BOOK REVIEW: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

There is no doubt that a reader’s mood dictates his reaction to a certain book. The same book read at a different time, at a different location, can change the opinion of how good or bad the author is. I think that is what happened to me with MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND by Helen Simonson.

Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired) lives in a small village in England. Widowed and the father of a grown, and sometimes not very likeable, son, Ernest is watching the erosion of all of the values that a proper Englishman holds dear. He values duty, honor, decorum, and a properly brewed cup of tea.

His quiet life is disturbed by the sudden death of his brother. Their father had split a pair of rare and beautiful guns between the boys with the understanding that on the death of one the remaining bother would have possession of both hunting pieces. Ernest’s sister-in-law, niece, and his own son are insistent that each needs the money from selling the pair more than Ernest needs the guns.

Mourning his brother and dealing with the stress of his avaricious family, the Major find understanding in the local shop owner, Mrs. Jasmina Ali. The village cannot ignore the fact that their Major Pettigrew is a local and, although born in England, Mrs. Ali is a dark, foreigner.

This is a gentle book. Major Pettigrew is charming and certainly not without a wry sense of humor. His comments on the lack of common decency, especially with the younger generations, are smile worthy. Mrs. Ali is a darling; she is someone who we would love to have as a friend. In fact, she was by far my favorite character in the book.

At the time that I read MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND my personal life was hectic.  (All good things.)  I probably needed just a good bodice-ripper or something with lots of exciting car chases. This book was more “refined”. I must have enjoyed it more than I realized at the time; the characters have stayed with me. It has the comedy of manners that we expect from Jane Austen added to a senior citizen’s Romeo and Juliet.

If you are in the mood for an elegant book full of dry wit and crisp insight, this is perfect. Just do not expect wild car chases. Be warned though, there is a love scene and a shootout involved.