Summary:

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency located in Gaborone, Botswana, consists of one woman, the engaging Precious Ramotswe. A cross between Kinsey Millhone and Miss Marple, this unlikely heroine specializes in missing husbands, wayward daughters, con men and imposters.  When Precious Ramotswe sets out on the trail of a missing child she is tumbled headlong into some strange situations and not a little danger. Deftly interweaving tragedy and humor to create a memorable tale of human desires and foibles, the book is also an evocative portrait of a distant world. (From the publisher.)
Wayward daughters. Missing Husbands. Philandering partners. Curious conmen. If you've got a problem, and no one else can help you, then pay a visit to Precious Ramotswe, Botswana's only - and finest - female private detective.  Her methods may not be conventional, and her manner not exactly Miss Marple, but she's got warmth, wit and canny intuition on her side, not to mention Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, the charming proprietor of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. And Precious is going to need them all as she sets out on the trail of a missing child, a case that tumbles our heroine into a hotbed of strange situations and more than a little danger . . . (From the author’s website.)
In 2008 the book, and series, was adapted as an HBO film series, starring Jill Scott as Precious Ramotswe. 

Copies of No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency will soon be available for purchase in the IU Northwest campus Bookstore and for checkout in the IU Northwest Library (PR 6063 . C326 N6 2002).
Two discussion sessions open to everyone in the IU Northwest community will be held in the Library Conference Center Room during the Fall 2010 semester (dates and locations to be announced later).  Refreshments will be provided.

Thank you to the members of the selection committee:
Tim Sutherland, Pat Buckler, Cynthia O'Dell, Ana Osan, Anne Balay, Richard Hug, M. Thandabantu Iverson, Anna Rominger, Doug Swartz, Miriam Williams, and Susan Zinner.
While deliberating on which One Campus One Book book to select, the selection committee nominated the following titles, all of which will also be available in the IU Northwest Library for checkout in the near future:

• Cradle (Somerville) – 224 pgs.
• Devil’s Highway (Urrea) – 272 pgs.
• House on Mango Street (Cisneros) – 110 pgs.
• Hour I First Believed (Lamb) – 768 pgs.
• Long Way Gone (Beah) – 240 pgs.
• Lovely Bones (Siebold) – 368 pgs.
• Mother’s Poems (Mistral) – 39 pgs.
• My Sister’s Keeper (Picoult) – 448 pgs.
• Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency (Smith) – 235 pgs.
• Push or Precious (Sapphire) – 192 pgs.
• Soul of a Citizen (Loeb) – 400 pgs.
• Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (See) – 288 pgs.
• Water for Elephants (Gruen) – 335 pgs.
• We Need to Talk about Kevin (Shriver) – 400 pgs.
• Woman Hollering Creek (Cisneros) – 165 pgs.

So for a full summer of reading start with No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency and then continue with these additional excellent titles listed above.


Have a great read!

Please direct questions to Tim Sutherland or 980-6946.

Sponsored by
the Office of Academic Affairs,
the IU Northwest Library,
and
the English Department.