Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Books | Fiction / Romance / Multicultural & Interracial

4.1

(181)

Helen Simonson

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?

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More Details:

Author

Helen Simonson

Pages

384

Publisher

Doubleday Canada

Published Date

2010-03-02

ISBN

0385668651 9780385668651

Community ReviewsSee all

"Although the characters were much older than me, I found them very relateable. This is a charming, uplifting, wonderful read."

R M

Ricki Marking-Camuto

"I may or may not have read this before. It is a mystery. But this is a sweet cozy love story that deals with insiders and outsiders, racism and decorum. The protagonist is sympathetic but flawed in a relatable way. It’s an interesting choice to write a story about racism that centres a white man, but also perhaps makes the message better reach the audience who most needs to hear it? All in all a lovely read."

T P

Teresa Prokopanko

"This is a delightful and charming read. Great to read if you need a pick me up."

J A

Jessica A

"For some reason this book didn't grab me as it seems to have done so with others. It was a pleasant enough way to pass the time but I periodically found myself checking how far I'd gotten to see how much further I had to go."

S H

Sandra Hasenauer

"Such a sweet & cozy read. If you just need a nice story to enjoy, this is a wonderful one."

K K

Kristy Kapp

"A beautifully written story about the difficulties of a changing life, dealing with family, and societal norms. Written in modern prose with an aire of the classics in every phrase. I loved it!"

Ashley

"Anxious people Fredrik backman is what I’m reading right now, so good! Or the secret diary of Hendrik groen "

S E

Sarah Elisabeth

"A delightful tale of an aging major who is navigating growing old, grown children, and being a widower in the English countryside."

A V

Abigail Venuso