The Winds from Further West is Alexander McCall Smith's latest standalone novel, following public health professor Neil as his life falls apart in Edinburgh and he rebuilds it on the isle of Mull. As always, McCall Smith writes beautifully and makes me yearn to visit Scotland. The Winds from Further West is a bit more serious than many of his works, dealing with deception and loss in addition to the questions of ethics that he often addresses. If this evolves from standalone to new series, I will definitely read it to see what happens next to Neil.

The Winds from Further West is a charming and introspective story about finding solace and new beginnings in unexpected places. Alexander McCall Smith captures that sense of quiet transformation beautifully, as Dr. Neil Anderson’s seemingly stable life in Edinburgh falls apart, pushing him to seek refuge on the remote Isle of Mull. The way Neil’s journey unfolds feels both thoughtful and refreshingly honest, especially as he navigates the challenges of small-town life and contemplates his own past choices. The addition of two wolf cubs stirring up controversy on the island adds a quirky yet meaningful twist that only McCall Smith could pull off.

What I loved most about this book is how it balances the heavier themes of loss and self-discovery with McCall Smith’s signature warmth and gentle humor. The interactions between Neil and Katie, the local vet, are sweet and unforced, giving a hopeful touch to the story. The setting itself feels like a character, with vivid descriptions of the island’s rugged beauty and the sense of community that gradually pulls Neil out of his isolation. If you’re looking for a comforting read that’s equal parts thoughtful and heartwarming, this one’s a lovely choice.

I am a big fan of Alexander McCall Smith's writing and have read many of his books set in both Botswana and Scotland. While The Winds From Further West was set is Scotland it appears to be a stand alone very different from his series but still contains the author's wonderful way with words. For me what was so striking about the book was the way it mirrored our current political system in the US and many European countries. The rise of intolerance, bullying, nasty treatment of colleagues, the silencing of dissent in academia. So many times I found myself nodding my head. I’m not sure if that was the point of this novel but it seemed so relevant. I feel this book will stay with me for a while.

What a fantastic book! The first one I have read by this author but definitely can't wait to read more! The characters stay with you long after you finish the book. Highly recommend!

A thought provoking book of what one teacher accused of wrong doing does when his world falls apart. With his words Dmith creates Dr.Neil and what he thinks, feels and his actions at each phase of his challenges.

A good read that does require some heavy reading and contemplation.

# netgalley

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I typically love Alexander McCall Smith's books, but this one took a bit for me to get into. It's slow and very conversation heavy, and sometimes overly preachy. I really got into it a little over halfway through, once the scene was set and the characters were all introduced. By the end, I couldn't put it down. It's a slow gentle story of heartbreak, anger, love, and turning the other cheek.

In this new, standalone novel, McCall Smith takes on the ethics and responsibilities of those caught up in cancel culture — including the perspectives and calculations of those willing to play along (on either side) for personal gain. We follow Neil, a University of Edinburgh public health lecturer and researcher, as he is accused of making an “insensitive” comment and is asked by an unscrupulous dean to apologize regardless of guilt. I’ll hasten to say that McCall Smith does not allow the book to slide into a Kafkaesque nightmare from which our hero cannot emerge unscathed (I almost stopped reading when I thought it was going in that direction). Instead, he focuses on how people react to “life experiences” such as these and how they can be used to further self (and world-at-large) awareness and growth. I found it insightful and inspiring.

I love that McCall Smith always brings the ethics of big social trends into how they play out in individuals. The book is full of pithy commentary as to the state of the world (or one’s university!) and one’s role within it. His characters are always interesting — one is caught reading a book called “A Brief History of the Smile.” Others contemplate and discuss such random (but IMO engaging) topics such as a recent theory about Neanderthals, people vs. microbes, the use of shaming in society, and as always, a lovely collection of quotations from (mostly Scottish) poets (my favorite is Auden’s line: “If equally affection cannot be, let the more loving one be me.” It made me cry. I also loved the discussion (minor argument?) about the democratization of science — while Neil’s girlfriend feels teachers should be less didactic, Neil points out that Bernoullis equation is not an opinion.

Honestly, I have loved almost all of McCall Smith’s books and really can’t believe he hasn’t run out of philosophical musings and expositions after all this time. Every book seems to cleanly dissect complex problems into clear and concise points to help you thread through them.

Some of my favorite quotes:
“One had to become indifferent to the things you could not do anything about, unless you were prepared to let them hurt you indefinitely.”

“He, and people like him, might do a little to change the basic rules of engagement between human beings and microbes, but here and there, in small corners of the battlefield, they achieve their largely unsung victories. And in the background, their research, sometimes painfully slow and seemingly entirely theoretical, built up the human armory against microbial defeat.”

“People say that the thing about poetry is its power to haunt.“

“The world’s in a sorry mess. People put so much energy into finding fault with others, with attacking them, with calculating personal advantage, with … with all of those things. We’ve broken the bonds that exist between us, with the result that we are all potential enemies of one another, locked in mutual suspicion and distrust. And do you know what? I’ve had enough of it, I can’t bear to be part of that any longer.”

Alexander McCall Smith’s books always address ethics questions in a variety of settings. Neil, a public health instructor, is attacked with a hate speech claim that he didn’t even make. His girlfriend Chrissie encouraged him to stick up for himself but that soon evolved into him resigning from his position. On that sabe day he found Chrissie in a compromising position and he left to stay with a friend James. The plot thickened and Neil had to deal with several ethical conundrums.

Dr. Neil Anderson starts a new position at The University of Edinburgh when he meets a woman named Chrissie and they move in together. Things are fine until a student accuses Neil of an insensitive comment and then his relationship comes unravelled. He leaves for a friend's cabin on the beautiful Isle of Mull off the west coast of Scotland.

Shortly after, a ship arrives in the harbor that has two abandoned wolf cubs. Neil and the veterinarian on the island try to navigate the upheaval that the wolves has caused.

I have read Alexander McCall Smith's Number One Ladies Detective Agency books and have enjoyed them immensely. I love the way he writes and I love the way he makes you think.

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Still very cognizant of the real world’s problems and values, Alexander McCall Smith authored another perceptive book. Beginning with the thought ‘almost everything starts in a small way’, the author captivates one’s reading interests.

I found the book to be satisfying as to how he manages to find a comfortable solution to one person’s conflicts in a land where values seem to be defeated.

Thank you Netgalley and the Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor Group for the eArc to review.

The Winds from Further West was somewhat darker than I expected from Alexander McCall Smith. I had been hoping for something lighter and will continue to seek out his books that are more in that vein.

A medical researcher resigns in the face of untrue accusations at work and betrayal at home and heads to the remote Scottish island Mull to ... well, mull things over. He watches the sea, has deep philosophical discussions with the neighbors, attends a ceilidh, and rediscovers who he is.

Although there are romantic interests, this really isn't a romance. But it is a very good read!

The Winds from Further West by Alexander McCall Smith is an interesting examination of romance in an academic setting. The male protagonist, Dr. Neil Anderson, is a medical doctor who does research at an institute at the University of Edinburgh. He becomes romantically involved with a colleague and they move in together. After a time the relationship starts to develop small cracks. His downfall comes from one of the classes he teaches when a student accuses him of biased and questionable comments in one of his lectures. The woman Dr. Neil is living with knows the student and encourages him to report his concerns to University authorities. Eventually Dr. Neil resigns and his ex-girlfriend gets his position. Dr. Neil retreats to the Isle of Mull and spends time thinking things through. He also becomes involved in a local conservation effort and meets the veterinarian who works with it. Eventually he confronts his ex-girlfriend, about falsehoods she and his supervisor perpetrated against him. He is exonerated but decides not to go back to the University. This book is an interesting and fairly accurate delve into the shark tank of university politics with a thorough examination of how brutal they can be in unexpected ways. McCall Smith does a fine job on the setting and the plot. His characters are believable.
Recommended for readers who want a look at the Borgia Court of University politics.