On Major Pettigrew

Once again I am left to shake my head in sheer amazement at the fully accomplished novels that emanate from first time writers. How do they do it? What a joy it must be to work as an editor, plowing through thousands of manuscripts and happening upon a gem like this one from Helen Simonson. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand is one of those deceptively simple novels that may not be fully considered as "literature," yet is chock full of the kind of homespun insights and truths that are the result of a life fully lived.

I was reminded of one of my favorite characters, Alexander McCall Smith's sensible, sensitive Mma Ramotswe, owner of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, when I met Mrs. Jasmina Ali, the local shopkeeper, widow  and dispenser of witticisms whose quiet beauty entices the buttoned up Major Pettigrew who, when we meet him, is still mourning the loss of his wife and now the sudden death of his brother Bertie.

Set in a small town in Sussex, England, peopled by the kinds of characters one finds in any village that time seems to have forgotten, this novel could have devolved into an exploration of stereotypes, but Simonson's witty dialogue - think Oscar Wilde - raises this comedy of manners above the norm. The major has never been one to admit to the loneliness he feels as he buries brother Bertie and regrets not having been closer to his only sibling. His son Roger is an effete, social climbing snob whose desire for money and status leaves the major cold. 

The only person he seems to be able to talk with is Mrs.Ali, whose love of books and knowledge of literature come as a surprise to the major, who has the good grace to feel ashamed of himself for having pigeon-holed the shop proprietress as a woman of a lower status in a town that still relies heavily on pedigree.

The action in the village revolves around the daily lives of the women who plot to snare the major, seen as a "great catch" because of his family home and longstanding place in the community, into a marriage of convenience. Roger, visiting the country with an American fiance, ( Simonson is very funny in her creation of Sandy, the typical over-the-top American in the eyes of the Brits ), thinks his 68 year old dad should be auditioning nursing homes and is eyeballing the manse for himself. Meanwhile, the annual themed ball has the townspeople in a flurry of activity and the major raises eyebrows by inviting Mrs. Ali, a Pakistani, to accompany him.

Helen Simonson astutely observes the foibles of her characters without making harsh judgments. She allows them to slowly realize the errors of their ingrained prejudices, helping them to evolve each at their own pace. There is a certain satisfaction in reading a book like this where people like the disagreeable Roger get their  comeuppance (what a funny, old-fashioned word) and a sense of enlightenment as we readers recognize our own little faults that lead to misunderstandings and lost opportunities for connections. A delightful read altogether.