Old love is so often forgotten. But Helen Simonson chooses to remember in “Major Pettigrew's Last Stand” that even those nearing 70 still have hearts. Her debut novel is a welcome alternative to the tales of first love that flood the market.
A charming Sussex village, Edgecombe St. Mary, is the backdrop for this tale of unlikely love. Maj. Ernest Pettigrew is the epitome of an English gentleman: stolid, patriotic, polite. A widower, he still finds joy in his garden, his golf club and his tea. Mrs. Jasmina Ali, a Pakistani, is the village shopkeeper. A widow, she defies convention by having taken over the shop after the death of her husband.
The two come together after the death of Maj. Pettigrew's brother. Mrs. Ali provides unlooked for support and understanding, and the two quickly grow to like each other's company. They build their relationship on conversation and Kipling. These parts may be dull for those used to fast-paced love stories, but Simonson writes with language that is both beautiful and witty. The sweet is balanced by the snarky.
But with such an unusual couple, complications arise. These come in the form of family and friends. The Major's son, Roger, provides quite a few etiquette headaches, and Mrs. Ali's nephew disproves of the budding romance. The society that Maj. Pettigrew moves in is complex at best, and throwing in a biracial relationship does not make it any easier. Simonson's modern take on the novel of manners has been compared to those of Jane Austen. Like many of Austen's characters, Pettigrew is often stretched to the limit to maintain his sense of decorum while also maintaining his sense of what is right.
This contrast is what distinguishes Simonson's book from the other light romances on the shelves. Though its classification could lead it to be passed over as an insubstantial read, it deals with issues that give the reader something to chew on besides the author's descriptions of teacakes. The plot deals with the problems of racism, preservation and conservation, and even the age gap that causes so much misunderstanding today. The discomfort of new love seems negligible compared to the discomfort of rejection because of one's nationality.
What holds the reader's interest and keeps the novel grounded is the character of Maj. Pettigrew himself. Though staunchly traditional, he is not static. The book is interspersed with his wry thoughts and opinions. At one point, his ideas about young men are offered: “The Major wished young men wouldn't think so much. It always seemed to result in absurd revolutionary movements or, as in the case of several of his former pupils, the production of very bad poetry.” Simonson creates a character that is convinced of his own correctness, and only slowly shows the reader how incorrect he can be. These faults seem only to endear him further with the reader, though. They lend believability to a character who would otherwise be too upright.
As the novel progresses, the love story encounters the aforementioned bumps in the road. But towards the end, Simonson seems to have included one bump too many. Her carefully crafted love letter to the Sussex where she grew up careens out of control. Eventually, it reaches the expected happy ending, but not before throwing the reader into situations that feel much more like “Days of Our Lives” than Jane Austen. With a little more work, it seems Simonson could have concluded her book with events that didn’t break so drastically from the style of the rest of her novel.
Despite this slight hiccup, Simonson's book is still an enjoyable read. Its light and pretty prose makes it quick, but the subject matter and characters make it interesting. “Major Pettigrew's Last Stand” shouldn't be Simonson's last foray into authorship.
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