Major Pettigrew's last stand: a novel

Book Cover
Average Rating
Publisher
Varies, see individual formats and editions
Publication Date
Varies, see individual formats and editions
Language
English

Description

You are about to travel to Edgecombe St. Mary, a small village in the English countryside filled with rolling hills, thatched cottages, and a cast of characters both hilariously original and as familiar as the members of your own family. Among them is Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired), the unlikely hero of Helen Simonson's wondrous debut. Wry, courtly, opinionated, and completely endearing, Major Pettigrew is one of the most indelible characters in contemporary fiction, and from the very first page of this remarkable novel he will steal your heart.The Major leads a quiet life valuing the proper things that Englishmen have lived by for generations: honor, duty, decorum, and a properly brewed cup of tea. But then his brother's death sparks an unexpected friendship with Mrs. Jasmina Ali, the Pakistani shopkeeper from the village. Drawn together by their shared love of literature and the loss of their respective spouses, the Major and Mrs. Ali soon find their friendship blossoming into something more. But village society insists on embracing him as the quintessential local and her as the permanent foreigner. Can their relationship survive the risks one takes when pursuing happiness in the face of culture and tradition?

More Details

Contributors
ISBN
9780812981223
9780307712875
9781588369659

Discover More

Excerpt

Loading Excerpt...

Author Notes

Loading Author Notes...

Similar Titles From NoveList

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for titles you might like if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
While Our Souls has a spare eloquence and Major Pettigrew a dense, amusing style, readers will savor both late-life love stories for their charming poignancy and well-portrayed characters who bond in loss and are renewed by a slow-growing love. -- Jen Baker
The cultural clash between the Pakistani community in England and the English is handled more seriously than in Major Pettigrew, in this novel about the honor-killing of a pair of lovers and its effect on their isolated Pakistani neighborhood. -- Katherine Johnson
Love arrives in the twilight of life in bittersweet yet upbeat tales: A widow is reunited with an old flame (the heartwarming Always Have Paris) and a retired British major falls in love with a Pakistani woman (the romantic Major Pettigrew). -- Mike Nilsson
Readers will enjoy White Teeth and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand for their character development and humor, along with lighthearted treatment of serious topics such as race relations, religious fanaticism, self-understanding, and similar aspects of modern English life. -- Katherine Johnson
Readers may enjoy both these novels about non-English characters in England, though Mr. Rosenblum is more interested in complete integration than the Pakistanis are in Major Pettigrew. -- Katherine Johnson
Though Helen Simonson and Kate Pullinger set their novels decades apart, both employ themes of social class, race, and the fallout from British colonialism as the relationships among their characters develop. -- Katherine Johnson
These books have the appeal factors reflective, and they have the genres "book club best bets" and "literary fiction"; the subjects "retirees" and "reading"; and characters that are "complex characters."
In these amusing, engaging tales of late-in-life romance, the gentlemen protagonists (widowers both) remain true to their senses of honor and propriety, engaging only in respectable behavior towards the ladies who have captured their attention. -- Shauna Griffin
These heartwarming novels both focus on stern older men whose love of reading leads them to become more sympathetic and to find fulfilling relationships with others. Both stories feature nuanced characterization, witty observations, and vibrant, upbeat narrative styles. -- Derek Keyser
These books have the genres "relationship fiction" and "book club best bets"; the subjects "villages," "reading," and "libraries"; and characters that are "well-developed characters."
Readers interested in the themes of change vs. development in English small towns may enjoy these stories, where the personalities of the characters reveal serious cultural and class differences with a lighthearted tone. -- Katherine Johnson
Readers who were inspired by Major Pettigrew's theme that love can happen at any age might enjoy The Elegance of the Hedgehog, in which a middle-aged concierge is surprised to find a new friendship, and romance, with her building's fascinating new tenant. -- Katherine Johnson

Similar Authors From NoveList

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for other authors you might want to read if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
These authors' works have the subjects "widowers," "widows," and "postwar life"; and characters that are "well-developed characters."
These authors' works have the subjects "villages," "rural life," and "reading"; and characters that are "well-developed characters."
These authors' works have the appeal factors romantic, haunting, and lyrical, and they have the subjects "rural life," "english history," and "british history"; and characters that are "likeable characters."
These authors' works have the appeal factors multiple perspectives, and they have the genre "gentle reads"; the subject "english history"; and characters that are "likeable characters" and "well-developed characters."
These authors' works have the appeal factors romantic, and they have the subjects "women teachers," "postwar life," and "war and society."
These authors' works have the genre "relationship fiction"; and the subjects "english history" and "london, england history."
These authors' works have the appeal factors sardonic and darkly humorous, and they have the genre "relationship fiction"; and the subjects "rural life," "widows," and "postwar life."
These authors' works have the appeal factors haunting, and they have the subjects "villages," "rural life," and "life change events."
These authors' works have the genre "relationship fiction"; and the subjects "widowers," "widows," and "postwar life."
These authors' works have the genre "historical fiction"; the subjects "secrets" and "female friendship"; and characters that are "well-developed characters."
These authors' works have the genre "historical fiction"; and the subjects "widowers," "rural life," and "widows."
These authors' works have the appeal factors haunting, and they have the subjects "villages," "rural life," and "life change events."

Reviews from GoodReads

Loading GoodReads Reviews.

Staff View

Loading Staff View.