In the Time of Five Pumpkins by Alexander McCall Smith
In the Time of Five Pumpkins is the 26th book in the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series, which began in 1998. Sir Alexander McCall Smith has mentioned in filmed talks and emailed letters to his legion of faithful readers that he typically revisits these dear friends in Botswana in mid-January.
Mid-winter in Edinburgh seems quite bleak with less than eight hours of daylight, gray skies, abundant rain and bone-chilling winds that threaten to invert all but the sturdiest of umbrellas. Consequently, Botswana’s clear blue skies and hot sunny days beckon, inviting him to return in his imagination to beautiful Gaborone to drop in on Precious Ramotswe and Grace Makutsi in the small office of the No. 1 Detective Agency.
There will be time for tea and thick slices of delicious fruitcake made by Mma Silvia Potokwane at the farm and orphanage she founded and operates. The full cast of regular characters will be included.
Challenging new cases arise to ponder and resolve using the methods outlined by Indiana native Clovis Andersen in his primer, The Principles of Private Detection. Life moves at a slower pace with these kind, loving and decent people who value harmony and friendship, making these annual visits a welcome respite as well as light entertainment.
From Assistant to Executive President
Despite her impoverished beginnings, Mma Grace Makutsi has always been self-confident and outspoken. The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, the business enigmatically described by a local journalist as “the answer to the problems of those problems,” had barely started and had no clients when she presented herself to kind-hearted Mma Precious Ramotswe, insisting any respectable business required a professional secretary.
Not just any secretary, but one who had graduated summa cum laude from the Botswana Secretarial College, having achieved 97% on her final examinations. She was willing to defer any pay until fees came in. From those humble beginnings began what became not only a partnership but also a deep and abiding friendship.
Self-promotion came naturally to Grace, who rapidly became senior secretary, then assistant detective, associate director, co-director and now, In the Time of Five Pumpkins announced her new title as “Executive President for Development.”
It was all rather puzzling to Precious as their office had not grown. When questioned, Grace responded to the founding partner, “You could be Executive President for Operations.” These little vanities did not trouble her as the work was completed efficiently and their business had expanded.
From Humble Roots to High Heels
Walking into the newly founded agency had been a major turning point for Grace Makutsi. Her family in a distant village had managed to scrape up her school fees, enabling her to subsequently become responsible for herself and a beloved brother who was unable to work and subsequently died of AIDS.
Over the years, her personal status had improved tremendously as she met and married Rra Phuti Radiphuti, the owner of the Double Comfort Furniture Store. They owned a nice home, had a sweet baby boy and she was able to purchase all the clothing and beautiful impractical shoes that occasionally spoke to her.
Grace owned a late model sedan with air conditioning, while Precious clung to her tiny white van that permanently listed to one side as a result of her “traditionally built” frame, lacked air conditioning and was a mechanical challenge to her husband, Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni, proprietor and chief mechanic of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors.
This well-regarded auto repair shop shared the same building and interior door as the detective agency, which was convenient for tea and cookie breaks. They also share Charlie, a part-time employee of both businesses who was retained out of kindness. He began as an apprentice mechanic along with co-worker Fanwell, who was bright, hard-working and diligent, and now a full-time mechanic.
Charlie was kept on to help around the shop as an assistant detective, sometimes employed as an undercover agent, but wisely not entrusted with much responsibility. Recently married, good-natured Charlie has become somewhat more reliable. There is a charming fondness and respect between all of these well-developed fictional characters.
Pumpkins, Peril and Puzzling Cases
New cases appear with each book. A well-to-do client suspects his wife may be cheating and hires them to follow her. She turns the tables, accusing him of being unfaithful. With Charlie’s help and Mma Ramotswe’s finely tuned instincts, they are able to resolve this conundrum before the novel’s end.
A more difficult case arises when a prominent car lot owner suddenly strikes up a friendship with Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni and wishes to clandestinely promote him as a candidate for membership in an automotive trade board. The little office begins to worry about his safety when Mr. J.L. B. is invited to a disastrous fishing trip that takes place in a small boat in crocodile-infested waters, and later a drive in the country is similarly calamitous.
Charlie theorizes that Mr. Mogorosi wants to kill the boss and take over his garage and business. Grace’s shoes are squeaking tiny warnings, and Precious becomes alarmed as well.
Meanwhile, Mma Potokwane has a new, traumatized orphan to care for and educate, and is engrossed in raising prize pumpkins with the intention of entering them into a local agricultural fair.
A Gentle Goodbye Until Next Year
There are plenty of mysteries to solve, gossip to share and the choice of rooibos (red bush) or English Breakfast tea to imbibe as the long, dry summer heats up Botswana, as well as suspicions. No volume in this long-running series would be complete without at least one appearance by Grace’s nemesis, the cunningly alluring Violet Sephotho.
It is good, indeed, to make an annual nostalgic visit to these good-humored, caring people in Gaborone as one might vacation with grandparents or a favorite distant aunt. There is sufficient time to catch up on their news and be reminded of the friendship, love and tranquility replete in every work of fiction by Sir Alexander McCall Smith.
In the Time of Five Pumpkins reassures us all is well in this fictional Eden, and we are all that much better for it.
About Alexander McCall Smith:
Alexander McCall Smith is the author of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency novels and a number of other series and stand-alone books. His works have been translated into more than forty languages and have been bestsellers throughout the world. He lives in Edinburgh. He is married to a doctor and has two daughters.
