Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Book #62: The Miracle at Speedy Motors


Title: The Miracle at Speedy Motors
Author: Alexander McCall Smith

Yet another installment in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. This time Mma Ramotswe and her cast of characters destroy a heart-shaped bed, and reunite a long-separated brother and sister.

I always pick up these books at the library, and then put off reading them, because I think I'm not going to like them. And while it's true that seem almost too innocent, too hopeful, I usually decide, like I did with The Miracle at Speedy Motors, that occasionally, reading about Mma Ramotswe's Botswana is just what I need. I always laugh that these books are classified as mysteries, because the greatest mystery in this book is whether or not a woman's long-deceased mother is really her mother. Instead, the book is mostly about family, friendship, rootedness to place, and living with purpose.

1 comment:

Terry Mastny said...

What I like about these books is that they take us to a simpler life where boiled pumpkin is dinner and red shoes are a luxury. The Ladies #1 Detective Agency solves "everyday problems" through patience, attention to detail, logic, and understanding the nature of man. The books plod complacently without any abrupt twists or turns of plot, but sometimes Mma's gentle approach to deductive reasoning is just what we need.