Thursday, December 11, 2008

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series


I have been greatly enjoying Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. Smith's African world was my faithful companion during the many hours of flight to Rio, and I am now well into the third volume.

What's good about these books? The characters' values. The purity of truth and honesty in midst of a dangerous world. The author's great mind for plots, intricacies, twists. And also his mind for the ordinary life and its peaceful beauty.

The series is making me get to know better--and learn to love--Africa.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really enjoy the books as well. His other wildly varied series are also good. I am sure you will agree about Herr Dr.Dr. von Egelfeld (sp?) and there is also Isabel Dalhousie in Scotland. What an enjoyable author.

Susan

Ana Braga-Henebry said...

Ah, yes, the Sunday Philosophy Club series also got me... and of course the Portuguese Irregular Verbs one is still tops-- but only appreciated by academics, as we can attest.