No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

I finished disc one of the first season of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, starring Jill Scott as the luminous Precious Ramotswe. and I am simply blown away by how good it is and how faithful it is to the books, so far anyway. Recently I have been let down hugely (by the egregious adaptation of The Woman in White that I tried watching and gave up on in disgust) and mildly (with Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day), so this HBO series has restored my faith in adaptations.

It's been a long time since I read the first novels in the series, but it was such a treat to remember the various plot threads as they unfolded, and the characters, from Mma Ramotswe herself to Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni to Mma Makutsi (madame secretary, that is) and the other colorful friends in Gabarone, are all perfectly aligned with the images Alexander McCall Smith painted for me in his wonderful books.

I especially love the scenes and sounds of Botswana, a country and region of the world I know shamefully little about but which is growing in my affection quickly.

I love the warmth, vibrancy, and sweet compassion that characterizes the series, and am looking forward to watching the rest of the episodes in season 1 and then moving on to the rest of the series over the winter. What a wonderful way to get through the coldest part of the year…with a little sunshine from Botswana and Mma Ramotswe.