In the latest installment of the universally beloved, bestselling series, Mma Ramotswe discovers the biggest miracles in life are often the smallest.
Under the endless skies of Botswana, there is always something Mma Ramotswe can do to help someone and here she finds herself assisting a woman looking for her family. The problem is the woman doesn't know her real name or whether any of her family members are still alive. Meanwhile, Mma Makutsi is the recipient of a beautiful new bed that causes more than a few sleepless nights. And, at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni has come under the influence of a doctor promising a miracle cure for his daughter's medical condition, which Mma Ramotswe finds hard to accept. Nonetheless, Precious Ramotswe handles these things in her usual compassionate and good-natured way, while always finding time for a cup of red bush tea.
In this ninth novel in the Alexander McCall Smith series, Precious Ramotswe, the "traditionally built" proprietor of the #1 Ladies' Detective Agency in Gaborone, Botswana, receives a threatening letter: "Fat lady: you watch out! And you too, the one with the big glasses." Mma Ramotswe and her assistant, Grace Makutsi, of the big glasses, are startled by this letter, and Mma Ramotswe even begins to believe that she is being followed. As the two women deal with their business and their lives, the letter haunts them--it is so uncharacteristic of the gentle, sweet-spirited life of Botswana, a place where, in Mma Ramotswe's experience, almost any problem can be worked out over a cup of bush tea.
Continuing the stories of Mma Ramotswe and those around her, this novel, like its predecessors, contains a mystery or two, along with many episodes of daily life which develop the characters further, quietly teach a few lessons, and show how humor and polite behavior can improve even the worst of situations. The central mystery of the novel is uncomplicated. A woman has come to Mma Ramotswe because she believes that she is not the daughter of her late "mother," and she wants Mma Ramotswe to find her birth family.
Subplots galore keep the stories flowing. The fuss-budget-y Grace Makutsi, who is engaged to marry a wealthy furniture seller, picks out an elaborate bed which she and her husband will occupy after they are married. When she has it delivered to her house, the bed precipitates a disaster. At the same time, Mma Ramotswe begins to suspect that one of the employees of Speedy Motors, the auto repair shop run by her honest and honorable husband, Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni, is the author of the threatening letter. When Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni meets a doctor who convinces him that their wheelchair-bound daughter Motholeli might be able to walk again, he will to stop at nothing--not even the doctor's enormous fee--to help her.
More a series of short episodes in the life of Mma Ramotswe than a mystery in the traditional sense, the novel creates a warm, feel-good atmosphere which provides a respite from the insistent realism of other contemporary detective stories, and ultimately, the "miracle" of Speedy Motors becomes obvious. Escape reading of the highest order, the #1 Ladies' Detective Agency series features characters who feel familiar, make us love them, and inspire us to obey our best instincts. (5 stars for character, 3 for plot) n Mary Whipple
I love Alexander McCall Smith's series about Precious Ramotswe, proprietor of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and "Botswana's foremost solver of problems," but this edition lacked the presence of an editor and some of the plot simply didn't fit.
As with many best selling authors, it seems once they reach McCall Smith's, their editors toss the rule book out the window.
In "The Miracle at Speedy Motors," McCall Smith's ninth No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books, he really does run amok with the use of unnecessary "that". When arbitrarily stuck into a sentence, "that" is like a pause button to the reader and its use weighs heavily after only a few pages.
A sentence like
"You said that you hoped that I would be able to trace some family members for you."
loses no meaning without the two unnecessary 'thats' ...
"You said you hoped I would be able to trace some family members for you."
Another example:
"Mr. Anderson says that you should not pass judgment on your client's behaviour."
"Mr. Anderson says you should not pass judgment on your client's behaviour."
Another:
"She had assumed that this was the livery of the Double Comfort Furniture Shop, but had been told that it was not, that Phuti himself had painted it as a decoration."
"She had assumed this was the livery of the Double Comfort Furniture Shop, but had been told it was not; Phuti himself had painted it as a decoration."
Sticking "that" in just anywhere is an easy habit for authors to acquire. It's the editor's job to weed them out of the final draft.
While the editing leaves a lot to be desired, McCall Smith uses his substantial gifts as a storyteller to weave another charming tale from dusty Botswana.
While the mysteries aren't particularly compelling, they do push the story along. What makes McCall Smith's books so charming are his warm, caring character, their respect for each other and their love of their country.
I recommend reading the series in order of publication. Getting to know Precious Ramotswe and her friends is not a quick trip on an amusement park ride. It's more like a leisurely stroll around the tidal basin in Washington, D.C., during cherry blossom time. You want to savor every moment.
Note: HBO has just completed filming on the first of several specials based on McCall Smith's series. Can't wait to see jazz singer Jill Scott, a "traditionally built" woman, in the title role. McCall Smith visited the set and said he was "most pleased" with Scott's casting and performance.
If you're new to this series, read the other eight books first. If you read this one without getting to know the characters and their relationship to one another, you might not pick up the others ... and that would be a shame, because the sweet, gentle series is well worth your time.
The latest in the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series is is as wonderful as all of the others. It caputes the feeling of Africa and the beauty of its people with sensitivity, humor and respect. An inspiring read!
