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great review, you capture the spirit of these wonderful, wonderful books. I'd add though that there is also an undercurrent of menace and harsh reality that runs through these stories, which elevates them from... being too feel-goody, I guess. Every story has a revelation of a disturbing event; I think what makes me like Mme (and how do you pronounce that anyway?) so much is the "oh well" pragmatism and grace with which she faces these sometimes kinda nasty developments.

Very good point Cynthia- I really like the balance between the harsh realities and the warmth and loyalty of Mma Ramotswe and her friends.

I loved this book.

I just revisited this one and "Tears of the Giraffe" and am delighted to report that they hold up as well, if not better, on a second reading. I was struck this time around by Smith's use of language: it's almost as though they're written in a Y.A. vein. I think, however, that his intent is to portray the difference in perspectives between that which could loosely be called "the West" and that of Botswana. The emphasis on politeness and the search for the truly moral way to handle various situations is both charming and thought-provoking.

I think this phrase that you start out your review: "This collection of vignettes disguised as a novel ..." has helped me get my head around this book. Thank you.

Hello, Rayni.

The further books in the series are more novelistic, in that the individual plot threads are woven together more tightly. I just finished "Morality for Beautiful Girls" and loved it.

This is the 2nd time I've tried this book. This time around I've really enjoyed it. I noticed he used the phrase "tears of the giraffe" in the chapter I just finished last night. I don't know if I would have caught it, if I hadn't been reading reviews, looking at the other titles of his books & reading some forums for his books.