How To Raise an Elephant
by Smith, Alexander McCall
- Used
- near fine
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Near Fine/Near Fine
- ISBN 10
- 0735281165
- ISBN 13
- 9780735281165
- Seller
-
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
First Canadian edition first printing of the twenty first novel in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. A hint of shelf wear. In near fine / near fine condition.
Reviews
On Nov 5 2020, a reader said:
"There was an important element of reciprocity in her relationship with Mma Potokwani, but if you set up imaginary scales and put fixing the pump or the minibus on one pan, and an elephant on the other, there was no doubt in her mind as to which way the scales would tip."
How to Raise an Elephant is the twenty-first book in the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by popular Scottish author, Alexander McCall Smith. The weather is hot and business is slow when a distant cousin of Mma Ramotswe's comes to the office, wanting money for yet another relative. Mr JLB Matekoni warns his wife to be wary, not wanting her to acquire a reputation as a soft touch. Mma Ramotswe is always charitable, but is the reason for the request genuine?
Charlie asks to borrow Mma Ramotswe's tiny white van and returns it with a strange smell and a damaged tailgate. When Mr JLB Matekoni and Fanwell investigate, they bring back a barely credible story of an orphan baby elephant in mortal danger. Who could help?
Mma Ramotswe has new neighbours in Zebra drive, and when thire furniture arrives, some of it has her wondering about the state of their marriage. A later encounter with the wife leads her to offer advice: "Forgiveness is very powerful, Mma. It can change things completely. It's like the rain we long for. Everything is dry, dust everywhere, and then the rain comes. You smell it coming and suddenly it is there and it changes everything."
As usual, both in conversation and inner musings, digressions from the main topic are common, often on hilarious tangents: from an elephant to the difference between lions and ostriches to evolution to Einstein. Traffic jams, affairs, outstanding invoices and bad debt recovery and angels: all are examined, and Precious finds herself scrambling for diplomacy with Grace Makutsi's new (trendy? retro?) spectacles.
Grace, as always, pontificates on many subjects ("that is well known, Mma") and shares her strong opinions, especially on the behaviour of men, and a certain Violet Sepotho. And in the course of a day's work, she draws some incorrect conclusions from evidence garnered, rather surprises herself with a spontaneous act of charity, and later joins a girls' trip north.
Once again, McCall Smith gives the reader some minor mysteries that don't tax the brain too much, laced with plenty of gentle philosophy, astute observations and wise words. This author never fails to delight.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Scene of the Crime Books, ABAC, IOBA (CA)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 122205
- Title
- How To Raise an Elephant
- Author
- Smith, Alexander McCall
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Near Fine
- Jacket Condition
- Near Fine
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Canadian edition first printing
- ISBN 10
- 0735281165
- ISBN 13
- 9780735281165
- Publisher
- Knopf Canada
- Place of Publication
- Toronto
- Date Published
- 2020
- Bookseller catalogs
- Suspense; Humorous Mysteries; Mystery;
Terms of Sale
Scene of the Crime Books, ABAC, IOBA
You can return any item up to 30 days of delivery. Please contact me if your not happy with a book and we'll work it out.
About the Seller
Scene of the Crime Books, ABAC, IOBA
Biblio member since 2005
St. Catharines, Ontario
About Scene of the Crime Books, ABAC, IOBA
My wife and I have been operating Scene of the Crime Books since 1996. In 2004 we attempted to go against the market and open a storefront on Oakville Ontario. In August 2006 we closed the brick and mortar and humbly went back to just internet. We now do internet and appointment only through our home. So if you're in our neighborhood let us know 24 hours ahead of time. Thank you. Don Longmuir
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Shelf Wear
- Shelf wear (shelfwear) describes damage caused over time to a book by placing and removing a book from a shelf. This damage is...