February 24

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
By Helen Simonsen


Major Ernest Pettigrew is retired, his wife has died, and he rarely sees his adult son Roger.  He seems content to live his quiet life and tend his garden.  When his younger brother dies, he hopes to acquire Bertie's antique Churchill rifle, which was the other one of a pair owned by their father.  His ingrate son, however, is making plans to sell the valuable guns to a collector.  As Major Pettigrew bristles to the changes around him, he finds a kindred spirit in the local Pakistani shopkeeper, Mrs Jasmina Ali, who has recently lost her husband.  The two unexpectedly grow to enjoy each other's company and discussions over literature.   But Mrs Ali is seen by neighbors as an outsider and Ernest is not immune to their prejudice.  Still, it seems their friendship is starting to take a more romantic turn.

This debut novel is very well written, a story dealing with culture clashes and prejudice in modern England.  There are sub-plots around a scheme by friends to "fix up" the Major with a spinster friend, and an effort by developers to transform some rural fields into a modern subdivision.  There are excellent depictions of characters, even secondary characters, and the author treats them in a loving, sensitive way, helping them to see beyond the biases that often robs us of some of our most rewarding relationships.