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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Okay, so when I picked up this book, I was expecting a murder mystery, some crime-solving, a quirky detective agency vibe. Fun, humorous, a little out of place, but they’d solve crimes. What I was not expecting was the depth, the warmth, and the storytelling that came with this book.
Honestly, this felt less like a mystery and more like a memoir. Almost like reading Mma Ramotswe’s journal, following her life from childhood to adulthood, case by case. It felt so real, so authentic, so raw. I went on every journey with her, and I fell in love with Botswana through her eyes: the Kalahari, Moduchi, Francistown, even the presidential hotel. I’ve never been there, but after this book, I want to.
I loved the characters too. Obed Ramotswe was such a good father! And Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni? That man was so sweet. Honestly, it’s wild to me that this was written by a white male author, because the way he captured a black African woman’s voice was so delicate, respectful, and beautifully done. Mma Ramotswe was written as independent, capable, human, not an object or tool, and the men around her were shown as kind, thoughtful, and respectful. That really stood out to me.
Now, I will say there were two things that rubbed me the wrong way. I didn’t like the way Nigeria was portrayed; I felt there was too much focus on the negatives when there’s so much more that could have been highlighted. And I also didn’t love how Botswana was sometimes referred to as “Africa” instead of simply “Botswana.” Both things took me out of the story a bit.
But overall, this book was beautifully written. It pulled me in completely and left me with so much love for the characters and the world they lived in.
Honestly, this felt less like a mystery and more like a memoir. Almost like reading Mma Ramotswe’s journal, following her life from childhood to adulthood, case by case. It felt so real, so authentic, so raw. I went on every journey with her, and I fell in love with Botswana through her eyes: the Kalahari, Moduchi, Francistown, even the presidential hotel. I’ve never been there, but after this book, I want to.
I loved the characters too. Obed Ramotswe was such a good father! And Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni? That man was so sweet. Honestly, it’s wild to me that this was written by a white male author, because the way he captured a black African woman’s voice was so delicate, respectful, and beautifully done. Mma Ramotswe was written as independent, capable, human, not an object or tool, and the men around her were shown as kind, thoughtful, and respectful. That really stood out to me.
Now, I will say there were two things that rubbed me the wrong way. I didn’t like the way Nigeria was portrayed; I felt there was too much focus on the negatives when there’s so much more that could have been highlighted. And I also didn’t love how Botswana was sometimes referred to as “Africa” instead of simply “Botswana.” Both things took me out of the story a bit.
But overall, this book was beautifully written. It pulled me in completely and left me with so much love for the characters and the world they lived in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
when i bought this, i thought it was a book written by a motswana (that is the correct term for a person from botswana, if i understood correctly), and i was really excited to read a novel of my favourite genre, crime, that is, from a black african author about a country and culture i knew nothing about. before i began to read, however, i noticed that alexander mccall smith is actually a white man (however, as i read later on, he did actually grow up in zimbabwe, which is located right next to botswana). i was really critical then, because i think it is a really delicate matter when white people write such personal novels about poc, because there is always that danger of chivalery, misinterpretation and patronising storytelling. i decided to give it a chance nevertheless, and i should not regret it. actually, i loved this book. the characters were so interesting and likeable and there is so much wisdom in this story, i learned a whole lot about botswana and its nature, people, history and culture, the prose was wonderful, simple but so lively and just perfectly detailed in the right places. the mystery stories really are only a small part of what makes this book so great, it is all the small stories life writes in between that i loved the most.
of course, it is hard to tell for me whether what the author describes is authentic and realistic, whether the novel would seem patronizing or problematic to a motswana. i did not find a lot of reviews so far, so maybe i will look further into that. also, i will try and find another crime story by a tswana author, or at least a sub-saharan one if i cannot find any. but i think i will nevertheless go on with this series, i really had so much fun and i do not remember the last time that i read a novel so quickly.
EDIT: apparently, the series has been criticised by tswana critics for being too upbeat, too sunny. in an article by the wire, the author justifies this by saying that not every book must be serious and sad - which i think is generally a good point, but maybe not if you get criticised for the portrayal of a culture that is not yours. i think i could look over this though, but when asked about criticism concerning cultural appropriation and the white man's gaze, he says he thinks everyone should be allowed to write about everything as long as they do their research, arguing that "Shakespeare wasn’t Danish, but he did write about the Prince of Denmark".
i *think* he might have missed thhe point there. another old white man doing old white men things. and i had hoped he was sensible.
well. we will see.
https://www.google.ch/amp/s/m.thewire.in/article/books/alexander-mccall-smith-ladies-detective-agency-interview/amp
of course, it is hard to tell for me whether what the author describes is authentic and realistic, whether the novel would seem patronizing or problematic to a motswana. i did not find a lot of reviews so far, so maybe i will look further into that. also, i will try and find another crime story by a tswana author, or at least a sub-saharan one if i cannot find any. but i think i will nevertheless go on with this series, i really had so much fun and i do not remember the last time that i read a novel so quickly.
EDIT: apparently, the series has been criticised by tswana critics for being too upbeat, too sunny. in an article by the wire, the author justifies this by saying that not every book must be serious and sad - which i think is generally a good point, but maybe not if you get criticised for the portrayal of a culture that is not yours. i think i could look over this though, but when asked about criticism concerning cultural appropriation and the white man's gaze, he says he thinks everyone should be allowed to write about everything as long as they do their research, arguing that "Shakespeare wasn’t Danish, but he did write about the Prince of Denmark".
i *think* he might have missed thhe point there. another old white man doing old white men things. and i had hoped he was sensible.
well. we will see.
https://www.google.ch/amp/s/m.thewire.in/article/books/alexander-mccall-smith-ladies-detective-agency-interview/amp
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Lighthearted, fun read. Didn't capture me but it was a nice way to pass the time.
First of all, the production quality for the audiobook version is incredible. The narrator did a phenomenal job performing this, and I loved how she incorporated the different dialects into the story to help the world feel alive.
Second, I enjoyed the story itself. It's very slice-of-life in feel, and it deals with hard things and easy things without ever feeling truly dark or graphic itself. I suppose that's why it's tagged so often as a cozy mystery. I feel like I got to visit Botswana for a while and explore a culture different from my own, and I'm looking forward to going back.
Second, I enjoyed the story itself. It's very slice-of-life in feel, and it deals with hard things and easy things without ever feeling truly dark or graphic itself. I suppose that's why it's tagged so often as a cozy mystery. I feel like I got to visit Botswana for a while and explore a culture different from my own, and I'm looking forward to going back.
It took a bit to get into this book, but curiosity kept me going to see how it connected. It is full of little stories with mysteries that need to be solved, mixed in with a bit of philosophy and descriptions of Afrika. Not a typical mystery, but a delightful quick read.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A