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 … 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?
BONUS: This edition contains a Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand discussion guide.
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I loved it!
I want more Major Pettigrew books now!
Loved this book!
This is one of my favorite little books. It’s just a joy following this curmudgeon’s metamorphosis. It’s similar to A Man Called Ove, but it made me laugh more.
I loved this book. It would be a wonderful PBS series. Apparently it has been on the back burner for production (2011, I think).for a long time. Very sweet story.
Charming….
Loved reading this book. The plot kept me involved and I found myself smiling while reading. Pleasure.
A delightful read.
Sometimes I have a favorite book of the year. This was the one a few years ago!
I loved the writing.
I listened to this in my car and the reader was excellent! I think I enjoyed it more than if I had read it.
A wonderful story about an unlikely pairing of two intelligent, independent people with their own rich backgrounds. I couldn’t put it down.
Well written. Complex story. Great characters. A glimpse into British village early 20th century.
We read this in our book club. It’s one of the groups’ overall favorites. An original yet timely story. Will make you think. Regular people dealing with real life in a very unique way. A love story from several angles! Yet not mushy and silly.
Enjoyed it. Tired of knock-em, sock-em books. This one was just a comfortable read.
I found it very charming and entertaining. I would read more of this author.
A wonderful look at this period of English history, with a warm — predictable, but very interesting — plot. As a student of English literature, this brought the whole idea of English memoirs to a more modern levels. Characters were very well drawn; interaction among them most believable.
I read the book based on reviews and I wasn’t disappointed. It was a well crafted story that needs to be told more often. Without being heavy handed, the author showed the cost of prejudice today in a delightful story. Light reading!
Delightful characters, unexpected romance.
This is a delightful, offbeat romance and a pleasure to read. Very British in the best way, interesting characters, seems very true to life and at the same time paced much better and a lot more fun. Would recommend for summer reading for sure.