Pianos and Flowers is a collection of the sort of vignettes and whimsical recountings for which Alexander McCall Smith is world renowned. Originally released in 2019, this reformat and re-release from Knopf Doubleday on their Pantheon imprint was released 19th Jan 2021. It's 192 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

For all the fans of Madame Ramotswe, Isabel Dalhousie, Bertie, and the gang at 44 Scotland Street, and his other kindly and gently written characters, this is something a little bit different. The author accessed photos from the archives of the Sunday Times and wrote a series of short vignettes inspired by the tableaux presented. They're whimsical and engaging, but not precisely the same humorous and gentle lyrical style of his better known series.

It's a fascinating idea for a writing prompt. Find a vintage photo and write a story. Maybe something for writers groups to consider or for NaNoWriMo.

There are 14 stories in all, a few were previously published in the Sunday Times, the rest are new (according to the author's note). They're a varied lot, most were engaging, a few were indifferent, and none were unappealing. I would definitely recommend it for library acquisition or for die-hard fans of the author's oeuvre. The vintage photos also added a lot to the read.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I am not one who reads a lot of anthologies or short stories, but this appealed to me. It was an interesting group of stories written by imagining the stories behind the people in a photograph. As with any anthology, some were better than others. This book contains 14 stories a various types. There was humour, drama, romance, friendship, family and business. I think the story I liked the best is the one I still think about. There was a picture of seven boys and it is sad, melancholy and a bit tragic. This is a collection of stories about everyday people and their everyday lives. It is not going to be for everyone, but is was definitely an interesting collection that I read off and on over a few weeks. A great premise.

Cute and clever. I liked all the stories and the pictures were an added bonus. Nice to see a different type of book for this author!

I hate to do this but I have to DNF this book. I love much of Alexander McCall Smith’s writing but some of his books leave me cold and this book is one of those. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to give it a try but it just wasn’t for me.

A beautiful book, a lovely set of characters richly drawn as always by McCall Smith in his inimitable fashion. A book to savour and dip into again and again.

Very enjoyable read. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC

Pianos and Flowers is a collection of fourteen stories inspired by photos from the Times of London archives The author takes us behind the scenes to learn the true stories behind the people in the pictures. The pictures were all taken in the 20th Century. The people in the stories vary in age, ethnicity, relationships and values. One family is fractured when war comes to their town. Other individuals find love. One set of twin sisters have an unusual twist ion their joint wedding day. These are interesting human stories. I recommend this book.

This was such an interesting concept and imaginative endeavor for Alexander McCall Smith. My hat is off to him for this brilliant and creative collection of short stories inspired by photographs in The Sunday Times archives. As we have always known, every picture tells a story, and what a pleasure to have someone of Mr. Smith's caliber and intelligence create fictitious stories for these old photos. Sometimes his insight paralleled mine, and sometimes we were going down a different path at interpreting the photos, thus creating a joyful reading experience and a wonderful book that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Another sweet book by Alexander McCall Smith. These are short stories inspired by old photographs (the second book he has written using this format). I thoroughly enjoyed it. His writing always feels like spending time with a friend.

A delightful collection of stories and photographs from the author of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, imagining the lives and loves of everyday people in the twentieth century

Pictures capture moments in time, presenting the viewer with a window into another life. But a picture can go only so far. Who are the people in the image? What are their fears? What are their dreams?

I wondered how much Alexander McCall Smith knew about photography, at first glance they may appear to represent small moments, these photographs in fact speak volumes, uncovering possibilities of love, friendship, and happiness. With his indomitable charm, Alexander McCall Smith takes us behind the lens to explore the hidden lives of those photographed; in so doing, he reveals the humanity in us all.

What a marvellously prolific writer Mr McCall Smith is! This is his second book of short stories inspired by old photographs, and a charming collection it is. I must confess that the Scotland Street books are my favourites, but I am always happy to read other works from this author.
Thanks to the publisher for a review copy.

From the publisher, “In these delightful stories, McCall Smith imagines the lives and loves behind some of the everyday people featured in the Sunday Times photographic archive.” A photograph, unmarked, undated. McCall Smith imagines ordinary lives. As expected, the stories are clean and the characters are mostly kind.

The stories are short, more of a magazine length – which was a nice change of pace from reading novels. Some stories are tender, others more detached with social commentary on a forgotten era. Some went in surprising directions – that spurred my imagination to see what I would have come up with. Most of the tales are light with an old-fashioned touch of wistfulness. Perhaps a little more whimsy would have invited me in more.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of Alexander McCall Smith’s short story collection, Pianos and Flowers: Brief Encounters of the Romantic Kind, in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a huge fan of Smith’s The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series and I was thrilled to have the chance to review his latest short story collection. In Piano and Flowers, Smith uses vintage photographs ( shown at the start of each story) as an inspiration for his fictional tales. The concept is interesting and a majority of the stories went a completely different direction than I anticipated.

I enjoyed the story about a woman living and working in London, who has an instant connection with a man that she meets. She gives him her address and when he fails to contact her, she leaves notes at an Egyptian statue that he mentioned as a spot he loves to visit. Time passes and she becomes engaged to a stable, yet far less exciting man, yet she never loses hope for the brief encounter that sparked so much passion. This beautiful story has a tone of longing and hope.

The other stand-out story involves a friendship between two boys that carries them through World War Two and adulthood. The opening of the story shows the boys at a hunting lodge that belongs to the family of the wealthier of the boys. We see the expectations that are placed on this child, yet the boy is very sensitive and uncertain. He is able to share this intimate aspect of his personality with his friend, the only person with whom he can truly let his guard down. It’s quite touching.

Overall, I was disappointed with the collection. A majority of the stories failed to hold my interest. I was considering why and I think it may have to do with the very thing that makes me love The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series and its protagonist, Mma Ramotswe, which is a certain touch of sweetness that borders on unrealistic. Sure, Mama Ramotswe handles difficult cases and personal issues that are not trite, yet her stories usually end on an upbeat note, leaving readers happy. In Pianos and Flowers, Smith wraps up several of his stories in a similar manner, and in the short story format it felt rushed or too neatly resolved.

If you’re a fan of Smith’s you will want to read Pianos and Flowers, however, if you are new to his work, I would encourage you to start with one of his series. He is an excellent storyteller and master of creating memorable characters. I usually finish his stories feeling delighted, but I’m sad to report that Pianos and Flowers was not his best work.

This is an eclectic and entertaining collection of short stories, each one inspired by a photograph from The Times' archive; each one with a certain poignancy and with an interesting twist in the tail. They are beautifully written, and the only niggling criticism I have is that the same comment (from Homer) is given in two stories.
I had intended to read one story a night at bedtime, but I ended up having one very late night, because it was impossible to put down.
With thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for giving me a copy in exchange fo this honest review.

An interesting idea - McCall Smith takes photos from the Times of London's photo archive, all seemingly form the early to mid 20th century, and spins stories about the people in them. Most startlingly is that he spends most of his time on the people's interior lives, what thy were thinking and feeling before, during, and after the photographed moment, which is the one thing you can't at all get from the photos! Each of the protagonists have a rich interior life that often rubs up against the ways major British issues (of colonialism, war, social class, and tight social strictures) rub up against their individuality. McCall Smith does ramble a bit and many of his endings are just too pat, but the glimpses into the character's minds are delightful. Also, this is a very, very British book and if you don't care for Scotland or England you will likely quickly grow tired of it. But I have enough anglophile in me to say on the whole I really enjoyed this.

I loved this book. I have friends who are great Alexander McCall Smith fans, although I have been a sceptic forever. I picked up this book because it is a collection of short stories and that is a genre that I adore. Each story is prefaced by a photograph and the author seems to be telling the story behind the picture or of the people featured in it. I kid you not, I am still unsure whether this is entirely fiction or based on true stories, whether those pictures are actual pictures picked from an archive or from someone's photo album. The stories are short, atmospheric and extremely heart-warming. They are your slice of daily life genre and adorable.

Recommended strongly.

The concept of writing short stories based on old photos is fascinating. The stories are well written and I loved them.
Another excellent work by McCall Smith, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Well, what can I say. Reading Alexander McCall Smith is like having an endless conversation with a well-read, well-traveled kind, intelligent, educated, kind and wise person you have always wanted to be...

I do not usually read short stories. But I could not say no to my favourite writer. And they are amazing, each and every one of them. To make us stories so intricate, romantic, nostalgic, quirky and soulful just by looking at random old photos... a fairytale wizardly talent.

And as any other McCall Smith Book, Piano and Flowers are so very quotable.
-' Undesirables - he was undesirable for her at that time'
- 'She had drifted into something, in the way in which we are all capable of drifting into things, without any conscious assertion of will, any firm choice, because it is easy and we feel sorry for people and we cannot find a simple way of avoiding their emotional claims...

Piano and Flowers is a bedside table book. It is a book for coming back to, refer to, drink and inhale from. The stories in it are so intricate and so thought through that reader gets a backstory, a future story and relationship dynamics in a few short words...

Five stars...

Wonderful short stories to accompany the photos. The author created characters based on the photographs and I enjoyed seeing glimpses of characters from different walks of life.

Though I liked the first story, I was intrigued by Angela Littlewood and Captain Edmunds. I wish the author had written more about them.

Goodness but I loved this book! Such a lovely, gentle read and an intriguing proposition . The author was invited to write a series of short stories for The Times newspaper and suggested that the stories should be based on a selection of old photographs from the paper’s archives. Various charming black and white photographs were selected and stories woven around the characters in them. The stories are of varying length . Some are humorous, some quite moving and some leave you with something to think about long after you have finished reading. All in all a lovely way to while away a few hours.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me access to a digital copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for a review.

This was a delightful, quick, easy read!! The author finds old black and white photos and makes up a story about them. What a fun idea - and the stories are believable and uplifting.

I found this to be nice change to read between other longer books, so it took a while for me to finish, but it was worth the time.