I always have a feeling of contentment when I finish a book in the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series by Alexander McCall Smith. The Double Comfort Safari Club was no exception.
I love the picture of Botswana that Smith paints with his storytelling. In many ways it seems a slower, kinder, gentler world than the one I live in. However, flaws in human nature are universal and this is evidenced by many of the situations that Mma Ramotswe finds herself in. This keeps the narrative from being too "sappy".
This eleventh book in the series contains a variety of storylines including a tragic accident involving Mma Makutsi's fiance and a trip to the Okavango Delta to locate the recipient of a final bequest.
Kindness. Hospitality. Decency. These are some of the traits found in the characters from this little part of Botswana. Traits that we all should all hope to possess.
This first book of 2011 counts towards both of my reading challenges. The author was born in what is now Zimbabwe and the novel takes place in Botswana, so it is my first "Africa" book for the Global Reading Challenge. It also meets the "book with a size in the title" requirement (double) for the What's In A Name Challenge.
7 comments:
This one sounds good. I'm behind on the "#1 Ladies Detective Agency" series. I love the stories, too. He's a great writer. I'm reading "Decoded" by Jay-Z this week, something different for me. But it's a great book.
Love & Blessings,
Marion
Kelly,
An excellent post! And this
book sounds interesting.
******
And in response to one of your
previous posts. I appreciated
your excellent shot of Suzy
for Shadow Shot Sunday.
Raven
For some reason I just can't bring myself to enjoy this series of books. However, your excellant review makes me want to try just one more time. Who knows it may well have been that I simply wasn't in the right frame of mind the other times.
I need to read more this year. The Global Reading Challenge sounds interesting.
Oh my how I love these books! The humor is unmistakable but there's so much depth to the characters. Can't wait for the next one.
I read a few books in this series and then lost track of it. I agree with you about the relaxed feeling you get while reading them though ... the pace of life there is quite different from what are used to.
I am saving this series... I know how much you enjoy it, and I'm a mystery nut, but for some reason, have not yet started!
quid
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