Short stories inspired by the ancient Celtic god of love and youth, from the New York Timesâbestselling author of The No. 1 Ladiesâ Detective Agency.
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Angus is one of the earliest Celtic deities and one of the most cherished to this day. Like an even more handsome combination of Apollo and Eros, he is the god of love, youth, and beauty. Just the sight of him has made people fall in love, and he has the power to reveal a personâs true love in a dream, if asked politely.
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Alexander McCall Smith has turned his storytelling talents to crafting a collection of short fiction from this Irish mythology. Five contemporary fables of love lost and found unfold alongside Angusâs search for the beautiful CaÃĐr, the swan maiden he met in his dreams. McCall Smith mesmerizingly unites reality and dreams, today and the ancient past, leaving the reader to wonder: what is life but the pursuit of dreams?
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âSmith fluidly weaves in contemporary vignettes of the dream godâs benevolent influence, touching the lives of honeymooners on a windswept northern island; of a teenage boy sent away to boarding school in Scotland who tricks his mother into revealing who his true father is; and of a Toronto woman bereft at the discovery that her husband is having an affair. Angus, who presides over love and youth is also, it turns out, kindly to pigs. He is nicely reimagined in this spare, polished work.â âPublishers Weekly
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âThis slim, elegant volume is further evidence of [Smithâs] consummate ability to blend wit, wisdom, and heart.â âBooklist (starred review)
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