{"id":40283,"date":"2022-09-05T21:21:31","date_gmt":"2022-09-06T01:21:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=40283"},"modified":"2022-09-05T21:21:31","modified_gmt":"2022-09-06T01:21:31","slug":"review-of-how-to-raise-an-elephant-by-alexander-mccall-smith-narrated-by-adjoa-andoh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=40283","title":{"rendered":"Review of How to Raise an Elephant, by Alexander McCall Smith, narrated by Adjoa Andoh"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>How to Raise an Elephant<\/em><\/p>\n

by Alexander McCall Smith
\nnarrated by Adjoa Andoh<\/p>\n

Recorded Books, 2020. 8.5 hours on 8 compact discs.
\nReview written October 7, 2021, from a library audiobook<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the latest installment of the adventures of Mma Ramotswe and her associates with the No. 1 Ladies\u2019 Detective Agency in Botswana. This audiobook has a new narrator, and I wasn\u2019t crazy about some of her character voices, but I did love the way she rolls all her Rs and of course her delightful accent.<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t read any other books in this series, I do recommend beginning with the first book, The No. 1 Ladies\u2019 Detective Agency<\/a><\/em>. That one is better written as a detective story, but the main point of these stories are not the cases the agency must deal with, but the relationships between the delightful characters and their observations on life and human nature.<\/p>\n

In this one, there are three main cases to be considered: a distant cousin of Mma Ramotswe\u2019s asking for money, new neighbors moving in next door who seem to be having marital troubles, and Charlie borrowing Mma Ramotswe\u2019s tiny white van for a mysterious purpose.<\/p>\n

The cases aren\u2019t solved by figuring out puzzles, but as we see the ins and outs revealed, we gain insights on relationships and approaching life with compassion. Though Charlie\u2019s story \u2013 which is not too surprising because of the title \u2013 ends up involving an orphaned baby elephant.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve taken to listening to these books on my commute because I don\u2019t quite have patience for the rambling and meditative observations on human nature when reading an actual book. But stuck in traffic, they never fail to make me smile. The books are anchored in Botswana, and I\u2019m starting to feel like the country itself is a beloved friend.<\/p>\n

recordedbooks.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Fiction\/how_to_raise_an_elephant.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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