Reminding you about one of my Top 20 books – Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

When I started reading Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson, I had no idea what to expect.  I was intrigued by the title.  This book turned out to be a gem – for some of the same reasons that I liked Digging to America by Anne Tyler.  The book is set in England and also deals with clashes of class and culture.  The author skewers much of modern English country society but in a way that is entertaining rather than at all preachy.

The main character, Major Pettigrew, grows on you as the book develops and I ended up very endeared by him.

This was the author's debut novel (2010) – a fantastic start by her.  Her second book is sitting in my TBR pile – The Summer Before the War