Z/Web

Author: Alexander McCall Smith

This is a fantastic novel. It’s a new twist on a familiar genre, the detective novel. In this case the book is set in Botswana and the detective is a woman, both unique and unusual choices. The result is a fascinating blend of African culture, unusual characters, and clever mysteries. This book is more like a series of short stories instead of a long sustained story, but it still works. We learn about the lead character, her past and her family and how she decided to make the unusual decision to open her own detective agency. We follow her as she solves her first few cases (simple but interesting) and eventually as she solves a kidnapping/murder case. We’re also involved with her personal life as she develops a connection with a man during her investigations. The book is very low-key, simple, and quite beautiful, just like Botswana. A must-read for all fans of different cultures or mysteries. There are more in the series and I’m buying them all!

Got to meet with former Bethany College president Dick Foth for lunch today (he was speaking at a camp in Oregon). I hadn’t seen him in at least ten years. He’s now working with a Christian group in Washington, D.C., where basically his job is to act as a prayer partner for bigwigs in government. He meets regularly with conservative leaders like John Ashcroft, but what impressed me is that his job is supposed to be apolitical, so the people he meets with are of all denominations and political affiliations. I abhor politics so I like that he’s there simply to pray with and for people and not to influence political decisions. He commented how one of the people he meets with is a General in the Pentagon who manages a multi-billion dollar budget and is responsible for the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians. Every day he must make complex and difficult decisions — and he’s modest enough to admit he needs God help in that role. Who of us can say how we’d act in such a position? It’s all well and good to agree or disagree with the current administration on the war, but when you’re the one actually making decisions that could cost the lives of people (on either side of the battle), that’s a massive responsibility. I don’t know that I’d really like to be in those shoes. Anyway, I was impressed at what he’s doing and he told a number of stories about some major people in D.C. that were fascinating.