The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

[meganbmoore]

This is billed as a mystery, but is really a book about Botswana that features a lead who happens to run a detective agency. Precious Ramotswe is a Botswanan woman who uses her inheritance from her father’s death to buy a house and open a detective agency. She does not, for the most part, handle dangerous cases, but rather cases such as missing husbands and impostors and secret boyfriends.

The cases are, for the most part, excuses for Smith to write about the Botswanan people and culture, with several of Mma. Ramotswe’s cases almost playing out like folk tales. The book is non-linear in its narration, covering both Mma. Ramotswe’s entire life (or at least large chunks of it), and her father’s background, as well as several cases early in her career. Thankfully, the non-linear-ness (if that isn’t a word, keep it to yourself) isn’t jarring, but works well to create a cohesive whole that has a lot of charm.

The book and characters are clearly written with a lot of love, and the prose is reminiscent of oral traditions. It’s a slim little thing, but carries a lot of punch. Smith grew up in Botswana, and I think it shows, as many events and characters seemed to be pulled straight from memory. That said, I’d be curious to see what some native Botswanans have to say about it, good or bad.

Comments

[shartyrant.livejournal.com]

I bought the first book for a dollar and remember thinking the same thing. It is more about Botswanan people and culture and not really mystery at all. Not that it is a bad thing as it is enjoyable for itself I guess, but if you are primed for a mystery, it is a bit disappointing. I do plan on reading more in the series from the library as the mood strikes. How about you?

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

I think these definitely would have to fall more on the "cozy" side of mystery subgenres, with more appeal to folks who read for character and setting rather than the puzzle-box or gory true-crime sort of books.

Poking around a bit, I have found a few interesting articles that passingly mention local Botswanan reactions to a recent film adaptation -- here (http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article3541831.ece) and here (http://www.dibsblog.com/?p=220=1). The biggest criticisms seem not to be so much about the content as that an American woman was hired to play the lead rather than an African actress, and that it was inappropriate that the Botswanan tourist board invested several million dollars in the production when so many people live in poverty...which is perhaps a slightly encouraging sign, since if folks were widely objecting to the content as offensive it would seem likely to have come up in such gripes.

(I have to say, I am at least pleased to see that the gal cast to play Mma Ramotswe, singer Jill Scott, is at least dark-skinned and full-figured enough to resemble the Precious in my head -- call me cynical, but having seen enough movie-casting shenanigans over the years I would have been totally unsurprised by a production transforming her into a skinny, light-skinned model type like Beyonce instead...)

[rosehiptea.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed the book and read several of the sequels but I've also often wondered what native Botswanans think of it.

[calixa.livejournal.com]

I've always wanted to read these, I don't know, they just come up a lot for me. People reccing them, etc. I'll have to find them sometime.

[bzoppa.livejournal.com]

My mom's been pushing me to watch the tv adaptation Minghella made before he died. Like, she constantly tells me to watch it.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

This one was one of my favorites last year. There's so much heart to it that it's hard to put down.