Morality for Beautiful Girls Paperback – November 12, 2002

I know many people think these books are somewhat silly and lackluster, but they are great if you want to read something quick and easy. The stories are good fun, and I enjoy the characters. I find all the information about Botswana quite interesting too. I like to read these books before going to sleep to calm my mind.

The author has written a series of books about life in Botswana that includes gentle little stories about the people, their attitudes, their challenges, and their love for their country, all under the guise of the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency solving cases for clients. My son and I recently traveled to Botswana. A friend recommended the first book in the series, No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, and I have been hooked on the stories ever since. If you want to laugh at gentle humor and smile at Mma Ramotswe's thoughts about life, women, men, and Africa, then I recommend these books to you.

In his third book about the "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" Smith turns to a full blown analysis of Botswana Ethics and Morality. He investigates such concepts as some Botswanians are liars. Most tell the truth about most things, but there are still some things, that Botswanians will not tell about. Some Botswanian women are beautiful and some are not. Some Botswanian women play around, and are promiscuous, others are more chaste. And again, certainly, Smith discusses the concept of Traditional Values in the Modern World and how they mesh, and how they do not mesh.But what the reader notices, is these things that Smith showcases in his book, these values, these ethical standards, and the resulting mix, are not just Botswanian. They are American, Swiss, Russian, Portuguese, Indian, Italian, Australian, in fact, they are the same types of moral and ethical issues that all societies wrestle with all over the world.In this book, Smith deals less with detective stories and much more with ethics and human commonality. He even tackles depression as a very common and treatable human illness. And he comments on beauty contests, both the good and the bad. And even with this change of focus, Smith still keeps us with those same characters, acting the same way, and shows us how they analyze ethics and morality of others in comparison to their own. In addition, just so his characters are not superhuman, he also introduces some character faults within them as well. This introduction of a few negatives, makes his characters much more real as human beings. And after all, it seems, that what Smith's message is here, is that morality and ethics are woven into the fabric of everyday life, just as much as eating and sleeping. No matter where one lives and who one interacts with, the issues of ethics and morality in dealings with others must be considered. And if it be true, that no man is an island; then it also is true, that all men and women, must come to terms with some model of ethics and morality, that they can internally justify.Smith has an uncanny ability to use Botswana as a microcosm of the world. And even more so, a microcosm of the free and democratic countries of the world. For Botswana is a free and democratic country, and they are a very proud people. There are many such countries in the world. And in most things, they can be compared, at least metaphorically to the microcosm of Botswana.

As always these stories are captivating and charming. Interesting situations and fantastic character development. Thank goodness this is an extensive series since I want to spend a lot of time with these people.

How this man so brings to life a black woman in Botswana is remarkable. But he does it and it makes me think that Mma Ramotswe really exists. I wonder how many people have tried to find her, she is so real. And how did he think of all the stories and cases and their solutions? Did he hear them from the natives?

I have trouble putting the book down. The story compels me to keep reading even when I should be sleeping. The characters are well developed. I recommend the entire series.

I love the author's clear and vivid description of the exotic African setting of Gaborone in Botswana. I enjoy reading the brief references to the political leaders and philosophers of the area even though I know nothing about most of them. But mostly, I enjoy the interesting way the author has crafted his sentences and sentiments of his characters; they do not feel anywhere close to Western cultural beliefs and yet seem as though they used to be a long time ago. The daily conventional tasks of living for a very unconventional woman are described beautifully. It reminds me of the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. If Alexander wasn't so obviously a man's name I would have thought the author to be a woman as so much of the pages talk intimately about the differences between the sexes from a woman's point of view. I would very much love to know how to pronounce the abbreviations Mma. and Rra. In my head I read them as M-ma and Ra which I'm certain is totally wrong. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading a quirky, well paced novel that leaves you feeling refreshed.

I spend a lot of time on the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Most of the people there are of African descent but I doubt wether many of them have actually been to that continent or are really sure exactly where Gabarone is. However , the more time I spend with Mma Ramotswe and her friends through the pages of these delightful books, the more I feel that I am beginning to understand something of these "Cruzians". Indeed, just today I was pondering a bit of this while waiting in line at a local market when a local man next to me, whom I didn't know, looked at me and said, "how goes it with you, my brother ?" This is just one example of things that people do or say here that could come right from the Botswana Mr. Smith describes so beautifully in these wonderful books.The only disappointment with there volumes is that they are TOO SHORT.

Whenever I feel down ,especially after listening to the news, I return to Mma Ramotswe and her friends for comfort. Reading the accounts of the Number 1 Ladies Detective agency and Tlockweng Speedy Motors garage, is like sitting in a warm bath. The idylic country of Botswana as painted by Alexander Mcall Smith is how we would all like our own country to be. Of course, even Mma Ramotswe acknowleges that "things are changing from the old Botswana morality" and in the real world I have seen that the Botswana government has allowed the sale of ivory from "culled" elephants. Well I think we all need a bit of escapism ,especially at this time of lock down. The right and wrong morality championed by Mma Ramotswe is a relief from our world of greys.

Lovely characters that are easy to relate to and story lines that sometimes made me laugh aloud. Old fashioned values and morality that make you feel the world could be a better place if more shared their philosophy.

Another corker of a book, a real feel good sense with these books, that make you smile.Great stories nicely written with characters with real depth.

I have read all the early books in this series and find them to be a delightful, gentle read. Perfect for winding down on holiday, or a lazy read in the garden under a sunshade. The vivid imagery transports you to Botswana, where the characterisations are charmingly believable and bring the good and the not so good to life. The invariably happy ending is not reached without some harsh lessons along the way and is woven around Mma Precious Ramotswe's never ending intelligence, integrity and insight. I will be back for more.

To appreciate this book, one should read The No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agenxy first so one becomes familiar with the wonderful characters followed by Tears of the Giraffe.