Rated of 5
by Andrienne a real treat to be savored
A delightful surprise from beginning to end. The major is an unlikely yet supremely endearing hero. I can't count the times I wanted to write down his witty and spot on quips. Each sentence brings so much feeling and depth. The author wasted no words to bring this novel to life. Simply amazing and wonderful. This was our January 2011 book club selection and what a way to greet the new year! Thank you Ms Simonson for this gem. I have to search long and hard for a read-alike such as this book.
Rated of 5
by Diane S Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
Such a great book, not an extremely deep one but great all the same. Major Pettigrew would make a wonderful series for PBS. I think most of us know or have in our family an upright opinionated older gentlemen who reminds us of this character, at least I do. Wonderful character development and very readable writing style. Definitely want to read more from this author.
Rated of 5
by budasue A simple pleasure
It was easy to be transported to Edgecombe St. Mary because of the author's attention to detail. I found myself smiling through most of the book. Even though a few of the characters were sometimes just one step removed from caricature, the story still rang true. An uplifting, hilarious, honest tale. One of my favorite books of 2010.
Rated of 5
by Dorothy T. Actually 4.5
This is a wonderful story with a main character that I was fond of right from the start, and remained so even as my first impression of him was altered as the book neared its conclusion. I enjoyed the turns in the plot that led me to change my idea of what the Major's last stand really would be.
Rated of 5
by Lynn Very entertaining and charming
It may not happen immediately, but well before you finish this book, you will love Major Pettigrew. I love how the author was able to incorporate the Major's thoughts as well as his actions into a great character. This is such a funny and charming book. The feel of the story will remind you of the charm of the Mitford series of several years ago. I was somewhat aware of the prejudices of economic class and Pakistani immigrants, but this book really turned it into an enlightening part of the story. There has to be a sequel. I will buy it the first day it is available.
Rated of 5
by Cariola Charming!
This book is a bit lighter than my usual fare, but I was absolutely charmed by it. If I lived in Edgcumbe-St.-Mary, I think I'd be in love with the major, too. It's the gentle tale of a widowed retired major who is grieving for his recently-deceased brother when friendship blooms with Mrs. Ali, the widow of a Pakistani shopkeeper. Friendship inevitably turns into stronger affection--but what will the members of the club say (let alone the major's son, a broker schmoozing his way up the corporate ladder)? And will the major ever succeed in reuniting a pair of Churchill shooters given to his father by a maharajah and divided between his sons at his death? Much of the novel is centers on conflicts between the "older generation" values of the major and the new values of "progress." Mrs. Ali, too, has conflicts with her own beliefs and the traditional Islamic values of her husband's family.
If I could give this book 4.5 stars, I would. It's not quite a 5, but awfully close!
Stranger than fiction, blending tragedy and farce, How to Create the Perfect Wife is an engrossing tale of the radicalism, and deep contradictions, at the heart of the Enlightenment.
Z, the novel about the life of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald is at points charming and; like another reviewer, I kept thinking of the movie, "Midnight...
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Although heavy on the scientific details, which slowed down the story for me (OK, I admit, I was one of those liberal arts majors who skipped out on...
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Loved this book. Magical, quirky, enchanting I could go on. All books do not have to be literary fiction, sometimes it is just so comforting to read...
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U.S. ebook sales up in 2012, but rate of growth is slowing(May 16 2013) In 2012, trade book sales (i.e. non academic book sales) rose 6.9%, to $15.049 billion, and e-book sales continued to grow, although the rate of growth...
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