Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: A Novel (edition 2011)

I read the reviews of this book and confess to starting it with a heavy heart, but it has instead taught me never to believe what other people think! This was a beautifully written book about love and guns in a small town in Sussex - how diverse can you get?!

The love story that develops is well handled, and so too are the issues surrounding it. One criticism of the book has been that the racism angle is a little over-egged. However, I can believe that some people of certain standing in society can think like this. I can also understand how these people can totally misrepresent an entire culture and country through one event, albeit with good intentions, and at the same time cause upset and outrage at the same time.

The fickleness of Roger is also believable - someone wanting to be more than he is and attracted to shiny, rich people, imitating where he can to try to fit in. The American characters are a little stereotypical, but I have seen these characters in films such as Beethoven! In fact, Sandy is revealed to be human later in the book, and the bravado yuppiness she shows is a mere facade.

The obsession with the guns is more to do with tradition and honour than simply an inheritance. We all know stories of families fighting after a death and this is just an illustration of such an argument.

After working with older volunteers in country houses, I can say I have met people like those living in Edgecombe St Mary; they mean well and would be horrified to think they are offending anyone, but their upbringing has formed the ideas they hold - look at all the 1970s BBC comedies that are now considered racist (Mind your Language springs gloriously to mind...), but as the book also shows, those who are prepared to be more open are often the better for it.

Read this book...it's wonderfully lifting and a nice change from young people thinking about bonking, talking about bonking and actually bonking! (but there is bonking in this book, be warned!!) ( )

Began slow, but I did like the ending. ( )

Major Ernest Pettigrew with his proper English manners and desire to uphold duty and decorum is an interesting character. I gained more respect for him as the novel progressed. Besides Pettigrew, The story was populated with many characters from diverse age and cultural backgrounds. Also, the storyline ranged from duck hunting to romance and much in between. After a slow start, I found myself caught up in the vagaries of their lives until the end when Major Pettigrew made his last stand. ( )

Helen Simonson displays an excellent grasp of setting in this love story novel. Her character development is rather lacking, however. I could not tell one old lady from the next. I appreciated and liked the inter racial relationship she presented. ( )

I was given this to read after finishing "We Need To Talk About Kevin". The Kevin book was excellent but left me feeling drained and depressed. Major Pettigrew was the perfect antidote-pure British delight. This book makes the reader smile and provides hope. ( )