The Full Cupboard of Life

No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #5

by Alexander McCall Smith

Mma Ramotswe, who became engaged to Mr J.L.B. Matekoni at the end of the first audiobook, is still engaged. She wonders when a day for the wedding will be named, but she is anxious to avoid putting too much pressure on her fiancé. For indeed he has other things on his mind, notably a frightening request made of him by Mma Potokwani, pushy matron of the Orphan Farm.

Mma Ramotswe herself has weighty matters on her mind. She has been approached by a wealthy lady, whose fortune comes from successful hair-braiding salons, and has been asked to check up on several suitors. Are these men just interested in her money? This may be difficult to find out, but Mma Ramotswe is, of course, a very intuitive lady.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Africa, Botswana, Crime, Audiobook, Detective

198 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Alexander McCall Smith is the author of the international phenomenon The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, the Isabel Dalhousie Series, the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, and the 44 Scotland Street series. He is professor emeritus of medical law at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and has served on many national and international bodies concerned with bioethics. He was born in what is now known as Zimbabwe and he was a law professor at the University of Botswana. He lives in Scotland. Visit him online at www.alexandermccallsmith.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter.

Reviews

[Ryan James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot get enough from this series. It prompted us to actually go to Botswana. It is as fabulous as Smith describes it.

This book is simple in structure, which at first may make one think it is a children's or young adult book. In essence, it can be enjoyed by all age groups. It is culturally rich, bring the values and landscape so close to the reader's senses, you can see, feel, and admire the people of Botswana.

Fall in love with Botswana.

To thoroughly enjoy the book, start with The Number One Ladies Detective Agency, going chronologically to truly follow the story as the characters lives unfold.

[Ariana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am only half-way through this book now, but I am really enjoying it. I think Mma Ramotswe and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni are the sweetest couple. I'd say it's more a literary fiction novel than a mystery, but I don't mind. I love the voices of all the characters, but especially the one belonging to Mma Ramotswe. One of my favorite quotes from her is:

"Traditional Botswana men like ladies who are more traditionally shaped. You and I, Mma. We remind men of how things used to be in Botswana before these modern-shaped ladies started to get men all confused." The word "traditional" is used throughout the book to refer to large women. I wouldn't mind if that caught on in the U.S. :)

It was frustrating to me that I had no idea how to pronounce Mma or Rra, so I finally looked it up online. This is a great site where you can actually hear these words spoken aloud: www.gov.bw/tourism/culture_and_his/la...

This is the first book I've read in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, but I am looking forward to reading the others. I'm not really interested in the case Mma Ramotswe is working on, but I do enjoy reading about life in Africa and the little pearls of wisdom all the characters share with one another.

[Moshe Mikanovsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another charming book from the series of #1 ladies detective agency. Better than its previous one, Mma Ramotswe and her band of piers continue enjoying each other, get in and out of stressful commitments, cherish their land and it's cattle, contemplate the virtues of men, women and proper behavior, and of course, a cup of tea on a hot day.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Fifth read***
I’m rereading this series with my husband, making it even better, if that were possible. If you want an escape read that will make you laugh, I encourage you to read this. The author has a brilliant sense of humor, and a sensitivity for the world at large that really endears me to him. You can’t go wrong with any of his books, but this series imo is his best. And the audiobooks are treasures. They make the books even better bc the narrator knows these characters so well and she has a distinctive and amusing voice for each that captures the personality perfectly.

***Fourth read***
I've run out of things to say about this series. I've never run into a series I feel about the way I do this one. I could read these books over and over and always enjoy them. I don't know them by heart yet. They still make me laugh and smile and wonder, sometimes.

Reading Alexander McCall Smith is like opening a window into a part of myself I haven't yet fully explored, and it makes me so happy every time I do. I don't know any better way to describe it than that. This man is part of me.

Please try this series if you haven't, yet. You may be able to download the audiobooks directly from the RBDigital app, in these Covid times. I can't think of a better remedy than that, whether you have the illness or not, or just want to press a button to send more positive energy into the world.

***Third read***
I think I may just start stapling these books to my clothing so I always have one close by. With the state of the American govt being what it is and with civility and decency seemingly in such short supply, this series is medicine for my spirit and a reminder that goodness and kindness exist in the world.

I don't think this is one of my favorite books in the series, but they all kind of read as one long story in many ways. I don't read for the "mystery" aspect, I read because I love these characters and I enjoy spending time with them. I smile quite a lot while reading/listening, and smiles are worth a lot.

A reminder to my American friends to please VOTE on Tuesday, November 6. We can certainly do better. Let's show the world this. Thank you.

***Second read***
There is so much to love about this series. The characters are not cardboard cutout, nice people. They will surprise you at times. If you are interested in learning more about a gentler culture (which IMO America could learn a lot from), and in spending time in a place where, for the most part, people take care of each other and appreciate nature, etc., give this series a try.

Keep in mind that the first book of the series (The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency) is almost more like a collection of short stories than the rest of the series is. So if you tried the first and weren't crazy about it, please also try the second: Tears of the Giraffe. This is one of those rare series that actually gets better as it goes along (as I'm learning, having read all of the published books and now rereading the series). Can't wait for the latest installment later this year!

Lisette Lecat does the audio of this entire series and I couldn't ask for anything more from a narrator. She is superb. You can't beat this series as a read or a listen. Highly recommended.

And if you like this series by Alexander McCall Smith, you'll most likely enjoy his other series as well.

[Lady Clementina ffinch-ffarowmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a gentle and pleasant read; Precious Ramotswe is dealing with a case where a rich entrepreneur asks her to vet the four suitors she has short-listed. On the personal front, things are happy but a little uncertain for while she is engaged to Mr J.L.B Matekoni, he hasn't raised the issue of marriage. Grace Makutsi her secretary meanwhile is doing well for herself and moving to a better house. Mr J.L.M Matekoni however is having troubles of his own--he has been manipulated into undertaking a parachute jump for charity and alongside having discovered cheating and theft by another garage has to confront its owner, something he is loathe to do. So Mma Ramotswe must come to the rescue.

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

With each book that goes by, the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series seems to feel more confident, more assured and somehow more relaxed. By this stage, the author has an almost perfect grasp of his background and characters, and there is so little to add about the situation that he has plenty of time for ruminations on various aspects of modern life. It's a story full of digression, but the digression is what makes this book so endearing.

Once again this is an ode to the beauty of Botswana, perhaps more lyrical than we've ever seen before. The descriptions of the country and its people are full of affection and make for fine reading matter. I noticed plenty of humour in this one, especially from the characters of the two apprentices, who are the most entertaining in the entire book. Mma Makutsi is almost an afterthought here and left on the sidelines.

The detective stuff barely registers, although there's some insight into male/female relationships and some interesting developments involving Mma Ramotswe's husband to be, Mr J. L. B. Matekuni. This is a feel good book that should have a place on every literature fan's shelf.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Precious Ramatswe is still not a married woman? Much of the suspense in this fifth addition to the series surrounds how and when the ceremony will actually happen. Would it work to trick Mr. J.L.B. Matakoni into putting on a suit and just haul him over to the church for a surprise wedding? Along the way there is a proposed skydiving event to benefit the orphan farm, Precious assists a woman with multiple suitors, and Mma Makutsi moves into a house of her own. Filled with humor and heart snf Bostwana continues to shine with a big boost from our delightful narrator Lisette Lecat. Highly recommended!

[Hákon Gunnarsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this series. It’s a mystery that is short on mystery, but McCall Smith write so lovingly about these characters that it is difficult not to fall for them. It’s a light read, and sometimes one just needs a light read. I have to say though, I didn’t see that ending coming, but it’s a good one.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The secret to reading the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series is to realize that nothing much is going to happen and to accept that it doesn't matter. Nothing much happens in this particular book, The Full Cupboard of Life, that is until the plot picks up steam toward the end, but the characters are still captivating and the depiction of life in Botswana draws the reader in.

Andrew McCall Smith gives sweet-natured characters flaws, a smart move on his part. Otherwise, Precious Ramotswe and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni and the other people who populate the pages of this series would be too saccharine to swallow. As it is, even Mma Ramotswe can be wrong in her assessment of people, much to her surprise.

McCall Smith, as usual, meanders his way to a satifying conclusion and the reader is left wanting more of this mostly peaceful life in this sunny, sky-filled foreign land.

[Will Byrnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mma Rwatse continues to wonder why her fiancée is so reluctant to tie the knot, while taking on a case for a rich woman who wants Precious to check out several beaus to see who is after her money and who is honest. Matekoni is tricked by the head of the orphanage into agreeing to skydive as a way of raising money for the children.

One can feel the series beginning to run out of steam. How many times can the author laud the benefits of a traditional culture before it sounds a bit like a broken record?

Makutsi is moving on up, now that added income from the typing school allows her to afford a better place to live.

We wonder why it is that Precious and Matekoni’s adopted son is so anti-social. I got the sense that there was a fair bit going on here that I was not picking up on as I was rather blasting through it all.

If you are new to the series. I would stop, go back and read The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. It makes a difference seeing the characters develop over time.

[Metodi Markov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Малко по-слаба от предишните книги в поредицата, но пък все така приятно и развлекателно четиво.

Все още се кефя най-много на името на раа Дж.Л.Б. Матекони!

Имаме в менюто следните африкански деликатеси - благот��орителен скок с парашут, монтьорска измама и богата мома на средна възраст, но с цели четирима обожатели. :)

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it, as I've enjoyed the previous books in the series. As for the storyline in this one, all I'm going to say is - "Finally!!!"

[C. (Comment, don't blank click reviews). · Rating 4 out of 5]

* I would appreciate knowing how you enjoy my reviews with a comment, not an empty ‘like button’ click.

I have never felt this way but it is a compliment that my favourite part of this series is the thrill I get from the whimsically real bookcover portraiture. What daring, to use real photographs of plain household backgrounds, so delightfully familiar they can only be warm and make us smile. “The Full Cupboard Of Life” especially shows a simple shelf of tin and plastic dishes that might have come from anyone’s elderly relatives. After having stayed with humble friends on a Caribbean island, I can still only guess at the African poverty, above whom the owner of this spare, functional kitchen shelf would feel blessed.

A few quibbles for Alexander McCall Smith are repetitiveness and moving slowly, for cultural exposés that are supposed to contain mysteries. That part, however small, asks for a briskly progressing pace. Also, the minute they were friends or beaux, Precious should be calling “JLB” by name and I had better see it in volume 6! I feel ready to throw up if I hear Precious’ van referred to with dual adjectives again. You know what they are! It was only cute a couple of times in volume 1. Simply say “van”, “vehicle”, or “driving” from now on.

I do like that the cases are non crime mysteries; a much broader array of creative puzzles to ponder. It seems pointless that this client favoured a dislikeable man but perhaps it was a lesson in individualized preferences.

I am tired of Mma Potokwane’s pushiness but an odd errand was shifted elsewhere in a sly way. She earned a point for ridding JLB of a dishonest businessman.... and for arranging an unexpected milestone at this 2003 story’s end.

Along with Mma Makutski’s first rented home, the next novel promises refreshing growth. I have collected most of them!

[GeekChick · Rating 1 out of 5]

This series generally serves me well as brain candy interspersed among my more serious reads. Though they are generally rather similar, they are always entertaining.

However, for some reason the author has decided in this book he needs to summarize all the preceeding storyline in greater detail. I found I had to skim many pages to get past it, and get on with THIS book. I found this summary rather odd and out of place, given that the other books seem to provide the "catch up" in only a few sentences.

******

Having read about halfway through, my opinion of this book has not changed. This book does not focus on the adventures of Mma Ramotswe et al. It is more about the inner thoughts of all our main characters. Ok, I guess, but I find it rather boring. I'll finish it out, but I hope the next book returns to the format McCall Smith started with!

*******
Having finished, my opinion remains the same. I could've skipped it and just moved on to the next in the series.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved It. Great adventures

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sleuth is contracted to check up on suitors for a rich lady, while her fiance worries about skydiving.

Not a lot going on, really. I think it needed another subplot.

[Pseudonymous d'Elder · Rating 4 out of 5]

__________________________________
“A life without stories would be no life at all. And stories bound us,
did they not, one to another, the living to the dead, people to
animals, people to the land?”― Alexander McCall Smith

Perhaps you think a book about a detective agency must be about murder. This one is not about murder. It does not have arson. Nor does it have burglary or robbery. It does have a little larceny. A story with a small amount of larceny will not hurt you if you read quickly enough..

Mma Ramotswe is the detective. She says she has a traditional build. By this, she means that her dresses have to be big. She also has a big heart.

She wants the women in Botswana to have equal opportunities with men. She also thinks the people in Botswana should maintain many of their traditional values. She should make up her mind.

Mma Ramotswe believes that women are smarter than men and need to make the decisions. Here a passage from the book that shows this: ”It is only now, in these modern days, with men getting ideas about running their lives without any help from women—those dangerous, bad ideas—it is only now that we see how much these poor men need our assistance. It is a very sad thing.” . . . “Yes,” said Mma Ramotswe. “We all know that it is women who make the decisions, but we have to let men think that the decisions are theirs. It is an act of kindness on the part of women.”

Mma Ramotswe is very clever. The woman who runs the orphan farm manipulates Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, who is Mma Ramotswe’s fiancée, into agreeing to do a parachute jump to earn money for the orphanage. Mma Ramotswe does not want her fiancée to go splat. She also does not want to hurt his feelings because men with hurt feelings get stubborn. Also, her fiancée may not want to marry her if she hurts his feelings. But she is very wise and knows how to solve problems.

Mma Ramotswe believes that the more books people have the better. She thinks that books and the people who know how to use them are the future. You should get yourself this book. Maybe you shall become wise too.

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad to say that this book fell a bit flat on all fronts and it appears that the author at this point in the series is floundering. I know there are a lot more books to go, but things just seem to have stagnated in the series. It takes almost 1/3 of the book before we even get into a detective case and that is well and good in a 350-400 page book, but when they are a mere 200 pages it shows that the cases are really on the back burner of the book. We continue to learn about Botswana, but the time has come for the author to stop repeating the characters history in each and every book. How many times must we hear about Note Makoti, Mma. Ramotswe's first husband, the background on Mma. Makutsi at the Botswana Secretarial school, etc. etc. I have read where the author is prodigious in his writing and I can understand why, if all you are going to do is repeat the same history in book, after book, after book!
The detective case is weak and the only fun part of this book was the Parachute jump for Charity, in all of its machinations. We also get a very satisfactory ending with regards to Mma. Ramotswe and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, but other than this the author has pretty much let down his loyal readers.
I know, I know, these books are published about one year apart and I have read the first five in short order, but any fan of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency knows the format, the history and most of the rather simplistic plots and cases that resolved. The time has come to shake up this series and hopefully book 6 will be a better effort.

[Ruthiella · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fifth entry in this gentle series. Mma Ramotswe channels Mma Potokwani’s initiative and drive to both her and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni’s benefit which was both amusing and satisfying for anyone reading this series since book one. The mystery aspect of it is almost non-existent. A wealthy client engages the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency to help her choose between five suitors for her hand. In the meantime, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni runs into trouble with a rival, less ethical car repair garage.

Similar to Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce series or Barbara Peter’s Amelia Peabody books, I think most readers come back for the loveable characters, not the plot. As in previous books, I am sometimes exasperated at the rather conservative attitudes of the author. Sure, some of what Mma Ramotswe (or Mma Makutsi) advocates for could be considered feminist, but there is so much emphasis in the narration about how tradition is superior to modern ways and how men must be manipulated by women, how women are really superior to men despite men having the majority of power, etc.

[Khadija Masood · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Full Cupboard of Life has rightfully earned a spot on my favourites shelf. Readers will want to devour this book in one sitting. This story brims with warmth and wit. Smith has a deep understanding about human nature and all its eccentricities, and writes with tenderness and humour - a formidable trait in a writer! 5 stars.

[Jaana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I´ve read these all because they are absolutely charming, laid-back atmosphere stories. McCall Smith is one of those who have a rare ability to write as if he was a woman. His stories influenced me to become a regular rooibos drinker.

[Trace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series so very much. So poignant. So many wonderful ideas to chew on and ponder. Beautifully written. Don't let's its simplicity fool you... there is great depth here.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series, the people, the setting, everything. I did this mostly on audio which was a fun new experience to the story but I also so love reading these little hb books.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best parts of Alexander McCall Smith’s series is that each book improves in terms of character definition and advancing the plot. Book 5 integrates Precious Ramotswe with the other characters in a more realistic and intriguing way. The author hints at the distinctions we must draw between manipulation and persuasion (in the character of Mma Potokwane), fear and caution (with Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni’s never-ending engagement to Mma Ramotswe), and speaking one’s mind and biting one’s tongue (aptly expressed in the character of Mma Makutsi.)
Fans of the series who may by this time be frustrated with a lack of resolution to certain issues, will be slightly pacified in this book. McCall Smith highlights some of the more minor, yet regular, characters, filing out the world of Mma Ramotswe’s Botswana. This book manages to be endearing without the sense of condescension that some complain about with the first book. By Book 3, the author seems to have pulled up his proverbial chair and can now dialogue comfortably with his characters. The Full Cupboard of Life continues this trend and promises to bring the story to an enriching and delightful end in the final two books of the series.

[Barbara M · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely time I had during this visit with my friends in Botswana this week. This audio is just one of the best, with the best narrator in Lisette Lecat. This is no big, dark, mystery like some detective books. It is a gentle, human interest story filled with wonderful characters. I'm totally hooked on this but spread the stories out so I won't finish them too quickly, I want to savor them.

As I saw that the book was coming to a close, I wondered how there was enough time to finish the story. It seemed there was still too much left on unsaid but Smith managed it perfectly. What a perfect finish! This series kind of makes me want to go to Botswana.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's not to love about this sweet series? There may be a little more mystery here than usual, but don't read these books for the mystery. Read them for the setting, Botswana, and for the engaging characters, who have some major, but universal, life changes during this edition.

This may also be my favorite series for the times I just want to
read for the comfort and sheer joy of reading. The characters drink a lot of bush tea, and that seems especially fitting for a series that seems to call for curling up in a cozy chair with a nice cup of hot tea.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

How, HOW, how does Alexander McCall Smith write exactly like an African lady? And how does it do it time and time again? And how does he make these books so addictive, so gentle, so beautiful, so funny?

HOW?

[Booknblues · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anytime you have been involved with reading that is heavy or depressing an excellent way to take a break is to visit Botswana and Precious Ramotswe. This is the fifth of McCall Smith's series and an excellent read.

[Netta · Rating 4 out of 5]

עוד ספר מוצלח בסדרה המהנה של אלכסנדר מק'קול סמית.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This book is well-written. I love the p characters and dialogue. It also q family-friendly. I cannot wait to listen to the next one.