torn Europe and the starvation and destruction that are seemingly all that remain of much of Germany that kept me reading long into the night. Smith also gives an interesting contrast between the later fortunes of Britain and Germany as Britain’s place in the world falls as Germany’s rises. As I said, this is a deceptively simple tale but it is this very simplicity that shows in stark relief the realities of war, the destruction, the deprivations, the pointless loss of lives, but, most of all, its futility.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>.

4.5 stars.
I was delighted to receive an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.

Alexander McCall Smith has been a longtime favourite author of mine, and he doesn’t disappoint. His style appears simple and I find all his books readable. His stories are comfortable and relaxing. It is a pleasure to get to know his characters, most are fundamentally good and likeable people. Some even lovable. Under the surface his writing contains much compassion, wit and wisdom with a gentle philosophy that gives the reader a lot to think about.

This story emphasizes love, loss,kindness and unlikely and enduring friendships. There is much that is heartwarming but also tragedy and heartbreak. There is also a theme of forgiveness.

The setting of this standalone novel is England two years into WW2, Occupied Holland and Germany after its defeat. Conditions. in Britain are grim with rationing and young able bodied men away engaged in war. Land girls are sent to help farmers plant and harvest their crops. Val is one of these young women. She lives with her Aunt Annie and a distant cousin Willy. Val rides her bicycle each day to work for Archie, a kindly elderly farmer and my favourite. A very good man.

Cousin Willy is a decent, helpful young man, but mentally slow. He works for a disagreeable farmer who mistreats his animals. One day Willy rescues a dog named Peter Woodhouse who is the target of cruel beatings. The dog becomes a connection between the story’s main characters.

America has joined the war and Val falls in love with a pilot stationed at the USA base. He is flying over Holland with the dog when his plane crashes in German occupied territory. They survive the crash and are hidden by locals. They are helped and saved by a young German soldier, Ubi, who also saves Peter Woodhouse after being ordered to shoot him.

We follow Ubi in the devastated Germany in the aftermath of the war. People are starving, buildings destroyed, at mercy of Russians bent on revenge. Ubi spends time as prisoner of war, then searches for any relative or friend who may have survived. The story takes us to the Berlin airlift.

I recommend this book to fans of McCall’s stories. Of all his many ongoing series, Scotland Street is my favourite.