By Helen Simonson

Major Pettigrew is a retired RAF Major who served in WWII. He is a most distinguished character with the beautiful speech and refined qualities of that generation. The author did an excellent job of revealing his person. Major Pettigrew is a widower, lives in a small English village and strikes up a friendship with the local shop owner who is also widowed and, gasp, Pakistani....the scandal of it all! The story deals with cultural differences and stereotypes, generational challenges, gender and socio-economic issues, family relationships. It is excellent.