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| Blue Shoes and Happiness (No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Book 7) | 
 enlarge | Author: Alexander Mccall Smith
Publisher: Anchor
Category: Book
List Price: $12.95
Buy Used: $1.94
You Save: $11.01 (85%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  102 reviews
Sales Rank: 3384
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.7
ISBN: 1400075718
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9781400075713
ASIN: 1400075718
Publication Date: March 13, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: * Item in good condition- Typical Used Book and at a great price! * We carefully inspected this * Great customer service * Satisfaction Guaranteed!
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| Customer Reviews:
 Gentle, loving stories March 3, 2008
The No. 1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY is a very special series. Alexander McCall Smith clearly has a deep affection and understanding of the people of that part of the world, and he writes in a way that brings the people and the land alive.
Brilliant! Another wonderful book in the Ladies' Detective Agency Series! February 28, 2008
If you've enjoyed all of the other books in the series, then you should enjoy this one too!! I just love this series. Set in Botswana, Alexander McCall Smith writes so superbly, enabling the reader to cross continents and be right there in Gabarone with Mma Ramotswe, Mma Makutsi and Mr J.L.P. Matekoni. With touches of understated comic irony, this series are just a delightful light-hearted read. Watch out for the moral elements - Mma Ramotswe spends a lot of her time philosophising on life, and the good old days in particular when morals were better, young people were more polite and there was more respect in society... but her moments of reflection just add to the charm of these novels!
In this, the 7th in the series, life is finally becoming a little more settled for Mma Ramotswe. She is now happily married to Mr J.L.B. Matekoni (proprietor of the respected local garage "Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors"), between them forstering two children from the local orphanage. Her detective agency business is now respected and established and her assistant Mma Makutsi has finally found herself a suitable suitor / fiance! (although she still can't resist a new pair of shoes!!). However, Mma Ramotswe allows doubts to creep in regarding her traditionally built figure... perhaps she should start a diet? And some strange events require investigating... possible withcraft, a case of blackmail.
If you're new to the series, I recommend you start with the first book, "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency".
Worthy to read January 5, 2008
Ever since I have read Alexander McCall Smith's books about Mma Ramotswe, I have become a big enthusiast. It is the simplicity of the plot which makes it addictive to read. Simple but it touches your heart. It tells about ordinary things that happen to us everyday. Let's take for example the concept of shopping. I recognized myself in that. I find it very funny how threatened the fiance of Mma Makutsi became when she answered, "Yes, I am a feminist. Who isn't these days?" I also like how the writer call Mma Ramotswe's physical attribute as "traditionally built". I find it funny too how Mma Makutsi justifies why she bought the blue shoes. She was walking weird and she claims that since it's new, she is breaking it. And some pairs would never be broken in, thought Mma Ramotswe. That's really true! I missed though the 2 adopted children, Puso and Matholeli. I hope they get a part in the next book. I am looking forward to the writer's next book. Eagerly and patiently waiting for the next stories to come!
 Warm Fuzzies for the Western world December 16, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
No one can deny the easy charm of McCall Smith's Precious Ramotswe series, and Lescott's readings on the audio books are truly outstanding. Still, there is an enormous amount of repeat book to book, and the musings on 'traditional' culture get tiresome after a while, like middle-aged ladies giving their 'tut, tuts' to the changing world. More important, though, is considering how much this series has to do with contemporary Botswana. I don't know a heck of a lot about the country. What I do know is that it has a relatively high living standard and stable governing structure. However, McCall Smith's readers would never know that it also has one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world. One would think that by book 7 in the series McCall Smith would have at least mentioned that 1 in every 4 adults is HIV positive and that the public health infrastructure is decrepit (Bill and Melinda Gates' contributions to fighting AIDS and Malaria notwithstanding). But incorporating that story wouldn't gibe with warm fuzzy image of Botswana McCall Smith apparently wants to portray.
Precious Ramotswe is at it again November 13, 2007
This is the best yet in the No.1 ladies Detective Agency series. Precious exposes a blackmail scheme and goes on a diet. Mma. Makutsi buys a new pair of shoes and she and her fiance have their ups and downs. Precious who had staunchly defended the traditionally built African woman, decides she must lose weight. However, she dispenses her customary wisdom. "Dieting," she says," was cruel: it was an abuse of human rights... If I ever see God...I am sure that he will not be thin." She observes on page 209. " Later on page 225 Mma. Potokwane observes, "if you go on a diet then what are the rest of us to do? How can you be so unkind...Traditionlly built people are always being told by other people to eat less. Their lives are a misery.."
Mma. Makutsi falls in love with a pair of pointed toed blue shoes. Precious tries to discourage her from purchasing them. "But nobody is that shape," she says. "I have never met anyone with pointed feet. If your feet were pointed like that then you would only have one toe..." "Perhaps, those shoes are for one toed people..." How many of us have thought the same, but could not express themselves in such a charming manner. However, when Mma. Makutsi comes to work toddling painfully in her new blue shoes, Precious tactfully refrains from reminding her of her advice. Instead she takes over some of the office tasks which require walking in order to lessen her employee's pain.
This novel involves blackmail and a dishonest physician. Still Precious' jocular and affectionate manner toward people is a constant. Her pearls of wisdom permeate the story. However, they are dispensed with understanding and compassion. " The whole point about secrets was that they demanded to be told...they burned a hole in your tongue " observes Precious on page 92....It was always difficult for Mma. Ramotswe not to feel sympathy for another, however objectionable his conduct might be, however flawed his character...Everybody, she felt, could do evil, so easily; could be so weak.. This meant that she could understand ...that one should not judge others" page 97.
Unfortunately, the story comes to a close. However, there is always the promise of another charmer in this series. I read these between two more serious books. Even though this tale deals with some weighty issues, it will have you laughing to yourself periodically. These are great vacation and beach books too. A set would make an excellent Christmas gift. Precious is truly precious.
These books inspire me to make a trip to Botswana to see for myself if the country is really populated by such warm, charming, and unsophisticated people who with all their faults are so likeable. I fear that the reality is different
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