#1 Ladies Detective Agency books and African/Botswana geography...

[Janie]

Probably a strange question, I know....

 

I've only read the first book in the series and found several interesting sections dealing with the geography of the Kalahari. Also, a detailed explanation of working in the mines in South Africa.

 

Those of you who have read other books in the series, do they also have portions that describe the land?

 

I've copied interesting sections and stored them in my Africa file for future use and would like to read the other books IF they continue to have good descriptions about the geography.

 

Thanks!

[Michelle in MO]

resource, or a resource for personal use. On Africa, though, I found that Evan-Moor's geography series on the continents (here, Africa) were excellent!

[JennW in SoCal]

I remember them as all having wonderful descriptions of not just the land but also the animal and plant life. Lions, snakes and a particular bird all have prominent roles in the books. The series inspired me to go on-line to read up on Botswana. My kids got caught up in them when I was listening to an audio version in the car one summer. The audio version, btw, is wonderfully done by a South African woman who uses all the local accents (I assume -- it sounded authentic to me!) Hmmm, I can't remember which title I left off with -- this is making me want to catch up!

 

Another book on Africa that I highly recommend is Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux. He was a Peace Corp teacher in Uganda in the 60s, and later became a renowned novelist and travel writer. "Dark Star" recounts his trek from Egypt down to South Africa 8-10 years ago, including a visit to the college where he taught. Its an amazing story -- his travels alone are amazing, but he also describes the politics, the countryside, the economics and the poverty. The paperback version has an additional chapter about a return visit he made after the book was first published.

[Cedarmom]

Yes, they have great descriptions of Africa. It also give good view of Botswana culture. His books are some of my favorite summer reads.

[Wildiris]

What is the reading level of the # 1 Ladies Detective Agency???

 

Would these be like reading Sherlock Holmes (sp?) Do they have very adult subject matte or could a good reader at 11 or 12 read them? And would this be appropriate?

 

I'm running out of reading material for my voracious 11 year old reader, and the #1 Ladies sounds interesting.

 

Thanks,

Wildiris

[JennW in SoCal]

For an 11yo I'd say both yes and no. The reading level isn't hard, but they can be thematically adult because the detective agency occasionally takes care of adultery cases, and there are AIDs victims, and young men looking for women. Nothing is explicit, and while my younger son was listening with me when he was about 11, I don't think he ever heard an entire book, and some of the situations went over his head. And the main character gets very philosophical at times, with long passages about her ruminations about Botswana life and politics.

 

Have you tried the James Herriot series?

[Wildiris]

 

Have you tried the James Herriot series?

 

 

I do not know anything about this author. Can you give me the name of the series so I can look the books up?

 

Thanks for the tip,

Wildiris

 

[JennW in SoCal]

The James Herriot books are the autobiographical tales of the adventures of a country vet in Yorkshire in the 1930s and 1940s. My younger son LOVES them and rereads them often.

 

All Creatures Great and Small

All Things Bright and Beautiful

All Things Wise and Wonderful

The Lord God Made them All

 

They aren't "Christian" books, in case that is an issue for you -- pro or con (I'm feeling sensitive about religious content after the whole secular board discussion a couple days ago on the general board!) The titles really refer to the animals. They are great books -- I loved them when I was a teen.