Book Worm Wednesday

"Major Pettigrew's Last Stand" by Helen Simonson

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand is not the kind of book I usually read.  But the title caught my interest so I thought I'd give it a try.  I was surprised how similar it was to A Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling (which I didn't like see my review here) and yet how very different it was.

The book opens with a death.  The death of Major Pettigrew's brother.  And the visit early in the day by a Mrs. Ali, a Pakistan/English woman who owns a shop, who catches him in his wife's flowery house robe a little shaken by the news.  The book is a study on a small English community  where some people, like the Major, cling to the proper way to do things and how other idea's creep in and change things.  The main story is of how the relationship between Major Pettigrew and Mrs. Ali, both older and alone after the death of their respective spouses, grows and affects the people around them.

Even though not everyone's life was perfect and problem's happened, the book felt light hearted and was filled with that lovely dry English wit.  Most of all I appreciated that there were no scenes I needed to skip and I think I counted maybe 2 swear words.

It was nice to read a book in a genere I don't usually read and thoroughly enjoy it.