The Private Side of Friendship: A Standalone Novel
By (Author) Alexander McCall Smith
Birlinn General
Polygon An Imprint of Birlinn Limited
9th January 2026
2nd October 2025
United Kingdom
General
Fiction
Fiction
Humorous fiction
Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general
Fiction: literary and general non-genre
Hardback
272
Width 135mm, Height 216mm, Spine 18mm
It is 1984, and the UK is experiencing a moment of great significance: the miners' strike. In mining communities throughout the country, passions run high as the confrontation between the Government and the miners is notched up. In the affected communities, there is real hardship as the families of striking miners go without. In slow motion, an old way of life is brought to an end.
In Edinburgh, in a large flat overlooking the Meadows, six students are facing the end of an academic year, preparing to go their separate ways in a changing world.
Over three years, they drift apart through the twists and turns of life, before meeting up for a reunion in 1987, for what may well betheir last evening together. It becomes clear to all that sometimes you have to let go of the past. You take away its lessons, but you let the rest go.
Alexander McCall Smithis the author of the highly successfulNo. 1 Ladies' Detective Agencyseries, which has sold over twenty-five million copies. Since then he has devoted his time to the writing of fiction and has seen his various series of books translated into over forty-six languages and become bestsellers throughout the world. These include the44 Scotland Streetnovels, first published as a serial novel in theScotsman, theIsabel Dalhousienovels, theVon Igelfeldseries and theCorduroy Mansionsnovels.