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The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith By Melissa J Wantuck  |
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The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith was first published in 1998. It was released in paperback in 2002 and in March of this year Anchor Books reissued it in paperback to coincide with the story’s debut as a television series on HBO. The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency became the start of what is now a ten book series and the first season of its television show will be released this fall on DVD. If you haven’t picked up this delightful series yet, put this first book on your summer reading list and discover for yourself the witty story Alexander McCall Smith weaves with his pen of his beloved character, Precious Ramotswe, and the numerous others that make this series a smashing success.
McCall Smith sets his highly acclaimed bestseller in Botswana, one of the southernmost countries of Africa. Mma Ramotswe and her fellow Bastwana are proud of their sovereign nation and its political and social accomplishments since their independence in 1966. McCall Smith intertwines Botswana’s history with Precious Ramotswe’s and her family. She was born and raised on the edge of the Kalahari, the great desert of southern Africa. She set up her detective agency in Garborone, the nation’s capital. She was raised by a single father on the traditions of his people that went back generations.
Mma Ramotswe often alludes to the traditions and spirit of her land with pride. No one is more revered than her father, Obed Ramotswe. With his hard work, he left his only daughter a sizeable legacy. She would not be rich, but she would be comfortable for the rest of her life if she invested the money wisely.
McCall Smith’s playful wit abounds throughout the book in his rich narrative that brings Africa so close you may feel it’s outside your door rather than on the opposite side of the world. His characters are carefully crafted to hold their own unique positions in the story. Obed Ramotswe’s life is thoroughly chronicled to provide the history behind Mma Ramotswe’s parentage. Then bits and pieces of her own story are shared, slowly painting her picture, particularly what led to her dreaming of becoming a detective. Her determination to be Botswana’s first lady detective is due to her belief she is a modern lady while adhering to the traditions of her people she believes are the most valuable, particularly her traditional build and the importance of drinking red bush tea. This is a contradiction in a way but it makes up Mma Ramotswe’s personal life philosophy that McCall Smith so acutely presents along with the other main characters. This ability of his is his strong point as a writer and it makes his characters real, thus endearing whether you agree with their opinions or not.
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency is also in its own small way the story of Africa. The hardships, the joys, and the crises like that of the AIDS virus plaguing the continent. For those who have not been familiar with what is Africa, Mma Ramotswe will be your guide, and she’ll make a point of it! She just may have you drinking tea, too as you chuckle along with her over her latest case!
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