No. 1 Ladies' Introduction

Alexander McCall Smith has the most interesting back cover biography I've ever read. Bar none.

"Alexander McCall Smith was born in Zimbabwe and educated there and in Scotland. He is Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh and is a member of a number of national and international bodies concerned with bioethics. His books include works on medical law, criminal law and philosophy, as well as numerous books for children, collections of short stories, and novels. He has lectured at various universities in Africa, including in Botswana, where he lived for a time. He holds honorary doctorates from 10 universities, most recently from Southern Methodist University, Dallas. He is married to an Edinburgh doctor, and has two daughters."

Are you not intrigued already?
(Click for his website if you're interested.)

I've read the first 3.5 books in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series (his most popular books) and am thoroughly enjoying them. I plan on reading all of them. (They are that good.) I just finished his only stand-alone novel, La's Orchestra Saves the World. It had my fingers turning the pages so fast that I finished it in just a few days (amazing timing for me).

The proprietor of the detective agency is Precious Ramotswe, a traditionalist at heart, who simultaneously believes in modern ideas such as equality of the sexes and the integrity of the past. This story is about her life and her contribution to her country of Botswana that she loves so much. As the reader, you are ushered into life in Botswana and the way its people think about the world. The story's clean, it's witty, it's page-turning and it's heart-warming. I totally recommend it. Enjoy!