Tears of the Giraffe

More from the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

By: Alexander McCall Smith

Narrated by: Lisette Lecat

Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's Summary

In this thoroughly entertaining book, the best-selling, critically acclaimed author of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency continues the story of Mma "Precious" Ramotswe, the clever proprietor of the only detective agency in all of Botswana.

Now engaged to Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, Mma Ramotswe must contend with the hostility of her fianci's unscrupulous maid, who quickly begins plotting the disintegration of the arrangement. Then an American woman asks for help to learn the truth behind her son's disappearance in Africa, and Mma Ramotswe has all the troubles she can handle.

Part detective story, part comedy of manners and part African travelogue, Tears of the Giraffe is an indisputable joy.

Listen to the other titles in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.

©2000 Alexander McCall Smith (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic Reviews

"I haven't read anything with such unalloyed pleasure for a long time." (The Sunday Telegraph)

A tender tale, sweetly told

Rare is the book which is more satifying heard than read. The richness of the reader's voice, the rhythm of the language and the purity of her accent all combine to make a delicate and fulfilling dish in this early one of Smith's Precious Ramotswe stories. This tale involves an American, peripherally, whose connection to Botswana is kindly and believeably crafted. I started listening the these books out of order, and I'm going back and listening from the beginning now, which is helpful to me, but each stands alone, and the characters are consistent and wonderful. Every one of Smith's books is a love song to the people of Botswana, and to the possibilities of the heights of dignity and kindness in all of us.

This particular story contains some of the most heartbreaking circumstances one can imagine and these are handled with insight and compassion which supercedes most of the behavior on this planet. I don't know if this is an accurate portrayal of life along the Kalahari or not, but it is a wonderful one, and I thank Mr. Smith for every one of his books, and Lisette Lecat for her pure and perfect narration.

Delightful characters, setting and story

STORY (contemporary fiction) - This story is the epitome of an easy listen. The main characters are good people who always try to do the right thing. The setting is present day in a small village in Botswana, Africa, with descriptions of the wild and beautiful countryside that will make you fell like you're there. And the story is just delightful. Normally I would consider such a book slow, possibly even boring, but this is just easy and made me feel good. Not a lot happens in terms of heavy detective work - a woman seeks closure for the death of her son ten years prior, a man wants to find out if his wife is cheating, a maid tries to get the main character, Mma Ramotswe, into trouble. But Mma Ramotswe, being the good person she is, follows her heart and does whatever she thinks is right for everyone ... sometimes with a creative twist.

In this book Mma Ramotswe continues her engagement with Mr. JLB Matekone, who is a good man and a real pushover. (You will see just how much of a softie he is in this book.) I'm still puzzled as to why they have such a formal relationship for an engaged couple and why they refer to each other by their full, long names. The title doesn't make sense until the very last few sentences of the book and even then was kind of a stretch, but the ending was very good nonetheless.

PERFORMANCE - Lisette Lecat is a wonderful narrator. Almost gave her five stars. She brings old friends to life with her lovely voice and great character differentiation. Her accent, whether authentic or not, is refreshingly different and easy to understand.

OVERALL - This is Book 2 in the series. The stories stand alone, though there is character development flowing from book to book. There is no cursing or violence and only a few minor sexual references. Recommended primarily for females over age 18. This book is just easy, uplifting and enjoyable like a relaxing trip to Africa with good friends. I look forward to hearing the next book.

wonderful

This second book in the series continues in the wonderful story telling voice of Smith. I love the gentle plot twists he puts in, and his character development is superb. The reader also does a wonderful job, adding character to an already rich book, and I would rather listen to then read it.

Like visiting with friends!

This is the second book in the series and my review really applies to both book one and book 2. They are what might be termed “cozy mysteries“. But the mystery is not really the thing, it’s more a story about a people and a place.

The mysteries are engaging, but again not really the point. So if you were looking for a Pure thriller, this not might not be it.

However, the stories of Botswana and all the characters are more than entertaining and interesting.

The reader give us an amazing performance. Every voice so distinct every character so clear. She really brings this to life.

So, I highly recommend the first two books in the series, it will be like spending evenings with old friends.

Tears of the Giraffe Review

The reader has marvelous pronunciation and a lovely accent; the story rolls along pleasantly. Made me wish for the next edition...

Technical problems with the recording.

There was a constant, irritating, hum in the background throughout this book and the reader frequently paused while reading so the story didn’t flow well. The story was good, though.

Every bit as good as the first book in the series

This second book in the "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" series is another outstanding story. The reader is excellent and by the time you're into this second book you realize that she IS the voice of the series. You'll also want to visit Botswana as a result of this series.

Excellent

After finishing the #1 Ladies Detective Agency I could not wait to listen to Tears of a Giraffe. I loved this book as much as the first. The narrator is so great and creats such wonderful characters with her voice. I have become a true Alexander McCall Smith fan and I can't wait to read more.

Tears of the Giraffe Stands Tall

"Detective" is the "No. 1" word from the title of Alexander McCall Smith's series set in Botswana in Southern Africa, at least from a marketing point of view, and from the point of view of readers who want and expect cozy mysteries. "Ladies" is a close second, not just for target marketing, but because the series is so strongly based on an independent woman working a man's job in a society controlled by men.

But the most important word from a literary point of view is "Agency". Smith crafts his highly appealing and successful series by giving agency to women first of all, as already mentioned, but also to Africans in general in a world where a peaceful prosperous nation like Botswana does not get the credit it deserves, children who are so often and so sadly the victims of adult foibles, working class men and women who want to earn an honest living and be proud of themselves.

In this second entry in the series, there is a lot of focus on Mr. J.L.B. Matekone, recently engaged to the main character, Mma Ramotswe, and he is not a detective, he is a car mechanic. It takes a while for Mma Ramotswe to get her big case in this book and even longer for her to start working it -- if you watched the HBO series, you'll recognize the case of the missing American son. And then -- correcting the one thing from the HBO series that was missing from the first book -- Mma Makutsi graduates to assistant detective and takes on her first case.

But the cases are not true mysteries -- if you're looking for a whodunit, you'll be disappointed. Instead, they are springboards for approaching the subjects of honesty and justice, and past vs. future, especially looking at children and how the transition from a tribal and colonial past to a modern global future affects the world they live in. Smith doesn't strike a wrong beat throughout, whether your interest is strictly in the story and characters or whether your interest is piqued by some of the philosophical, moral, and social issues he brings up.

I'm not sure whether I would like these books as much as I do if hadn't visited Botswana two years ago and been so blown away by how great of a place it is and how wonderful the people are. I'm sure I would have found it illuminating and entertaining. But given my personal connection, I am thrilled to have the often overlooked country so affectionately and accurately portrayed. And Lisette Lecat's narration is pitch perfect, capturing the accent of the region while remaining totally listenable, and changing things up as necessary.

Worthwhile But Slow

Tears of the Giraffe has all the charm of the first book in this series but is severely lacking in plot and suspense. It was over a half-hour of listening before there was a hint of the main mystery, and there were few of the fun side-cases to be solved. At points I found the book boring and I considered not listening to the rest. However, I am glad I listened to the whole book because there really is a lot of redeeming quality. When Precious Ramotswe gets the chance to work on a case, she demonstrates all the intelligence and common sense that made her a great character in the first book. The writer also includes discussion of such things as ?old Botswana morality,? which I found very interesting. The characters are well crafted and generally believable and I found the ending satisfying. There are some aspects of the reading that I found annoying, but otherwise, I enjoyed the reader. She did a good job making the characters distinguishable by their voices. All in all, I would recommend this book as long as the listener understands it is not strong on plot, as would generally be expected in a mystery. It takes some patience to reap the benefits this book has to offer.