The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
This is a simple story filled with simple characters told in simple language. Apart from a few incidents here and there, this could be a Nancy Drew-ish children’s book. But the MC and the setting made all the difference.
Mma Ramotswe is challenging norms by being the first female detective in Botswana. She is a strong, resourceful woman with an opinion about everything from skinny women to afterlife. She leads a quiet life, unlike her literary counterparts. She follows her daily routine religiously. She wakes up and watches birds, cooks pumpkin stew and drinks lots of bush tea. I loved how stable she is. She’d kill a crocodile with one shot and carry on with her routine as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. And she’s not one to shy away from stopping and smelling roses even if she was hot on the trail to solve her case.
“What use was it having all that money if you could never sit still or just watch your cattle eating grass?”
None at all. Hers is a good mind to escape into. And Botswana seems like a great place to be if you want a peaceful life and if you are okay with the occasional snakes and the constant heat.