From a Far and Lovely Country

The twenty-fourth book in the multi-million copy bestselling and perennially adored No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.

If you are the founder and Managing Director of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency you may expect complete strangers to approach you with their problems when they see you having dinner with your husband in a peri-peri restaurant. And if you are Precious Ramotswe, you are a kind and helpful person who will be willing to take on a quest to find the relatives of a man who, many years ago, left the country for the uncertainties and dangers of a distant conflict.

While that is going on, though, there may be other things that claim your attention - such as the shocking news that a club that calls itself the Cool Singles Evening Club is encouraging married men to pretend to be single and meet women under false pretences. Who can be behind such a distasteful venture? Mma Ramotswe shows great tact in dealing with this situation, and avoids harm to the innocent.

And all the time, she and her assistant, Grace Makutsi, are getting on with their normal lives - which, of course, include birthdays and the buying of birthday presents. A new dress makes a fine present, but not if, when being tried on, it splits in a way that is thought to be irreparable. Mma Potokwani has dealt with situations far worse that, and in dealing with this local emergency she shows her characteristic wisdom. At the end of the day, disaster is averted. Life in Botswana, that far and lovely country of the title, continues smoothly, which is what Mma Ramotswe and her friends want - and most certainly deserve.

An escape from life's woes as well as a suggestion for how to make the whole deal more palatable - fragility, fruit cake, and all Boston Globe
One of the most reliably entertaining cosy series running, soothingly returning readers to the tiny Botswana office of Mma Precious Ramotswe... a comic novel, enlivened by Precious' reflections, Grace's jockeying for status and part-time mechanic and apprentice detective Charlie's struggles to overcome his unreliability. A total delight Booklist, Starred Review
The most fabulous celebration of kindness and wisdom awaits... At once gentle and affectionate while also beautifully witty and thought-provoking LoveReading
One of the secrets of McCall Smith's success with this series is the consistency with which he dispenses his quiet charm, and From a Far and Lovely Country is no exception... hilarious and heartwarming Scottish Field
Smith consistently finds ways to move the books forward and keep them fresh... A reminder to appreciate the people and places we love Star Tribune

Alexander McCall Smith is the author of over one hundred books on a wide array of subjects, including the award-winning The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. He is also the author of the Isabel Dalhousie novels and the world's longest-running serial novel, 44 Scotland Street. His books have been translated into forty-six languages. Alexander McCall Smith is Professor Emeritus of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh and holds honorary doctorates from thirteen universities. He was knighted by the King in 2024.

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