Alexander McCall Smith addresses pertinent issues that face people around the world, and he does so in a way that is both funny and tender, so that you don’t feel too raw at once. This time, he looks at depression. And while his solution may not ultimately be practical—after all, we can’t all just pack up our loved ones to an orphanage for a few weeks for treatment!—he does examine the mindset that many of us have when it comes to mental illness.
This book deals with a few issues at a time. First, Mma Ramotswe has to go undercover for several days to find out if someone is being poisoned. At the same time, she has to make arrangements for Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni’s (and hers, by proxy) adopted children, while Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni is just not the same. And then, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi have to balance their business and try to maintain their overhead. Of course, it’s not a spoiler to say that they can manage to juggle all their stress with grace and the usual cup of bush tea.
What I liked about this particular entry was the moral question that Mma Makutsi has to deal with in her case. There is a question about whether it is morally right to withhold from a client or if they should know the entire truth, even if someone innocent is hurt badly in the process. The resolution is, obviously, convenient, but because this series is cathartic, it makes sense that things tend to fall into place. This series is the very definition of comfort food, and frankly, in this fractious climate, that’s not a bad thing. On to the next book!
Cross-posted to my blog.
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