Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

A Novel

by Helen Simonson

English language

Published Jan. 5, 2010 by Random House.

ISBN:: 978-1-4000-6893-7
OCLC Number:: 326509253

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 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 …

6 editions

Marie Knapp reviewed Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

None

4 stars

loved it. I was afraid it would just be a charming English countryside story where the white man comes to the rescue of the people of color in his town.....you know the theme....white people doing stuff to make white people feel better but it doesn't really help the people of color.
I was so pleased it wasn't that. I love every character especially the Major

AliCorbin reviewed Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

Review of "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand" on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

I found it a delightful book, a sweet, lighthearted romance about old fuddie-duddies falling in love. I appreciated the way the author showed the reader that these two loved each other, before the characters realized it themselves. It came across as channeling Jane Austen in the late 20th century.

But there was dissent. Some considered it not just light, but fluff. Overly sweet, saccharine even. And cliched, with shallow, superficial characters, and overly long descriptions.

unicorndeburgh reviewed Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

Review of "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand" on 'Goodreads'

No rating

Stiff upper lip gentleman from a old country family that no longer has much money, in his 70s, coping with change in society and his family. A love story.