Alexander McCall Smith, author of the award-winning novel The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency spoke in a recent interview in the Sydney Morning Herald (December 2006) about his optimistic vision of Africa and its inhabitants. The works of many African authors express rather dark and gloomy views compared to those of McCall Smith. In an interview with a "foreign correspondent", McCall Smith says that Botswana is a very beautiful country and that Africa transformed him into a successful novelist and made him famous for his views on hope and 'optimism. There is a strong sense of family and community that inspires belonging, hope and optimism. McCall Smith creates hope and optimism in his novel through his characters and their events. The main character, Mma Ramotswe, exemplifies the qualities of her own country's conventional patriotism. She is not the only character to demonstrate such virtues. Many other characters show pride and dignity for their country. Botswana society is proud of its cultural background and is hopeful and optimistic about its country. Mma Ramotswe is not ashamed to love her country, she is an African patriot. She loved her country, Botswana, which is a place of peace and she loved Africa for all its trials. I am not ashamed to be called an African patriot, said Mma Ramotswe (McCall Smith 2003, 2) Obed Ramotswe, the father of Precious Ramotswe, loves his country “I love our country and I am proud to be a Motswana” (McCall Smith 2003, 17), then he declares in the name of his people: “no other country in Africa can hold its head like us” (McCall Smith 2003, 17). Obed also says his people should love Botswana because there is no other country in Africa that can hold their heads high like us. We have no political prisoners and we never have. We have democracy. We were careful. The Bank of Botswana is full of money from our diamonds. We owe nothing (McCall Smith 2003, 17) Mr. JLB Matekoni, a main character demonstrates his belonging to his country “O Botswana, my country, my place” (McCall Smith 2003, 232) and shows that he has a place in this world. Mma Ramotswe's pride is evident when she declares that she "would be nothing but an African" (McCall Smith 2003, 214). Many characters recognize that there are dark and dark sides to the country, but they still appreciate what they have and their homeland..