Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: A Novel Review

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Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: A Novel ReviewIt is always cause for celebration when a debut author bursts on the scene with an original and whimsical novel that is bound to capture attention. And this novel -- Major Pettigrew's Last Stand -- has much to recommend it.
Major Pettigrew is a very proper and delightfully droll widower of 68 who resides in the quaint village of Edgecombe St. Mary in Sussex, England. He is the father of Roger, a posturing and preening young man who has incorporated none of the values of his dad. And he is also the accidental suitor of the proprietress of the village mini-mart, Jasmina Ali, a 50-something Pakistani widow who shares his love of Kipling and his wry look at the world in which they both reside. The two of them -- the quintessential local and the attractive outsider -- must navigate the gossip and outright prejudice of their stilted society. Helen Simonson writes, "He (the Major) had always assumed gossip to be the malicious whispering of uncomfortable truths, not the fabrication of absurdities. Was a life of careful, impeccable behavior not enough in a world where inventions were passed around as facts?"
This is by no means "chick lit", nor is it hard-hitting politically correct narrative, couched in fiction. It is a charming English comedy of manners -- in places, a laugh-out-loud comedy. A scene, for example, where the atrocities of Pakistani Partition are reduced to a bad-taste dinner show or where the favored ducks of schoolchildren are chosen as prey for a duck hunt are satirical and spot-on.
Yet despite its gentle humor, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand touches on many of the big issues: the clash of culture and religions, the greed of unbridaled globalization, the tension between fathers and sons...and families in general. At its heart, though, it is an old-fashioned love story. I couldn't help but stand by the sidelines rooting for the Major and his lady and keep my fingers crossed for their eventual coupling. The book is an ode for anyone who refuses to give up on life or love at any stage of life. For those who love the charm of the "Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society", you're in for yet another treat.Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: A Novel Overview

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Rules, Britannia: An Insider's Guide to Life in the United Kingdom Review

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Rules, Britannia: An Insider's Guide to Life in the United Kingdom ReviewWhilst scanning my local bookstore's shelves for a quick read I came across "Rules, Britannia" by Toni Summers Hargis. After finishing it (in one sitting) I know not to say "it was 'quite' good", for that would indicate something less than extreme pleasure on my part. "Rules, Britannia" is VERY good, informative and funny and while our language differences deserve credit for the book's inspiration the author has earned all of the rest.
Having grown up on the other side of the pond, Ms. Hargis has spent sixteen years in the States and has a perspective that is most welcome from an American point of view. For those of us who have spent a good amount of time in England, reading "Rules, Britannia" tells one more of the things one doesn't know but probably should. This is not merely a collective glossary of word translations (although at the end of each chapter there is one, relating to that particular chapter) but a look at what every American needs to know upon visiting the mother country. From transportation and food to shopping and partying, the author is a gentle teacher, or perhaps more of a cultural ambassador.
What Toni Hargis does so well is relate things from an English viewpoint. I was surprised to see that the Brits find it very rude if you refer to another person in your midst as "he" or "she", or that if you cannot attend a dinner party it is essential (almost to a comical fault) that you let your host know exactly the reasons WHY you won't be there. I laughed out loud after reading about the fact that Brits never park their car leaving it in gear when the author then goes on to say, "if you borrow someone's car, for heaven's sake don't leave it in gear when you return it, or the owner will kangaroo straight through the garden wall next time the engine's turned on." Who can resist such advice?!
Occasionally, you'll find some repetitions in the book....what you're reading you just read a few pages ago. A couple of additions would be good also... (unless I missed them) when stepping off the pavement make sure to look right before crossing the street (there are reminders on London streets) and if trying to book passage on BritRail on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, forget about it. I suppose this is a way of saying there is probably enough material for another book by author Hargis.....one I would stand hours in a queue to purchase!
I highly recommend "Rules, Brittania". It's practical, down-to-earth and immensely enjoyable.
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Dark Souls: A Novel Review

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Dark Souls: A Novel ReviewA good friend at a local indie heard me raving over Paula Morris' Ruined. When the ARC for Dark Souls came in she saved it for me and surprised me with it last a short time ago and I could not resist starting it as soon as I was able. I am really not a ghost story fan. But, I really love Paula Morris' writing. She really tells a good story. I will start with the cover. It is haunting but, I really like it. The cobblestone streets and the whole 'Old England' appeal to it just draw me in and I imagine there really is a street that looks like this in York.
We have a set of new characters in Dark Souls. I have to admit I was hoping there was more New Orleans in this one. But, one of the things that this author does so well is set a scene. She does an excellent job of helping you feel as if you are actually seeing the buildings, streets and people yourself. She does not overdo it by inundating us with what someone is wearing or what the furniture looks like. She gives us what is pivotal to the story. She just has a way of making you see the picture in your head if you are visual reader like me.
In Dark Souls a family tragedy has turned the Tennant family's world upside down. They decide to take advantage of both parents having a chance to do some visiting work in York, England, and make it a family vacation. Miranda, the curious intelligent protagonist of the story, has come to England with what might be seen as a gift or a curse. As she works her way through it alone she becomes engulfed in a mystery that has its basis in the early 1800's and is one of the pivotal moments in York, England's history. The story is well written and supports my initial reaction to Paula Morris' writing skills and I look forward to where she takes us to visit next.
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