If you are in the mood for a gentle, charming love story, then may I recommend Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson. Like The Help by Kathryn Stockett, this first novel has struck a resounding chord among independent booksellers and now that I have turned the final page, I understand why.

Set in Edgecombe St. Mary, a small village in England, we are introduced to Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired) and Mrs. Ali, owner of a small shop, both living solitary lives after the loss of their spouses. As the story opens, Major Pettigrew is shaken by the news of his younger brother’s sudden death and though neighbors are sympathetic, it is Mrs. Ali who demonstrates a true depth of understanding. As time passes and their friendship develops, the village starts to take notice revealing unattractive biases. Even Pettigrew’s son, Roger, adds a snide voice to the ugly chorus.

Simonson introduces three couples, all in different stages of life, to illustrate the traditional vs. modern conundrums in modern English life. First, of course, is the Major and Mrs. Ali who’s friendship is scorned because of the color of her skin and the fact that she is a shopkeeper. Then there is Roger Pettigrew who is smitten with a rather gauche American. And finally there is Mrs. Ali’s nephew, Abdul Wahid who is trying to reconcile family loyalty as well as his faith with the power of his feelings for the mother of his son considered unsuitable by his family on the grounds of loose morals. As Abdul Wahid asks the Major, “But I must ask you, do you really understand what it means to be in love with an unsuitable woman?” to which the Major replies, “My dear boy, is there really any other kind?”

That is one of the gifts of this novel; though it is often light-hearted, it also shines a bright light on the clashes of culture and generation. For example the villagers of Edgecombe St. Mary choose to tolerate the Pakistani shopkeepers as long as they know their place and don’t presume to infiltrate the golf club. Or, because of the difficulty of maintaining a large estate, the local lord of the manor, Lord Dagenham has had to invite an American developer to consider the wide expansiveness of Edgecombe St. Mary as a possible site for development resulting in village unrest. And finally the proprieties Major Pettigrew has lived by his entire life -- duty and honor -- has seemingly bypassed his son whose more modern outlook values wealth and position thereby creating frequent tension between the two men.

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand is a lovely novel filled with humor, unforgettable characters, and most certainly bound for my top ten favorite books of 2010 list. ~Patti