In the small village of Edgecombe St. Mary in the English countryside lives Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired), the unlikely hero of Helen Simonson's wondrous debut. Wry, courtly, opinionated, and completely endearing, the Major leads a quiet life valuing the proper things that Englishmen have lived by for generations: honor, duty, decorum, and a properly brewed cup of tea. But then 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 spouses, the Major and Mrs. Ali soon find their friendship blossoming into something more. But village society insists on embracing him as the quintessential local and regarding her as the permanent foreigner. Can their relationship survive the risks one takes when pursuing happiness in the face of culture and tradition?
Editorial Reviews
"[A] beautiful little love story, which is told with skill and humor." —The New York Times Book Review
"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. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand has them all." —The New York Times
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