Money, of course. But also: compassion; intuition; friends to help you get things like typewriters; a good supply of red bush tea; a place to set up shop; and a vehicle.
Precious Ramotswe has inherited money from her late Daddy and with it purchased the building to set her agency, a corner plot on Zebra Drive and a tiny white van to get her around. Proudly being a lady of traditional build, Mma Ramotswe sometimes worries about the stress on it; nevertheless the loyal automobile carries her across the pages and through readers' minds as she makes her way round Gaborone, up and down the Molepolole Road, to Francistown and to and fro each day at the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency on Kgale Hill on the edge of the largest city in Botswana.
Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is somewhat misleading in that it reads with ease, but is filled with the details of a complex society rich with the nuances and understanding of a bustling economy grown from towns named after tribal chiefs, a cast of characters as varied as in any large and historical city, and mysteries that bubble under the surface. Mma Ramotswe is hired to "track down a missing husband, uncover a con man, and follow a wayward daughter. But the case that tugs at her heart, and lands her in danger, is that of a missing eleven-year-old boy, who may have been snatched by witch doctors" (from back cover).
Mma Ramotswe captured my heart because she is honest and caring, though not easily duped; she sees through so many situations, but remains patient enough to reserve assessment; and she values the traditions and ways of her culture whilst placing value in the future. Throughout The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency readers develop a greater understanding and awareness of Botswana culture, societal habits (even including such elements as particular gesticulations), history and its major players and even its Achilles heel, the AIDS epidemic, discussed in tactfully delicate tones so as to offset the idea of a one-paradigm Africa whilst simultaneously maintaining respect for the realities in the lives of the many people affected by the disease. What brings all this together for me is the sheer ordinariness of it all: I have always been someone intrigued and interested in different cultures, but above all I want to know what the "regular" people do. What kind of toothpaste do they use? What are their shopping habits? What insights could I get from glimpses into decorating styles of their homes, inside and out? Smith satisfies these curiosities of mine, not merely for the sake of traveller voyeurism, but to help one gain a greater understanding and appreciation of people who are different--and yet the same--to many or most of us.
I was delighted to discover, after I first read the book in 2001, that there was a sequel and still later I found a whole series waiting for me. Even now Smith seems to have plans for more adventures of Mma Ramotswe, and I've read all the books in his other series, as well as his stand-alone works--at least the most popular ones. From what I gather Smith, A Scot who grew up in Africa, is a rather prolific writer, with titles ranging from the ones I've mentioned here, to others such as Forensic Aspects of Sleep and The Criminal Law of Botswana.
I've been intrigued enough to do a little research on my own regarding the country known as "the success story of Africa," and have come across a wealth of information that exemplifies the way children expand their world when they read: from one paragraph they may learn two new words, from a chapter of a new world, and from the entire book a whole new set of questions. I'm so happy to write here that it remains an exciting prospect for me as well, when I read books and they open up doors to knowledge I never knew existed. What is it they say? What you never knew you never knew.
Two links that may be of interest to you regard:
Unity Dow, a Botswana attorney who currently struggles to make the citizenship laws of her country more equitable--currently a married woman may not pass her citizenship to her children. (The brief linked here is rather long, but the language is straightforward and accessable.)
and
Botswana Gazette a national newspaper. There also are foreign newspapers published in Botswana, magazine, press and Internet.
Alexander McCall Smith also maintains a web site, dedicated to his works and projects, here. There is lovely music playing from it now as I type, and there is a lot of factual as well as fun information. I've wandered through it a few times and thought or wondered a few things, such as, I love to say the word Molepolole or Is Tlokweng, as in Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, pronounced 'Klokweng,' with the same start sound as our Tlingit? I've also tried a variety of African bush tea (it's delicious; I take it sans honey) and briefly written with a person from Gaborone, the capital.
Now I am about to read the first book again, perhaps as part of our grownup reading circle, and it will probably be an entirely new journey.
Mma Ramotswe captured my heart because she is honest and caring, though not easily duped; she sees through so many situations, but remains patient enough to reserve assessment; and she values the traditions and ways of her culture whilst placing value in the future. Throughout The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency readers develop a greater understanding and awareness of Botswana culture, societal habits (even including such elements as particular gesticulations), history and its major players and even its Achilles heel, the AIDS epidemic, discussed in tactfully delicate tones so as to offset the idea of a one-paradigm Africa whilst simultaneously maintaining respect for the realities in the lives of the many people affected by the disease. What brings all this together for me is the sheer ordinariness of it all: I have always been someone intrigued and interested in different cultures, but above all I want to know what the "regular" people do. What kind of toothpaste do they use? What are their shopping habits? What insights could I get from glimpses into decorating styles of their homes, inside and out? Smith satisfies these curiosities of mine, not merely for the sake of traveller voyeurism, but to help one gain a greater understanding and appreciation of people who are different--and yet the same--to many or most of us.
I was delighted to discover, after I first read the book in 2001, that there was a sequel and still later I found a whole series waiting for me. Even now Smith seems to have plans for more adventures of Mma Ramotswe, and I've read all the books in his other series, as well as his stand-alone works--at least the most popular ones. From what I gather Smith, A Scot who grew up in Africa, is a rather prolific writer, with titles ranging from the ones I've mentioned here, to others such as Forensic Aspects of Sleep and The Criminal Law of Botswana.
I've been intrigued enough to do a little research on my own regarding the country known as "the success story of Africa," and have come across a wealth of information that exemplifies the way children expand their world when they read: from one paragraph they may learn two new words, from a chapter of a new world, and from the entire book a whole new set of questions. I'm so happy to write here that it remains an exciting prospect for me as well, when I read books and they open up doors to knowledge I never knew existed. What is it they say? What you never knew you never knew.
Two links that may be of interest to you regard:
Unity Dow, a Botswana attorney who currently struggles to make the citizenship laws of her country more equitable--currently a married woman may not pass her citizenship to her children. (The brief linked here is rather long, but the language is straightforward and accessable.)
and
Botswana Gazette a national newspaper. There also are foreign newspapers published in Botswana, magazine, press and Internet.
Alexander McCall Smith also maintains a web site, dedicated to his works and projects, here. There is lovely music playing from it now as I type, and there is a lot of factual as well as fun information. I've wandered through it a few times and thought or wondered a few things, such as, I love to say the word Molepolole or Is Tlokweng, as in Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, pronounced 'Klokweng,' with the same start sound as our Tlingit? I've also tried a variety of African bush tea (it's delicious; I take it sans honey) and briefly written with a person from Gaborone, the capital.
Now I am about to read the first book again, perhaps as part of our grownup reading circle, and it will probably be an entirely new journey.
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