How to Raise an Elephant

Alexander McCall Smith

$49.99

Hardback

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English

Little, Brown
08 November 2020

Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945); Crime & Mystery

Series: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

The latest instalment from the beloved THE NO. 1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY series

Catch up on the latest from Mma Ramotswe, Mma Makutsi and other favourites in this new instalment of Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.

As the temperature rises in Gaborone, Precious Ramotswe, founder of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, wonders whether the heat could be the reason that business is particularly slow. Luckily, a slower pace in life is her natural preference, unlike her colleague Mma Makutsi, who is alert to every passing observation and inclined to making snap decisions. With fewer cases to handle, Precious has time to contemplate her new neighbours, a couple who, by the sounds of it, have a rather volatile relationship . . .

But then a distant cousin of Mma Ramotswe's comes to the agency with a plea for help, and the ladies decide to pursue the issue together. Armed with Mma Ramotswe's circumspection and Mma Makutsi's sharp eye, they proceed with confidence and open hearts. What, after all, could be more straightforward than a family matter?

Meanwhile, their colleague Charlie is behaving oddly, borrowing Mma Ramotswe's van and returning it in an unusual condition. Digging a little deeper, the explanation is both strange and extraordinary, and takes Charlie, along with Mma Ramotswe's husband, Mr J. L. B. Matekoni, on a hair-raising night-time expedition.

In the end, Precious is reminded of the need to view a picture from every angle, to accept the imperfections in people and situations, and then find a solution - preferably over a delicious slice of her friend Mma Potokwani's fruit cake.

'Irresistible'

The Times

'Every page contains a gem of wit and insight'

Scotsman

By: Alexander McCall Smith
Imprint: Little, Brown
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 236mm, Width: 158mm, Spine: 26mm
Weight: 460g
ISBN: 9781408712825
ISBN 10: 1408712822
Series: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 08 November 2020
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Alexander McCall Smith is the author of over one hundred books on a wide array of subjects, including the award-winning The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. He is also the author of the Isabel Dalhousie novels and the world's longest-running serial novel, 44 Scotland Street. His books have been translated into forty-six languages. Alexander McCall Smith is Professor Emeritus of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh and holds honorary doctorates from thirteen universities. He was knighted by the King in 2024.

Reviews for How to Raise an Elephant

Blake may have been able to see the world in a grain of sand, but McCall Smith can encapsulate the human condition in a plate of stewed pumpkin. His talent is to see the god in small things * Sunday Times Scotland * Nothing will dim the charm of McCall Smith's series, with its portraits of goodness, its sorrow over greed and its profound love of Africa. They are among the greatest comfort-reads of all time, written in plain, elegant prose * Sunday Times * The hypnotic ease of McCall Smith's style makes everything clear almost instantly . . . Throughout the Botswana landscape is richly evoked. Happiness and quiet wisdom prevail * Daily Telegraph * Everything about [McCall Smith] is appealing. He's just full of delight - it just bubbles out of him * Sunday Herald *