The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
By Alexander McCall Smith
Why this book?
This is the first novel in a series and what I love about them all is that they show Africa in a positive light. The crimes our heroine, Precious Ramotswe, has to solve are whimsical rather than violent and show us all to be victims of the frailties of human nature rather than anything more sinister. I’m lucky enough to have travelled in Botswana and you can see a little bit of McCall Smiths characters in everyone you meet. I also love the way that he describes the richness of African everyday life, and the way he captures these moments with wry and deferential humour. Whenever things are getting on top of me and I need a pick me up these are the books I always turn to.
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