“A wind had arisen — and it touched them now,, gently, reminding them, and it had rain on its breath, a token of that which heals the things that need to be healed.” —
Alexander McCall Smith, “How to Raise an Elephant”

Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency novels are so light and fluffy and charming that we may read them without even noticing that they carry serious themes — that they are actually about something.

“Precious and Grace,” for example, was about grace, not Grace Makutsi but rather the power of forgiveness. The author expands on this theme in “How to Raise an Elephant” (2020). The line quoted above is the last line in the novel, nicely summing up everything that has taken place. It's been all about healing the things that need to be healed.

As Botswana suffers from a long drought, Charlie finds himself with a baby elephant in his care. The mother has been killed by poachers, and now the mechanic/junior detective feeds it baby formula in his backyard. Soon everyone in the detective agency and the adjoining garage becomes involved in caring for the elephant, and they enlist the aid of Mma Potokwane, who runs the Orphan Farm. She should certainly know what to do with an orphan elephant, they think — and she does.

Meanwhile a distant relative of Precious Ramotswe comes to her asking for money. After visiting the woman, both Precious and Grace become suspicious. Something doesn't add up. And a quarreling couple move into the house next to that of Precious and Mr. J.LB. Matekoni.

All of these issues, drought included, require healing, and in just 242 light, fluffy and charming pages we watch it happen. ( )

I stopped reading the Isabel Dalhousie books because the exposition began to overtake the plot, and I'm afraid the same thing is happening with Precious Ramotswe. Isabel was always much more preachy in her philosophy, while Precious' musings, about human nature and the state of the world, have been much more integrated into the stories. However, the plots of these books are getting thinner, and exposition is on the rise. I still bought and read this book, and in the end I did enjoy reading about Precious and Mma Makutsi, working out whether Precious' cousin was trying to scam her, and how to deal with an orphaned elephant that had been left in the care of wayward sometime mechanic, sometime junior detective Charlie. Mma Ramotswe also delves into the lives of her new neighbours. In the end, this is another sweet story of Botswana, which is a balm to the soul in these troubling times, and I'll sweep my eyes over pages of musings to get to the meat of the stories, which just make me feel better about the world. ( )

Was a bit disjointed ( )

Digital audiobook narrated by Adjoa Andoh
3***

Book # 21 in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series set in Botswana and featuring Mma Precious Ramotswe and the other employees (partners?) of the agency, as well as friends and relatives.

I’ve skipped a couple of books in the series, because I needed an elephant on the cover for a challenge. I’m sorry I did so because now I know how certain relationships will play out and that will likely spoil the fun for me. Oh well, it’s still nice to visit with friends, and enjoy a cup of (red bush) tea as we ponder life’s mysteries.

As is typical for this series, the mysteries are not murders, but a cousin who has some financial difficulties, or a woman with a straying husband, and also figuring out why the suspension in Mma Ramotswe’s beloved little white van seems to have gone bad … not to mention the peculiar smell coming from the back of the van.

I’ve always liked listening to the audiobooks chiefly because of the stellar performance by Lisette Lecat. But this time the narrator is Adjoa Andoh. Now, Ms Andoh is a talented voice artist and I’ve listened to other audiobooks she has narrated, but this time… Oh my stars, but this is terrible. She exaggerates the accents to the point of caricature, and totally UNflattering caricature at that. ZERO stars for the audio performance. ( )

Mma Ramotswe's predictable life has a few surprises including a suspicious request from a distant family member, an orphan elephant, and new neighbors. With her usual grace, she handles the various challenges while maintaining home and office.