Tears of the Giraffe

No doubt about it, Mma Ramotswe is an astute woman, with "old Botswana values", according to Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni; in his eyes, she is "one of the very best women in Botswana". As I read Tears of the Giraffe, I see why her husband-to-be admires her so much--she's intelligent, diplomatic, and independent. In her thoughts, Mma Ramotswe is displeased with Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni's surly, sloppy maid, and grapples with the new case of a son who's been missing for ten years, a "stale enquiry" she almost wishes she did not agree to work on (but does out of compassion). She also thinks about larger issues, of the boundless dignity and kindness of Nelson Mandela , who extends forgiveness even towards those who imprisoned him for 27 years.

Tears of the Giraffe captures the beauty of Africa, of the endless, luminous sky, red-brown earth, acacia trees, and brilliant, blazing sun. I hope to watch the TV series in the future, and picture scenes of Mma Ramotswe driving her tiny white van along the dusty roads of Botswana and other parts of Africa.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series

What do you do when the housekeeper's a slob, and you want to live in your own tidy house on Zebra Drive after marriage? These are the immediate obstacles Mma Ramotswe faces in Tears of the Giraffe, which I've just started reading. It's another sweet book by the very prolific Alexander McCall Smith. I'd like to sit down and read it while sipping some iced red tea on this scorching summer day. Tears of the Giraffe is the second in Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. I may read the entire list!

1. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (1998)
2. Tears of the Giraffe (2000)
3. Morality for Beautiful Girls (2001)
4. The Kalahari Typing School for Men (2002)
5. The Full Cupboard of Life (2003)
6. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies (2004)
7. Blue Shoes and Happiness (2006)
8. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive (2007)
9. The Miracle at Speedy Motors (2008)

A TV series of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books debuted on Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008; co-produced by the BBC and HBO and filmed on location in Botswana, it's the first major film or television production filmed there. The photo above, from Wikipedia, shows the leading actors (left to right) Anika Noni Rose as Mma Makutsi, Jill Scott as Mma Ramotswe, and Lucian Msamati as Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni.