Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

by HelenSimonson (Author)

Synopsis

Major Ernest Pettigrew (Ret'd) is not interested in the frivolity of the modern world. Since his wife's death, he has tried to avoid the constant bother of the village women, his ambitious son and the suburbanisation of the English countryside. He prefers to lead a quiet life, upholding the values that people have lived by for generations - respectability, duty and a properly brewed cup of tea (very much not served in a polystyrene cup with teabag left in). But when his brother's death, and a love of Kipling, sparks an unexpected friendship with the widowed village shopkeeper, Mrs Ali, the Major is forced to confront the realities of the twenty first century. Written with a delightfully dry sense of humour, "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand" is a charming, against-all-odds love story that introduces unforgettable characters and questions how much risk one should take for personal happiness in the face of family obligation and tradition.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 368
Edition: 1st Paperback Edition
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published: 01 Mar 2010

ISBN 10: 1408804255
ISBN 13: 9781408804254
Book Overview: Like The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, this is set to be another debut bestseller. Like Calendar Girls, a delightful new take on English village life For fans of E. F. Benson, P.G. Wodehouse and the work of Maeve Binchey and Alexander McCall Smith

Media Reviews
'The real pleasure of this book derives not from its village conventions but from its beautiful little love story, which is told with skill and humor...That love can overcome cultural barriers is no new theme, but it's presented here with great sensitivity and delicacy. We want this couple to find romance - and they do. We want the major to survive the machinations of his scheming relatives - and he does. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand is refreshing in its optimism and its faith in the transformative powers of courtesy and kindness. Although pitched towards those wanting a gentle read, it also slides a powerful moral message into the interstices of village politics. And as for happy endings, it deserves all available prizes' Alexander McCall Smith, New York Times Book Review 'A charming, funny and absorbing debut' Wendy Holden, Daily Mail 'I adore Major Pettigrew ... a quirky, lovely novel' Sophie Dahl 'With a hero whom generations will recognise and love, this novel brings balm to the heart' Angela Huth
Author Bio
Helen Simonson spent her teenage years in a small village in East Sussex, near Rye. A graduate of the London School of Economics, she recently completed an MFA at Stony Brook, Southampton. Her short stories and essays have been featured in various publications and broadcast on radio. After many years living in Brooklyn, New York, Helen currently lives in the Washington D.C. area with her husband and two sons. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand is her first novel.