Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
A Novel
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4.3 • 600 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
Written with a delightfully dry sense of humour and the wisdom of a born storyteller, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand explores the risks one takes when pursuing happiness in the face of family obligation and tradition.
When retired Major Pettigrew strikes up an unlikely friendship with Mrs. Ali, the Pakistani village shopkeeper, he is drawn out of his regimented world and forced to confront the realities of life in the twenty-first century. Brought together by a shared love of literature and the loss of their respective spouses, the Major and Mrs. Ali soon find their friendship on the cusp of blossoming into something more. But although the Major was actually born in Lahore, and Mrs. Ali was born in Cambridge, village society insists on embracing him as the quintessential local and her as a permanent foreigner. The Major has always taken special pride in the village, but will he be forced to choose between the place he calls home and a future with Mrs. Ali?
BONUS: This edition contains a Major Pettigrew's Last Stand discussion guide.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In her charming debut novel, Simonson tells the tale of Maj. Ernest Pettigrew, an honor-bound Englishman and widower, and the very embodiment of duty and pride. As the novel opens, the major is mourning the loss of his younger brother, Bertie, and attempting to get his hands on Bertie's antique Churchill shotgun part of a set that the boys' father split between them, but which Bertie's widow doesn't want to hand over. While the major is eager to reunite the pair for tradition's sake, his son, Roger, has plans to sell the heirloom set to a collector for a tidy sum. As he frets over the guns, the major's friendship with Jasmina Ali the Pakistani widow of the local food shop owner takes a turn unexpected by the major (but not by readers). The author's dense, descriptive prose wraps around the reader like a comforting cloak, eventually taking on true page-turner urgency as Simonson nudges the major and Jasmina further along and dangles possibilities about the fate of the major's beloved firearms. This is a vastly enjoyable traipse through the English countryside and the long-held traditions of the British aristocracy.
Customer Reviews
Full of Humor & Humanity
What a quiet and charming book with great humor and humanity. This book is witty and sweet and snuck up on me. By the end I found myself not wanting to leave the residents of Edgecomb St. Mary.
Great read
I enjoyed these characters! Major Pettigrew, in particular, made me laugh out loud. I just finished reading the last chapter, and I feel content and satisfied. Thank you to the author for sharing your obvious pleasure in writing Major Pettigrew's Last Stand.
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
Not my usual style ... Read for book club. We have not met yet but I am looking forward to the discussion. The book started a bit slow but once I gave myself over to the story I really became engrossed and wanted to keep reading. It really is a beautiful story and is worth the time spent. Many lessons to be learned between the pages. Enjoy!