This month, our book club chose Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson. Set in current day England, the story surrounds Maj. Pettigrew (retired) as he deals with his brother’s death, the fate of a pair of Churchill guns, a self-obsessed son, and a growing fondness for the Pakistani shop-keeper in town.
A main story line is the race issue that keeps the Major’s and Mrs. Ali’s relationship at bay. The village, his family and especially her family are not accepting of a mix-ed race relationship. A secondary relationship story line involves Mrs. Ali’s nephew (deeply Muslim) who is in love with a free-spirited Indian woman. When he is bemoaning his life, “But I must ask you, do you really understand what it means to be in love with an unsuitable woman?” The Major answers, “My dear boy, is there really any other kind?”
Much of the book shows the contrast between what would like to be said vs what is really said, with social niceties forcing the conversation outcome. Since this was an English story which focused on social norms, it fit quite nicely with the Jane Austen theme I’ve undertaken.
