Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

by Helen Simonson

Other authors: See the other authors section.

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Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired) leads a quiet life in the village of St. Mary, England, until 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 will their relationship survive in a society that considers Ali a foreigner?… (more)

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English (454) Dutch (3) French (3) Catalan (2) Spanish (1) German (1) Norwegian (1) All languages (465)

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Showing 1-5 of 454 (next | show all)

Absolutely loved this charming tale of finding love later in life. My book club was split; some felt there was not enough action or plot to keep it interesting. However, I disagree. I found both Major Pettigrew and Mrs. Ali to be wonderful characters, and was completely enchanted by their quiet love story. As I neared the end, I slowed my reading, as I didn't want the book to end. I wasn't quite ready to leave this lovely little world. Highly recommend. (

)

kdegour23 | May 29, 2024 |

Charming and very enjoyable. (

)

Abcdarian | May 18, 2024 |

This is one of those books I didn't want to end. Believable plot, lovable characters, strong sense of place, true to life dialogue and beautiful prose combine to make this an excellent read. Ms. Simonson hits it out of the park with this one. (

)

milbourt | May 11, 2024 |

A pleasant enough holiday read. Major Pettigrew overcomes his somewhat stuffy, if enjoyable, background in the shires to befriend and ultimately marry Asian shopkeeper , Mrs. Ali. The end. (

)

Margaret09 | Apr 15, 2024 |

Victoria Shields says, along with the NYT: "Funny, barbed, delightfully winsome storytelling . . . As with the polished work of Alexander McCall Smith, there is never a dull moment . . . It's all about intelligence, heart, dignity and backbone." English fiction.

TNbookgroup | Mar 7, 2024 |

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Showing 1-5 of 454 (next | show all)

▾Published reviews

3 reviews

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thingScore 100

Simonson .. is having a great time with her first novel. She is unsparing in her willingness to send up her characters and their little village, and she is often downright funny – that intelligent kind of funny that catches readers by surprise and makes them re-read a sentence several times to figure out how the author managed to make them laugh out loud so unexpectedly.The book is almost always pitch-perfect in its demonstration of how ridiculous our small ignorances can be – and how magnificent we are when we rise above them.

added by vancouverdeb | editGlobe and Mail, Peter Scowen (Apr 22, 2010)

This thoroughly charming novel wraps Old World sensibility around a story of multicultural conflict involving two widowed people who assume they're done with love. The result is a smart romantic comedy about decency and good manners in a world threatened by men's hair gel, herbal tea and latent racism..When depicted by the right storyteller, the thrill of falling in love is funnier and sweeter at 60 than at 16. The stakes are higher, after all, and the lovers have stored up decades of peculiarities and anxieties

added by kgodey | editThe Washington Post, Ron Charles (Mar 3, 2010)

As with the polished work of Alexander McCall Smith, there is never a dull moment but never a discordant note either. Still, this book feels fresh despite its conventional blueprint. Its main characters are especially well drawn, and Ms. Simonson makes them as admirable as they are entertaining. They are traditionally built, and that’s not just Mr. McCall Smith’s euphemism. It’s about intelligence, heart, dignity and backbone. “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand” has them all.

added by Shortride | editThe New York Times, Janet Maslin (Feb 22, 2010)

▾Other authors

» Add other authors (13 possible)

Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Helen Simonson	—	primary author	all editions	calculated
Altschuler, Peter	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Tapia, Sonia	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Wallis, Bill	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

▾Series and work relationships

Is abridged in

Encounters: Real Life Reading: The Geneva Deception | Major Pettigrew's Last Stand | The First Rule | The Accidental time Traveller by Reader's Digest

Has as a student's study guide

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: A Novel by Helen Simonson | Summary & Study Guide by BookRags

▾Awards and Honors

Awards

CBC Bookie Awards (Winner – Romance – 2011)

Dublin Literary Award (Longlist – 2012)

Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance (Winner – 2011)

PEN/Hemingway Award (Nominee – Honorable Mention - 2011)

Waverton Good Read Award (Winner – 2010)

Distinctions

Christian Science Monitor Best Book (Fiction – 2010)

New York Times bestseller (Fiction – 2010)

Notable Lists

Globe and Mail Top 100 Book (International Fiction – 2010)

King County Library System Best Books (Fiction Books – 2010)

Reading Agency Mood Boosting Books (2012)

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▾Common Knowledge

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Canonical title

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Original title

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Alternative titles

Original publication date

2010-03-02

People/Characters

Important places

Edgecombe St. Mary, Sussex, England, UK

England, UK

Sussex, England, UK

Important events

Epigraph

Dedication

For John, Ian and Jamie

First words

Major Pettigrew was still upset about the phone call from his brother's wife and so he answered the doorbell without thinking.

Quotations

He finished his tea and rose from the table to go to his room. "But I must ask you, do you really understand what it means to be in love with an unsuitable woman?" "My dear boy," said the Major. "Is there really any other kind?"

"Careful, careful," he said, feeling a splash of scalding tea on his wrist. "Passion is all very well, but it wouldn't do to spill the tea."

Too few people today appreciate and pursue the delights of civilized culture for their own sake.

The stems were as unpleasant as rusty wire and the leaves curled and crisped, but the flowers, as big as tea plates, shone like claret-colored velvet against the old brick wall. (P. 110) ISBN 978-0-8129-8122-3

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Information from the French Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.

Blurbers

Smith, Alexander McCall

Original language

Information from the Dutch Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.

Engels

Canonical DDC/MDS

Canonical LCC

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English

None

▾Book descriptions

Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired) leads a quiet life in the village of St. Mary, England, until 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 will their relationship survive in a society that considers Ali a foreigner?

▾Library descriptions

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▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

Major Ernest Pettigrew, having retired to a quiet life in Edgecombe St. Mary, raises a few eyebrows in the small English village when he begins a relationship with widow Mrs. Jasmina Ali, a Pakistani shopkeeper.

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