Title: Major Pettigrew's Last StandAuthor: Helen Simonsen
As a reader, I'm often swayed by trendy writing. If someone makes up words, doodles on the pages, switches dizzyingly from speaker to speaker, writes about 9/11, writes about food, or tackles any of the current trends of the day, I tend to give them props just for style or subject or for being edgy.
There is nothing edgy about Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. It's the story of Ernest Pettigrew, a retired widower living near the cliffs of Dover in Southern England. Pettigrew seems unlikeable at first-- quick to pass judgments, eager to prevent his former sister-in-law from cashing in on the sale of a gun he believes rightfully to be his, disapproving of his only son. He lunches at the golf club and falls under the careful watch of the women of the village. Then he meets Mrs. Ali, a widow who runs the only grocery store in town. He's actually spoken to Mrs. Ali many times over the years, but only gets to know her due to a chance meeting, which spawns a friendship, and love, and causes Pettigrew to question all of the truths he has held so dear for his whole life.
The story is small and quaint and cozy, with enough action to keep things moving along. It's a love story, one that catches both Pettigrew and Ali by surprise. It's also absolutely worth reading. I listened to it while driving back and forth from school and was completely hooked, walking around the house in that way Eddie hates, with a faraway look in my eye and my headphones plugged into my ears. If you like mysteries or love stories or stories about England or stories about ethnicity and culture, it's worth reading, but honestly, I think any reader would enjoy Major Pettigrew's story.
2 comments:
Sounds like a perfect fit for me, especially since I generally dislike trendy writing.
loved this book too.
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