Major Pettigrew's Last Standby Helen Simonson

Published in 2010. 358 pages.


Delightful! A little slower reading than I had wished, but Major Pettigrew is such an endearing character, and he had so much wisdom for me to absorb. Here are some Pettigrew-isms I enjoyed:

Life isn't all about flashy parties and meeting rich people.

One really shouldn't have to bargain with one's family like a used-car salesman.

Life does often get in the way of one's reading.

There is nothing more corrosive to character than money.

We must refuse to imagine [that it's too late] and concentrate only on the next step and then the next. We do what we can do, and the rest is God's problem.

The solution is to make things right, or at least to work every day to do so.

And here's a quote from another character that I found quite thought-provoking:

If faith is worth no more than the price of a small shop in an ugly village, what is the purpose of my life - of any life?

For the context of all those statements, you just have to read the book yourself!

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand was a Salt Lake County Reader's Choice Nominee last year, but, unfortunately, I didn't make the time to read it then. It was also the August pick for the "book lunch girls" (aka Natalie's Book Club). I wasn't able to attend the meeting due to another commitment, but I'm so glad I read the book.

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