| The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Book 1) | 
 enlarge | Author: Alexander Mccall Smith
Publisher: Anchor
Category: Book
List Price: $13.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  407 reviews
Sales Rank: 8664
Media: Paperback
Edition: Today Show Book Club
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 235
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5 x 0.6
ISBN: 1400034779
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9781400034772
ASIN: 1400034779
Publication Date: February 6, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Utterly Charming August 1, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
These books are not serious fiction, finely constructed mysteries or the greatest books ever written on Africa. Instead, they are a quiet, gentle and heartwarming series of vignettes that provide insight into the human condition and a peak at the Africa of Botswana. Further, they are not entirely saccharine either as they touch on issues such as domestic violence and the trials and tribulations of serious poverty. Yet at the end of each of these books, I always feel better. This is a rare combination indeed.
I tend to read what most people would consider "serious" fiction and nonfiction. You will more often than not find me curled up with something by Camus, Nietzsche or Borges. Rose-colored glasses are not my style and it took an insistent friend to get me to read this first volume. I now gladly admit to being seduced by Smith's deceptively simple prose and characters.
These books are meant to be read at the beach or bedtime and later passed on to friends. Gentle wisdom is best undertaken gently. If you can approach these books in the spirit I believe Smith intended, then you might be find in them something sorely missing in this world of ours.
A Glimpse of Southern Africa from an Author Who Knows July 28, 2008
This gently humorous book and its five similarly funny companions offer more than an engaging story line. You learn that Botswana is a true success story, one of the few in post-colonial sub-Saharan Africa. You can also learn something about the culture, social behavior, languages, and personal values of the people. Of course you need only go to Wikipedia or to Google "Botswana" to gain access to a wealth of facts, if facts will suffice. But, if you wish to be touched by the fabric of Botswana life the six books of the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series, will let it happen and provide much to ponder.
can it be called an African cozy? July 22, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I'm not entirely sure what genre "The #1 Ladies' Detective Agency" fits into, and that may be why I resisted reading it for a long time. I avoid books that get a lot of press by mainstream media (like the Today Show, Oprah, Regis, etc.), figuring it is just a sellout and not real praise. However, this book has real charm and a sweetness about it. No twisty Agatha Christie style plot, just a compassionate lady using her brain, intuition and common sense. The author communicates atmosphere beautifully and paints the culture and landscape of Botswana with a loving brush.
Warm, witty, and wise July 2, 2008
First book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.
Precious Ramotswe, in the face of many doubts, starts a detective agency after the death of her father. Her response to these skeptics is, "Haven't you ever heard of Agatha Christie?"
However, the true beauty of this book is not the mystery (though her cases are solved in satisfying ways). What I found most engaging is the glimpse into the culture of Botswana. Precious is a delightful character whose wisdom and humor will keep readers entranced throughout this quiet little book.
Dr. Komoti and the Others June 18, 2008
I get a little kick out of thinking about Mma Ramotswe (a.k.a. Precious) driving all over Botswana and South Africa in her little white van. Whether in pursuit of straying husband, solving the mystery of a doctor with on and off again abilities, tracking down a kidnapped boy, exposing the farce of an elderly "father," or spying on a teenager for her father, Mma Ramotswe is a remarkable lady who knows her stuff. Always a curious child who "watched everybody and everything will her wide, solemn eyes," her bent for detective work was nurtured by a cousin who wanted her to be clever.
In addition to regaling the reader with Mma Ramotswe's investigative experiences, Smith includes a history of the likeable sleuth's earlier life, including a painful early marriage. He also tells the story of Precious's father Obed who worked in the mines, thus letting us know more about the history, culture, and geography of Botswana. A line preceding this section is particularly stirring: "His life was unrecorded; who is there to write down the lives of ordinary people?" Indeed, who?
Although one doesn't ordinarily think of detective work as amusing, Smith has managed to write a delightful novel about an absolutely charming person who feels that she was called to help her brothers and sisters solve the mysteries of their lives. I felt a little sad when I finished it and have already ordered the next in the series. I must know if she marries J.L.B Matekoni and lives happily ever after.
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