Trish's Reviews > The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine

I admire Alexander McCall Smith immensely, and this rating reflects my inability to keep my mind on the story. I have always listened to this series because I love the way Lisette Lecat speaks through the stories so slowly and with such clear pronunciation, accenting the English as though it is spoken by residents of Gaborone, Botswana.

In this episode, Mma Ramotswe takes a holiday, leaving the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency in the hands of Mma Makutsi. The pace of the novel is so slow, even less happening than usual, that I couldn't keep my mind on the story and thoughts just kept wandering off to feed on current events in my life, in the country. Also, a couple of things were being investigated, and one I could understand and had some interest in--the fate of a young boy who damages vehicles in a parking lot unless he is paid not to do so--and one I could not understand, even after listening for several hours. Somebody's dead husband was being defamed and no one knew why. Whatever.

Anyway, there were two great moments that showed McCall Smith's talent. When Mma Ramotswe went to find the mother of the boy she had abandoned, Mma was kind to 'that woman,' and did not criticize or humiliate her in any way. When she reunited them for an hour or two, both boy and mother had real emotion for one another.

Mma Makutsi proves her skill and intelligence while Mma Ramotswe is 'on holiday,' contrary to everyone's expectations. That is both a relief and a surprise, as it often is when one discovers an employee has unknown depths. I really admire what McCall Smith is able to do, and wish I had more enthusiasm again for this series, but I am afraid I may have come to the end of my attention span. My failure, not his.