by Andrew McCall Smith
Anchor Books, 2002, Fiction. 235 p.
At thirty-five years old, Mma Ramotswe has survived a bad marriage, the loss of a child, and her beloved father's death. Now she must find a way to support herself. She takes her inheritance money and sets up a small detective agency in her hometown of Gabarone, Botswana. It is a risky undertaking in a country where women are rarely professionals, but with her hard won wisdom and comfortable personality, she soon has a reputation as someone who "knows what's what." Her clients range for poor grocers to wealthy business owners, and she hardly ever disappoints.
This is a book that was hugely popular when it came out in 2002 and now there are now more than 20 in the series. I think the charm of the book is Smith's great characterizations, and the authenticity of the setting. As you read the book, you feel that you could walk into a town in Botswana and the people you would meet and the things you would see would be just as Smith describes. Mma is strong, confident, and funny, though not a beauty or a super woman. If you love a good comfortable mystery and reading about other cultures, this is the series for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment
We welcome your comments, but reserve the right to choose which ones are posted.