Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith

I am a child of Africa - as a result of colonialism - but still a child of Africa. It is a strange position to be in: not being African but not being anything else either. It only takes the briefest of skims over the headlines to realise that I am not wanted here, and only an attempt to go somewhere on holiday to realise that I am not welcome anywhere else either - just in case I decide to stay, illegally.

But there is something to be said for being raised here, besides fabulous spidey-senses that can pick up a dodgy bloke from quite a distance away and a certain amount of paranoia that sees all my fellow countrymen tied into their cling-wrapped luggage at international airports so they can nap while they wait 7 hours for a connecting flight. What am I talking about? I am talking about the world that happens outside of the newspapers, the world of animals and the world of true ubuntu (human kindness) which unfortunately is becoming so scarce. I am talking about the world shown in the books by Alexander McCall Smith.

“There was far too much interest in the past, she thought. People were forever digging up events that had taken place a long time ago. And what was the point in doing this if the effect was merely to poison the present?”

― Alexander McCall Smith, Tears of the Giraffe

Tears of the Giraffe is the second book in the Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. It follows a growing cast in Gaborone, Botswana who are in some way connected to Mma Precious Ramotswe, the owner and founder of The Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. The title of the series is perhaps a little deceptive. This isn't a crime series - well, at least not the typical crime series one expects. There are some clients who come to the agency for assistance, and we do follow Mma Ramotswe as she solves them, but they are not the main focus of the books. The focus of the books is African life in Gaborone.

They paint such a beautiful, optimistic view of African culture and the African country side. Unlike most books which have a hard plot structure, this one is a gentle meandering tale that it weaves itself along more realistically. Some things are left without a conclusion while other things are tied up nicely. But it is not a slow read by any means, as the characters are so interesting and their innocence so refreshing, it is easy to complete the story in one sitting.

As I said above, these stories have a growing cast. The first book is all about Mma Ramotswe, while this one spends a lot of time with Mr J.L.B. Matekoni. I found most of his scenes delightfully funny. I also enjoyed that Mma Makutsi, the secretary at the Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, got a larger role in this story too.

While not being preachy in the slightest, these tales manage to balance traditional gender roles with a more modern view of gender equality. I also thoroughly enjoyed the innocent wisdom that comes from the characters and the moral philosophy that the book raised.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads. It is the 14th book completed for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.