To the Land of Long Lost Friends

No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Book 20

De: Alexander McCall Smith

Narrado por: Lisette Lecat

In the latest book in the widely beloved No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, Precious Ramotswe takes on a case for a childhood acquaintance and finds that family relationships are always a tricky proposition - even for Botswana's premier female detective.

Mma Ramotswe has reconnected with an old friend who has been having problems with her daughter. Though Precious feels compelled to lend a hand, she discovers that getting involved in family affairs is always a delicate affair. The young woman appears to be involved with a charismatic preacher. But are his ministrations entirely of a godly nature?

Elsewhere, Charlie is also struggling with a tricky matter of the heart. He wishes to propose to his girlfriend, Queenie-Queenie, but he's struggling to come up with a bride price that will impress her father. When Queenie-Queenie's brother offers to help by giving him a job, the offer may not be quite what Charlie expected.

As always, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni will offer wise counsel, Mma Makutsi will weigh in with her opinions, and Mma Potokwane will be there with her welcome fruit cake. But in the end it will be up to Mma Ramotswe to reflect on love, family, and the nature of men and women in order to resolve family dramas and remind everyone about all the good things they have in life - so many, in fact, that it would take far too long to count them.

©2019 Alexander McCall Smith (P)2019 Recorded Books

Reseñas de la Crítica

"How lovely to spend time again with Mma Precious Ramotswe, of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Thanks to the quiet performance of Lisette Lecat, series fans reconnect with a bevy of fully formed Botswana residents.... Sensitive writing, wry humor, and Lecat's deft performance make this choice listening." (AudioFile Magazine)

like an old friend, this book's sweet listening

absolutely does not disappoint! lissette lecat is superb as always. she is the voice of these characters and of Botswana. just a delight!!!

More lovliness

I loved it. It has more of the gentle sweet descriptions of land, people, trouble & joys we have come to expect from #1 Ladies.

Marvelous! I love this series!!

My favorite quote from this novel is, "Men are very fortunate that women are so understanding." After 51 years of marriage to a very understanding wife I can relate to that. Audible has classified the genre of the 20 novels in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series in various ways. It classifies TO THE LAND OF LONG LOST FRIENDS as humor. I would classify the entire series as modern detective mysteries or possibly as cozy mysteries.

This series is set in the landlocked southern African nation of Botswana. The repeat characters are very well developed and each is wonderful. Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith spent much of his life in Botswana.

If you are looking for fast paced thrillers, this series is not for you because life in Botswana is not fast paced. This series is about marvelous stories with great characters well told.

South African Lisette Lecat narrates each novel in this series. She is incredibly good!

Another good visit with Mma Ramotswe and friends

Precious Ramotswe attends a wedding, and thinks she sees a ghost--an old friend whom she hadn't seen in years, and whose death had been reported in the newspaper months ago. It turns out the friend is very much alive, and the newspaper reported the death of a woman of the same name, and mistakenly used the wrong picture. The friends reconnect--and the friend, Calvinia, has a problem she'd like Mma Ramotswe to look into. Her daughter, an adult with a good job, has started avoiding her mother. Calvinia is hurt, and can't find out why her daughter has cut contact. Can Mma Ramotswe?

Another old friend of Mma Ramotswe and Calvinia has apparently been swindled of all her money by a charismatic preacher.

Meanwhile, a paying client wants the detectives to find out that her husband is having an affair. They are unable to oblige; he's taking math lessons. But is something else really going on? Charlie, who started as comic relief, has been developing into a real and worthwhile character, and makes a useful contribution in this case.

Charlie also wants to marry his girlfriend, Queenie-Queenie, but her family is both rich, and rather traditional. Charlie has no cattle and no money, and Queenie-Queenie suggests that her brother give Charlie a job in his business. It might be an offer Charlie can't accept, even to be able to marry Queenie-Queenie.

As we've come to expect, the issues here are not crime and danger, but moral choices, mutual respect, communication, and understanding. Both Charlie and Mma Makutsi are flawed but fundamentally decent people, trying to make the right choices. Mma Ramotswe, and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, on much stronger ground, nevertheless still find challenges from which to learn and grow.

Mma Potokwane, matron of the orphan farm and reliable purveyor of fruitcake, provides a couple of rather different delights in this story, and demonstrates that you should never tick off someone who has successfully managed an orphan farm for many years.

A very pleasant, enjoyable visit with old friends. Recommended.

I bought this audiobook.

An antidote for these stressful times

As usual, the Number One Ladies Detective Agency series renews one’s faith in humankind. And of course the narrator is so gifted and makes the experience even more enjoyable.

More of the wonderful story ....

To those who have yet to meet Mma Precious Ramotswe, you will develop a fine relationship with her and her compatriots in this latest telling of the Number One Ladies’ Detective Agency.
If you have not experienced these stories prior to this tale, you should really, really, go back and start with the first book. The stories are thoroughly enjoyable, and the narration is absolute perfection. Ms Lisette Lecat, who is from South Africa, gives the stories the lilt and inflection that only a person who is thoroughly familiar with the idioms of the area would have.
I have read these books, and I have listened to them, and the Audible version is far, far better: some pronunciations are simply not transferable to the printed page ( such as the pronunciation of, ‘Mma’ ) and this narrator is perfectly suited to these wonderful stories.

Hooray for Madame Ramotswe

Lisette Lecat is a wonder. She brings McCall’s characters to life so they feel like old friends. The civility and humanness in his characters is so uplifting- particularly in these trying times.

Another enjoyable entry

Another enjoyable entry in the series. Two mysteries: why a daughter has cut ties with her mother, Ma Ramotswe's old friend (and why she's suddenly driving a Mercedes) and is a husband really studying math on evenings he's spending with a teacher. (Ma Makutsi doubts his innocence and doesn't want to close the case quite yet.) And happy news: Queenie Queenie wants to marry Charlie (but she wants her brother to help him make money fast for the cattle for the bride price. The brother is not on the level but wants Charlie to render cars inoperable for those who can't or won't pay their loansharks. Charlie meets Queenie Queenie's father and surprised me with his honesty, winning my heartfelt admiration.) A good one. (Especially since I started the next one and HATE the new reader. She TRILLS her R's so much she becomes incomprehensible. After years of enjoying Lissette Lecat, I found the new reader a abominable.)

Why do people do what they do? The #1 Ladies have

Good performance and good pacing. Wisdom and experience do not answer all questions, but find resolutions nonetheless.

A bit too “talky”

I’ve been reading and listening to these books for years and have always enjoyed them. This one has the great characters we know through out the series, and some new ones and overall it is charming but I found myself getting tired of all the reminiscing thrown into odd parts of the story and all the talking, repeating and repeating again. The narration is good but it felt like things were dragging so I increased the speed to 1.2 and it moved along better.

I always recommend the #1 books because they portray a gentle, kind place and time, but I may have reached my limit.