Major Pettigrews Last Stand Ebook Review | Helen Simonson

I got this as an advanced reading copy from the Amazon Vine program, and didn't know anything about it except the brief synopsis from the Vine newsletter. I am fond of reading "gentle" novels that take the reader into the hearts and lives of people in a community, and this novel didn't disappoint me. It has a slow start, but builds up to the point where you can't put it down because you just have to know what happens next. It is a combination of romance, a comedy of manners, a statement on prejudice, a look at family and community relationships, and a reaffirmation that love is ageless. The hero, Major Pettigrew, is widower in his 60's who has become complacent about his quiet existence as a retired Army officer. He is shocked out of his routine by the sudden death of his only brother. He has known the heroine, Jasmina Ali, for quite some time as the wife and then widow of Pakistani shopkeeper in his community. As the Major and Jasmina become closer due to their shared griefs and their common interests, both of them are challenged to look at their own world views and to face the discrimination and shallowness of some of their friends and relatives. There is a nice chemistry between the hero and the heroine. When they become physically intimate, it is done in the "now dear reader, we will close the bedroom door" type of approach, which is fitting for the type of novel that it is. Although the novel isn't religious in tone, the characters and the style reminds me favorably of Jan Karon's Mitford series of novels. That is why I am hoping that the author has more novels about the little English community that is home to the Major and Jasmina. I want to know what happens next. I am a picky reader when it comes to writing style and I particularly like the way that the author handles prose and dialogue. She uses similes and other literary techniques judiciously--just enough but not too much. One example that sticks out in my mind was her description of an elderly Pakistani couple as having the symmetry of two wrinkled halves of a walnut. Very descriptive, and not something I've read before. While there are some underlying political, religious, and moral issues in this novel, the author doesn't force the reader to take sides. The novel reflects that there is a lot that is uncertain in life, and that "good" people can make mistakes and continue to grow. There is a bit of suspense and action in the novel, but it is mainly character-driven, which is my favorite type of novel. I didn't want the book to end. The mark of a good book, in my opinion, is whether or not I would want to re-read it, and this book is definitely going on my "keeper shelf," hopefully to be joined by more books by this author in the future. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: A Novel

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 Major Pettigrews Last Stand  on Ipad|  Helen Simonson