Tea Time for the Traditionally Built

Alexander McCall Smith's book, Tea Time for the Traditionally Built, is arguably one of the best in the series thus far. Precious Ramotswe has only a few mysteries to solve in this latest book (I think only three cases come to her notice), but they're good and she manages in her gentle and delicate way to get to the bottom of each one.

Violet Sephotho resurfaces and in her deceptively evil, snaky way tortures and confounds poor Mma Makutsi. Mma Ramotswe helps the owner of a football team find out why his once-winning team is now losing so many games, and she also helps a woman with relationship troubles.

Mma Ramotswe also has to do something about her beloved tiny white van, now on its last legs, mechanically-speaking. I really do empathize with poor Precious in her devotion to her van. I felt the same way about my van, although it was blue and white and was not tiny, but held fifteen passengers. It served me well for nine years, and though it often had mechanical problems, they were always repairable and it kept on running. I was very sad when Steve sold my Ford 15-passenger van and replaced it with a new Chevrolet 15-passenger van. It's not the same vehicle in so many ways. Her feelings about her white van strike a chord, as does her gratitude for Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni's kindness in solving her vehicular problems despite the fact that he cannot understand her love for that white van.

It's a great feel-good book.