The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency

Ok, this is a whole series of books that caught my eye about 6 years ago. I was in Target and the picture on the front cover of book 1 intrigued me. But alas the stories take place in Africa -- I'm always hesitant to read anything about Africa because it usually makes me sad -- so much suffering, death, emaciated children, orphans, basically everything that's wrong with our world... Yes, I've read other writers books about Africa and I know enough.

Friday at the library, I decided to just go for it and check out the first 2 books in the series. For one thing I had only 2 seconds to make a decision and for another I was again feeling drawn to these books.

Sometimes, one intuition knows oneself better than one's common sense. As I opened the book, I braced myself for some terrible images. But I was pleasantly surprised. Bad things do happen in these stories but they are alluded to, these are stories about the good in Africa, the everyday people living their everyday lives. No mention of Darfur, no mention of breastfeeding mothers being slain so their infants can starve, no children dying dreadfully and painfully on every page. These stories are about good people doing the right thing, making life a bit better for another.

I read for pleasure, to go places I can't travel too, to learn of life lived in different places and times, to read and hear words strung together in ways I can't imagine. These first 2 in the series gave me all of that, I can't wait to get to the library to check out 3 and 4!

Alexander McCall Smith, thank you for sharing the beauty in Africa. Thank you for sharing the good in the hearts of the people in Africa. Thank you for showing off what is right and good in Africa. Your books are a pleasure to read -- amusing, tearful, and best of all they make me smile.