The Full Cupboard of Life: More from the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency FROM OUR EDITORS
The Barnes & Noble Review
Mma Precious Ramotswe, founder of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, is a full-figured lady with a very busy and happy life. She has work that challenges and fulfills her. She's engaged to one of the finest mechanics in Botswana -- a man she respects and loves. Her home on Zebra Drive pleases her. Her assistant and protﾽgﾽe, Mma Makutsi (founder of the Kalahari Typing School for Men), is flourishing. And Precious is enjoying managing the lives of the two foster children her fiancﾽ brought to her from the orphan farm. All told, her cupboard of life is practically bursting with blessings.
Of course, even the happiest life has some troublesﾽand right now Precious has her share of those as well. In this fifth volume of the bestselling series by Alexander McCall Smith, marriage is much on Mma Ramotswe's mind. She's somewhat concerned that, despite the fact she's been engaged to Mr J.L.B. Matekoni for some time now and is absolutely certain of his affection, her beloved has proven most unwilling to set a date to make her the happiest of women. At present, even work offers her little distraction. The case that currently occupies her attention involves still more matrimonial problems, notably checking up on several potential suitors vying for the hand of a wealthy lady who owns a chain of hair braiding salons. Precious knows that her own suitor is an honorable gentleman who would never marry for money or prove otherwise unworthy of any trust that has been placed in him. But it's still not easy for her to be spending so much time in the company of men who do not live by such high standards. And it's worrying her that Mr J.L.B. Matekoni seems to have several other concerns that he's allowing to take precedence over their long-delayed matrimonial plans. Of course, it's only natural for him to be absorbed in properly training the all-too-distractible apprentices in his charge. And it is also perfectly understandable that he would be preoccupied about making the parachute jump for charity that the matron of the orphan farm has arranged. And anyone would worry about confronting the unscrupulous mechanics that did such a terrible job on the valuable old car that is now in his care.
Fortunately, Mma Ramotswe is strong in the traditional Botswanan values of honesty, generosity, and kindness. That makes her a formidable ally for her friends and her clientsﾽand a fearsome opponent for anyone who fails to meet her expectations about proper behavior and responsibility. Alexander McCall Smith was born in what is now known as Zimbabwe and was a law professor at the University of Botswana before relocating to Scotland. His knowledge of and affection for the land and people of Africa comes through clearly in the rich descriptions and captivating characters that have made his No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series an international phenomenon. Sue Stone
FROM THE PUBLISHER
"In this fifth novel in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, we are once again transported to Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, and enter the world of Mma Precious Ramotswe and her friends." "Mma Ramotswe is engaged to Mr. J. L. B. Matchani. She wonders when the wedding date will be set, but she is anxious to avoid putting too much pressure on her fiance. For, indeed, he has other things on his mind - notably a frightening request made of him by Mma Potokwane, the pushy matron of the Orphan Farm." And there is the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency to tend to. Mma Ramotswe has been hired to determine whether the several suitors of a wealthy woman - who made her fortune in hair braiding salons - are really interested in her, or only in her money. A difficult task, but no one can match Mma Ramotswe in resourcefulness and spot on intuition.
SYNOPSIS
Alexander McCall Smith’s The Full Cupboard of Life continues the adventures of Precious Ramotswe, the remarkable proprietress of an unusual detective agency in Botswana. Mma Ramotswe begins to fret that she has been engaged to Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni for a while now (in fact, through the first four books of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series —The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, Tears of the Giraffe, Morality for Beautiful Girls, and The Kalahari Typing School for Men) with no wedding date in sight. He, unfortunately, is preoccupied with other things, in particular, a frightening proposition from the bossy matron of the Orphan Farm. And, of course, there is always the day-to-day business of the detective agency to occupy Mma Ramotswe’s time and energy.
FROM THE CRITICS
The New York Times
The Full Cupboard of Life is by no means oppressively sweet, but it is committed to looking on life's sunny side. And its characters, like the one who watches a special mango ripen on a tree, have a primitivism that is as reductive as it is warm. At one point, someone suggests that "How to Get 97 Percent" would be an appealing title for a book. It's one that could easily be applied to Mr. Smith's big-hearted Botswanan stories.
— Janet Maslin
USA Today
Smith once again transports readers to Gaborone, capital of Botswana, home to the gentle but no-nonsense Precious Ramotswe, who relies as much on her intuition as on the facts in her masterful crime-solving.—Kathy Balog
Publishers Weekly
Precious Ramotswe is on the case again in this delightful fifth installment in the bestselling No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, this time assisting the self-made founder of a chain of hairdressing salons who wants to unearth the real intentions of her four suitors, each possibly more interested in her money than her heart. As fans know, though, sleuthing takes second place to folksy storytelling in McCall Smith's wry novels. This time around, Mma Ramotswe is distracted by her long-prolonged engagement to Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, Gaborone's best mechanic; it seems she will never be married, despite her fianc 's honorable intentions. He installs an extra large seatbelt in her car to keep her safe (she is quite comfortable with her "traditional build," despite the new, slender fashion of modern woman), but an altercation with another mechanic and the prospect of a charity parachute jump keep his mind off matrimony. A drive for decency motivates Mma Ramotswe and her friends-among them Mma Potokwani, the imperious matron of the local orphan farm, and Mma Makutsi, assistant at the Ladies' Detective Agency and founder of the Kalahari Typing School for Men-and Smith's talent is in portraying this moral code in a manner that is always engaging. As readers will appreciate, Mma Ramotswe solves her cases-more questions of character, really, than of criminal behavior-in good time. Traditionally built ladies living in the African heat don't tend to hurry, and, at the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, there's always time for another cup of tea. Agent, Robin Straus. (Apr. 20) Forecast: Fans will love the surprise in store for Precious Ramotswe at the end of the novel, and should bump this on bestseller lists. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
Thankfully, Mma Precious Ramotswe is back in another delightful adventure. The fifth book in Smith's popular "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series finds Precious humorously and intuitively pondering her status as the longtime fianc e of Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, as the primary guardian of two children from the orphan farm, and, of course, as the proprietress of Botswana's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. In addition to her personal life, Mma Precious has taken on the professional tasks of screening suitors for a wealthy salon owner and getting Mr. Matekoni out of a precarious situation. Returning with Mma Ramotswe are the usual cast of memorable supporting characters, and Smith introduces several new and well-drawn personalities. With the charm and visual detail so characteristic of this series, readers are treated to another enchanting slice of Mma Ramotswe's world. Sure to please both enduring fans and new readers, this is highly recommended for all fiction and mystery collections. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 12/03.]-Nicole A. Cooke, Montclair State Univ. Lib., Upper Montclair, NJ Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal
Adult/High School-In this fifth installment about the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Mma Ramotswe and her assistant, Mma Makutsi, tackle the case of a wealthy woman who wants to know which of her suitors is only after her money. On a personal note, Mma Ramotswe worries over when her fianc will set a date for their marriage, and more urgently, who will replace him in performing the parachute jump, a charity event to raise money for the Orphan Farm. The charm of this series set in Botswana is its wealth of very real characters. By Western standards they may be economically poor, but in terms of pride, love, and happiness, they are rich indeed. Readers will be seduced by the beauty of the land and intrigued by local customs. They will learn about drought and irrigation, about growing pumpkins, braiding hair, and dealing with poisonous snakes. The cases Mma Ramotswe handles are more about solving problems than crimes. Her behavior is governed by good manners, politeness, and honesty, and her favorite tool in the art of detecting is tea, preferably Bush Tea. The book has lots of humor, and optimism softens the tough realities of life. It also has a delightful surprise ending.-Sheila Janega, Fairfax County Public Library, Great Falls, VA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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