For our readers who are interested in getting a sort of picture of life in Botswana, I recommend Alexander McCall Smith's Number One Ladies' Detective Agency.  It is a mystery novel of sorts about a detective named Precious Ramotswe who operates a private detective agency in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana.  The novel does a good job of depicting life, language, habits, values, and the ethos of the country of Botswana.  It is not necessarily a family friendly novel.  Chapters 2-4 lay out the backdrop for the main character which include some dark moments.  While unpleasant, the background described is realistic.  Once the reader has gone through those chapters, he or she will find a very pleasant novel with likeable characters, an entertaining plot line and unexpected twists in the plot.  The American reader may not feel a strong sense of closure at the end of the story - we are used to a very linear plot with all the loose ends tied up neatly by the end of the story.  African plot lines do not always work that way.  Overall it is a pleasant book and wildly successful.  Alexander McCall Smith has written 10 sequels to the series with no end in sight.  You will easily be able to find the book at any Borders, Barnes & Noble, Amazon etc.  Enjoy!