“ There are many sadnesses in the hearts of men who are far away from their countries. Alexander McCall Smith
“ They are a bit small for me, Mma, she confessed. I think you were right. But I felt great happiness when I wore them, and I shall always remember that. They are such beautiful shoes. Mma Ramotswe laug… Alexander McCall Smith
“ Irene gasped. Have you taken leave of your senses, Stuart? she hissed. Have you?Stuart closed his eyes.No, he said. Au contraire. It was strong language for the Edinburgh New Town, but he had to say i… Alexander McCall Smith
“ Our stomachs live in towns," said Mma Potokwani, patting the front of her dress. 'That is where the work is. Our stomachs know that. But our hearts are usually somewhere else. Alexander McCall Smith
“ Human history seems to me to be one long story of people sweeping down—or up, I suppose—replacing other people in the process. Alexander McCall Smith
“ She remembered love, though, and a feeling of warmth. It was like remembering light, or the glow that sometimes persists after a light has gone out. Alexander McCall Smith
“ Every man has a map in his heart of his own country and that the heart will never allow you to forget this map. (p. 18) Alexander McCall Smith
“ A moral dilemma is equally absorbing whether the stakes are the destiny of nations or the happiness of one or two people - at the most. Alexander McCall Smith
“ Do you realise that people die of boredom in London suburbs? It's the second biggest cause of death amongs the English in general. Sheer boredom... Alexander McCall Smith
“ Regular maps have few surprises: their contour lines reveal where the Andes are, and are reasonably clear. More precious, though, are the unpublished maps we make ourselves, of our city, our place, ou… Alexander McCall Smith
“ She knew that she had a tendency to allow her mind to wander, but surely that's what made the world interesting. One thought led to another, one memory triggered another. How dull it would be, she tho… Alexander McCall Smith
“ Putting Mr. Polopetsi in charge of the investigation is like putting a rabbit in charge of the airport. Alexander McCall Smith
“ It was easy, terribly easy, to become with time a middle-aged spinster with a sharp tongue. She would have to guard against this. Alexander McCall Smith
“ There was a great deal of progress being made, right under their noses, particularly in Africa, and this progress was good. Life was much harder for tyrants than it had been before. Alexander McCall Smith
“ …one of the coasts of a country that was a lifeboat, and that lifeboat was under siege by people who wanted to be taken on board. She thought to the southern shores of Italy and the boats that came up… Alexander McCall Smith
“ The juvenile adage Never kiss and tell had a sound moral instinct behind it. Alexander McCall Smith
“ Everything, all those great things, had happened so far away--or so it seemed to [Mma Ramotswe] at the time. The world was made to sound as if it belonged to other people--to those who lived in distan… Alexander McCall Smith
“ It was a voice that you felt you had to listen to—or you ignored at your peril. Alexander McCall Smith
