The Full Cupboard of LIfe

by Alexander McCall Smith

This is the fifth book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.  These books are delightful for their depiction of Botswana and their folksy approach to solving cases and problems. 

In this book Mma Ramotswe's fiance J.L.B Matekoni has two challenges he is facing.  One, the Matron of the Orphanage has announced that he will do a parachute jump as a fundraiser for the Orphanage - he didn't really agree to this and is sure he will die, but she published the announcement in the local paper.  Secondly, he has discovered that a competing garage has done a fraudulent job maintaining a car.  His fiancee insists that he should confront the garage owner and insist that the customer be issued a refund.

Mma Ramotswe saves him from both trials, she convinces one of his apprentices that doing a parachute jump will attract attention of young women, so he agrees to do the jump instead of  J.L.B. Matekoni.  And, she seeks the assistance of the Orphanage Matron to rescue her fiance from the browbeating he is receiving from the other garage owner.  The Matron pretends to know his family and chastises him for his pratices and for bringing shame on his family.

Mma Ramotswe has only one client in this story, a rich business woman who wants to marry and is considering four possible suitors.  Mma Ramotswe investigates two of the four and doesn't think either will be suitable but the client decides she is going to marry one of them anyway because his desire to save girls from a life or prostitution appeals to her and she is willing to invest some of her wealth for this cause.  Mma Ramotswe is somewhat taken aback that her client wants to go against her opinion.

Mma Ramotswe is also troubled by the fact that while J.L.B Matekoni has proposed to her, he seems reluctant to plan a wedding.  The Matron comes to her aid there as well.  She organizes a party around the parachuting event and has everything in place, including a Minister and a dress for the bride and suit for the groom, should J.L.B Maketkoni wish to get married that day.  He of course agrees that there is no need to wait. So, the wedding finally occurs.

Smith has created a humourous, touching, warm story yet again.