• Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

  • A Novel
  • By: Helen Simonson
  • Narrated by: Peter Altschuler
  • Length: 13 hrs and 9 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (4,601 ratings)

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Major Pettigrew's Last Stand  By  cover art

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

By: Helen Simonson
Narrated by: Peter Altschuler
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Editorial reviews

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, author Helen Simonson’s wry, perceptive debut novel about love, the British class system, and family obligations, genially unfolds amid a quaint, leafy English village, tweedy and provincial as any Miss Marple mystery, drafty vicarage and all. Edgecombe St. Mary is home to retired widower Major Ernest Pettigrew, a courtly, roguish martinet whose predictable daily order cracks when he loses his heart to Mrs. Ali, a genteel local Pakistani shopkeeper with “crisp enunciation”, who shares both his devotion to Kipling and the loss of a cherished spouse.

As narrated by Peter Altschuler, 68-year-old Major Pettigrew is a snippy educated snob with a posh accent and sentimental streak. Altschuler inhabits the Major as a man who telegraphs disappointment in Roger, his drippy banker son, through throat-clearings and stutters. But it’s his reading of complicated Mrs. Ali that truly elevates this book. Altschuler articulates her quiet, ruminating spirit and cautious nature by slowing down his own conversational flow. There is deliberateness and intimacy to Mrs. Ali reflected in her low, melodious speech and tinkling laughter. Her insecurities and droll humor sand down the Major’s prickliness and humanize his peevishness. Mrs. Ali, it turns out, is as funny and flawed as the rest of us.

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand is wistful and rolling, only gradually revealing the origins of blemishes in one’s family life. Roger’s social climbing, hinted at by Altschuler through his slick use of his father, gives way to a more nuanced explanation of the son’s ambition. And when the Major compares Mrs. Ali to other village dames, noting that she’s “a butterfly to their scuffle of pigeons”, you get the sense that Major Pettigrew, crusty, old soul, is meant to bust out flowery paeans to Mrs. Ali, off-key, certainly, but authentic, nonetheless. Nita Rao

Publisher's summary

You are about to travel to Edgecombe St. Mary, a small village in the English countryside filled with rolling hills, thatched cottages, and a cast of characters both hilariously original and as familiar as the members of your own family. Among them is Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired), the unlikely hero of Helen Simonson's wondrous debut. Wry, courtly, opinionated, and completely endearing, Major Pettigrew is one of the most indelible characters in contemporary fiction, and from the very first page of this remarkable novel he will steal your heart.

The Major leads a quiet life valuing the proper things that Englishmen have lived by for generations: Honor, duty, decorum, and a properly brewed cup of tea. But then his brother's death sparks an unexpected friendship with Mrs. Jasmina Ali, the Pakistani shopkeeper from the village. Drawn together by their shared love of literature and the loss of their respective spouses, the Major and Mrs. Ali soon find their friendship blossoming into something more. But village society insists on embracing him as the quintessential local and her as the permanent foreigner. Can their relationship survive the risks one takes when pursuing happiness in the face of culture and tradition?

©2010 Helen Simonson (P)2010 Random House

What listeners say about Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Very entertaining.

This book was mentioned at our book club recently but some had already read it. Not me so I thought I'd download it. I was not sure what to expect. LOVE the british accents. I found the story to be very pleasurable and would highly recommend it. I appreciate the mixture of cultures and it was a good reminder that no family is perfect. Well done.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Al
  • 09-03-10

Priceless

It was a slow start but I just didn't want it to end. It was funny and touching and Major Pettigrew is so very human and the story so very true. All the characters were wonderful and full. Peter Altschuler was wonderful. He told the story, he didn't just read the book . I just loved it!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

The Narator is a perfect fit.

Pride in an English village is indeed a double edged sword (or a Churchill shot gun). A book that accurately captures a strong tiny slice of what it is to live in one.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Pleasant story

A nice slow paced story that captured my attention. Was the conflict between the generations or between the cultures? In the end it didn't matter because it was a good story to listen to and enjoy.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes I would. It's extremely well written and I love the storyline.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved how the story progressed between the characters. They had their ups and downs through social issues and personal ones as well. I really thought it was a great read.

Have you listened to any of Peter Altschuler’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

It was great as usual. He has a wonderful flow and has the ability to switch characters easily.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Most definitely!

Any additional comments?

I just wish I could find more novels as interesting as this one. I listen to at least three a week and it's so nice to run across one like this.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Thoroughly satisfying

Everything about this book and the reading is just about perfect. The narrative is skillfully constructed to reveal character and events; the prose is witty, insightful, often funny; the main characters are extremely engaging; and the reading is skillful, especially since there are numerous characters and a wide variety of voices and accents. What is really special about this book, however, is how the author addresses several really important issues in the context of a romantic comic novel - love, loyalty, families, parenting of adult children, aging, racism, xenophobia. It's so satisfying that when I finished I started it all over again, just to be able to listen and hear how well structured it is.

I will say that I had my doubts for the first few minutes, but I was hooked the minute Mrs. Ali came on the scene. A real winner.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Delightful + Exceptional narrator

Any additional comments?

I remembered enjoying this a few years ago, but wasn't sure the story warranted a second go. It did. The expression of thought so clever and so keen in observation of human nature was perfectly articulated and enhanced by the narrator. The story moves around nearly every sort of social conflict--race, culture, gender, age, tradition--with humor and grace. Major Pettigrew himself is quite delightful. He is both arrogant and vulnerable, self-centered and kind, blind yet understanding. I absolutely LOVED this audiobook.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

An Utter Delight

I am so very happy I took a chance on this book during a Daily Deal. I was sad to come to the end and wanted to simply stay in this story with these characters for quite a while longer.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Delightful

Excellent story involving a tender romance with a happily ever after. Well worth the price of a credit.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely Delightful

Such a lovely story. Mrs. Ali and the Major are fully developed, completely engaging characters. The narration is spot on. Helen Simonson is to be envied for her beautiful writing. If you have not read this you are missing a sliver of the glory that is this world. Highest recommendation.

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