My next IRJE is from “The Kalahari Typing School for Men,” the fourth book in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. The series follows Mma Ramotswe, a detective running the No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency in Botswana, and her fiancé Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, who runs a garage. Mma Ramotswe was hired by a man named Mr. Molefelo to find the people he had once stolen a radio from in for him order to make amends, and in the following paragraph she reflects on it:
“The more she thought about Mr. Molefelo, the more she admired what he had done in coming to see her. Most do not bother with the really old wrongs; many forget them entirely, whether deliberately – if you can make a deliberate effort to forget – or by allowing the past to fade of its own accord. Mma Ramotswe wondered whether people have a duty to keep memories alive, and had decided that they have. Certainly the old beliefs were that those who had gone before should be remembered (p. 107-108).”
In this paragraph, we can see Mma Ramotswe as she reflects on what happened that day, and the philosophies which she holds. The things that I like the most about this series are the slices of life in every page and that Mma Ramotswe often “muses” to herself about things in life. While these things aren’t rather important for the story, they add a element of realism. They also characterize her – for example, showing that she holds a strong belief in the old ways of her ancestors. They demonstrate Mma Ramotswe’s wisdom, allowing the reader see how she thinks and contrast the way that she thinks about things to the way we usually do in Canada and the US. Many times, the more modern and “advanced” isn’t always better.