In the small village of Edgecombe St. Mary in the English countryside lives Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired), an unlikely hero. Wry, courtly, opinionated, and completely endearing, 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 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 regarding her as the permanent foreigner. Can their relationship survive the risks one takes when pursuing happiness in the face of culture and tradition?
I was charmed by this book. It was amusing that the Major tries to solve all the problems in the book with his upright, proper, old-fashioned manners and behavior. He doesn't seem to realize that times and society have changed. There were a lot of witty moments and some poignant moments. Some moments of almost slap-stick moments and some serious, thoughtful moments.
I'm sure we will have a lot to talk about in reading group. It is a great book for discussion.
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