The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (16)

This is another if Smith's wonderful and touching series about the #1 Ladies Detective Agency and its owner, Precious Ramotswe. There is a sly humor here and I am always impressed with the patient and giving nature of Mma Ramotswe and her compatriots. If this is truly how Botswana feels, it is a place I would love to visit. The characters are not like any I have ever met but Precious gives everyone the benefit of her wisdom and charity. She is insightful and seems naive without seeming stupid and although each of these stories stands alone very well, it is wonderful to start at the beginning and meet each of the main characters in the first books and get to know them all better and better as the series progresses. These are quick reads, but I always try to make them last as long as I can because I love them so. You'll end up smiling at the end of each and every book and this is no exception.

I really feel like I know these characters. This is the 16th book in the series and it is uplifting and loving and kind. The situations feel real, not overdrawn and are solved in a reasonable manner without violence or even undue recriminations. I look forward to the next one.

I am deeply addicted to the novels of Alexander McCall Smith & am working my way through every single volume. I love his wit, insights, kindness, consistently superb ethics, humour, & so much more. I've just finished reading The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine, which I enjoyed very much, as always. I was perturbed, however, at the unexpected & fortunately temporary disharmony between Mma Ramotswe & her secretary-associate detective-co-director at the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Mma Grace Makutsi. Some of Mma Makutsi's behaviour struck me as blatantly rude & even conniving: could this really be happening between these longtime friends & colleagues? Well, Mma Ramotswe herself had the same short-lived fear (but long enough to keep the reader in suspense!). I was hugely relieved when all the misunderstandings were happily resolved, & yet I could not help feeling that Mma Makutsi did come out of this volume a bit tainted. Smith's characters are always evolving, as we know, in all his delightful series, & for a moment I wondered whether in some future volume, Mma Ramotswe would actually sack Mma Makutsi. Probably not, but I will keep reading to find out! This thread of course was not the only one in Sunshine, & I must say I found the thread dealing with the poor little boy Samuel very fascinating & uplifting. In Mma Ramotswe, Smith has created a truly--if I may put it this way--saintly character, with infinite compassion & self-awareness & a heart of pure gold. In this very troubled world, A. McCall Smith's books are the perfect mental therapy & fount of inspiration.

Quality and informative well written

When you read a No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel you can always be sure of a happy ending. We might not have them in real life, but with Alexander McCall Smith books we can feel safe no matter which book or series we are reading. I have read all the books in this wonderful series and have noticed that the books are getting more and more realistic. Precious is not always perfect and she admits her Botswana and the people are not always perfect. Yet, she has faith that most people are good. I like that this series is no longer as unrealistic as fairy tales are. I am happy that Mr. Polopetsi is back as well as all the usual characters including Mma Potokwane and, Oh No!, Violet Sephoto. And, the plot and subplots seemed more complicated than usual which I think is a good thing. This is a lovely book and I am not at all disappointed. I wish I could personally thank Mr. Smith for enriching my life with his wonderful books.

I have loved this series since I first stumbled across THE NUMBER 1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY years ago. The setting and characters always have to carry these books, which typically are thin on plot. I used to feel so much excitement when a new book about Precious Ramotswe came out. But this is a book very much in search of a plot. The storyline is so thin it's practically transparent. The contention between Precious and Grace rang a little false, and I don't think a book should wait until 147 pages in to finally get around to the actual story problem. Smith's Dalhousie series seems to have bled over a bit because Precious now pauses to give philosophical consideration to the most trivial detail. This brings everything to a halt, and while I want a touch of that insight and perspective, I don't want to wade in it page after page. Of course, there are positive aspects to the book. The Samuel subplot is very good, and as usual Precious solves everything in a satisfactory way. But I would still prefer more plot events and less philosophy.

Alexander McCall usually makes me cry at some point or other in his books in this series and this time the tears came in the last chapter. I have read all the other books in this series and been charmed and seduced each time. One might wonder how Alexander McCall Smith can find material for this small group of characters in a small city in Botswana but his stories are all character driven and ring wonderfully true and genuine and one cannot stop reading. For each new book I have been prepared that this might be an attempt to cash in on the previous success with double spaced lines. But no, there are always some new twists and turns and solutions that warm, charm and sometimes make you cry. And the double spaced lines, I welcome them actually - they make it easier to read. Thanks! I have a feeling that many readers are the same age as the author and share his moral/ethical outlook. Don’t we all miss and long for good manners and the civility of yesterday. The author is always true to his characters and his sense of humour and style - he writes like a primitive painter paints - accounts for the success of these books. When you look at the reviews, a majority of the reviewers are very favourable. A very small percentage give unfavourable reviews. I will certainly keep buying Alexander McCall Smith's books as long as he keeps writing them.

In "The Woman who Walked in Sunshine" wird Mma Ramotswe von ihrer Kollegin und Co-Managerin Mma Makutsi und ihrem Ehemann Mr J.L.B. Matekoni in Urlaub geschickt. Aber, wer Mma Ramotswe kennt, weiß, dass sie egal, wo sie ist, ob in der Nr. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, im Haus am Zebra Drive oder auf Verwandtenbesuch, das Ermitteln nicht lassen kann. Und so war auch dieses neue Abenteurer wieder ein Lesevergnügen, bei dem man sich freut, seinen alten Freunden aus Botswana wieder zu begegnen. Die wohltuend ruhige Erzählweise ist für Leser quasi ein Kurs in Sachen Entschleunigung und die Figuren werden so spürbar von ihrem Autor geliebt und respektiert, dass dieser Funke in jedem Fall überspringt - und das ganz ohne Mord und Totschlag. Für Fans ein Muss.

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series is outstanding. All the stories provide profound insights into the human condition and bring joy into the reader's life.

So glad Alexander McCall-Smith is still writing all these lovely, humorous and relaxing books. Have bought them all through the years and the price is reasonable for a paperback.

Tutto mi piace. Fosofia di vita semplice ma profonda