Smith, Alexander McCall: The Miracle at Speedy Motors

If you are not familiar with Alexander McCall Smith’s series about the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, it might be nice to give yourself an early Christmas gift and ready this delightful novel.

Mma Ramotswe is a traditionally built Botswana native lady and the proprietor of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Mma Ramotswe is married to Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, the proprietor of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors who employs two apprentice mechanics. Mma Makutsi is Mma Ramotswe’s assistant in all things. Mma Makutsi is known for her record 97 percent score at the Botswana Secretarial College, her poor complexion and her large round eyeglasses.

Mma Ramotswe and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni are the foster parents of Motholeli and her younger brother Puso. Motholeli is paralyzed from the waist down and depends on a wheel chair to get around. Mr. J.L.B Matekoni has learned of a clinic in Johannesburg and, without consulting his wife, makes arrangements to take Motholeli across the border for treatment. Neither does he tell her that he has mortgaged his business to pay for the treatments. And, he leaves the business in the care of his impetuous young apprentice, Charlie, while he is gone for a week.

Mma Ramotswe’s latest case involves Mma Sebina’s request to fi nd her a family. She believes she was adopted and wants to fi nd her “real” family. During Mma Ramotswe’s quest to track down possible relatives for Mme Sebina she ends up at the Orphan Farm where Motholeli and Puso spent their early years. Matron of the orphanage, Mma Potokwane, offers her usual tea and fruitcake snack and requests Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni’s assistance with a mechanical problem. After that business is taken care of, she tells Mma Ramotswe the circumstances of Mma Sebina’s family, and gives her the name of a brother, Mr. Sekape. Their mother, however, died in prison which is very sad.

Mma Ramotswe becomes very excited about this good news, but when she gets Mr. Sekape and Mma Sebina together, they seem to have little to say to one another. Soon, however, she hears that they are enjoying each other and meeting frequently. And then Mma Potokwane calls and admits she made a mistake. Mma Sebina’s brother died when they were young, and Mr. Sekape is not her brother. Of course, Mma Ramotswe is dismayed and hates to break the news but knows she must. When she does tell Mma Sabin that her brother is not really her brother, she is happy when she hears that Mma Sabina feels toward him like she would toward a friend who might become a husband.

While all this is going on, Mma Makutsi is having troubles with her fiancé, Phuti, proprietor of The Double Comfort Furniture Company. Mr. J. L.B. Matekoni returns from Johannesburg with Motholeli physically unchanged and himself depressed over his secret debt. Mma Makutsi had opened a letter from the bank and Mma Ramotswe had already sold some of her precious cattle to settle the debt for him.