Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Teaser Tuesday

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A friend loaned me this book, and I'm sure glad she did. I was in the mood for a nice, calm story -- not too fast paced, not too much tension, with the emphasis on the characters. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand fit my mood perfectly. The author did such a great job of adding meaning to the simplest scene. I've included an example of that in my Teaser from Page 27. I'm breaking the rules and stretching my Teaser to three sentences. Don't tell.

In my Teaser, Major Pettigrew is riding in the back seat of his son's car, coming home from a funeral:
He relaxed his head against the leather seat and gave himself up to the soothing vibrations of the road. He felt like a child again as he dozed and listened to Roger and Sandy talking together in low voices. They might have been his parents, their soft voices fading in and out, as they drove the long miles home from his boarding school for the holidays.

Genre: Fiction
Length: 384 Pages
Amazon Link: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand


Synopsis from Goodreads:
      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?


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away -- you don't want to ruin the book for others)
  • Share the title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers
  • Leave a comment on MizB's Teaser Tuesday post (HERE) and include your link so everyone can find your post.

46 comments:

  1. Sounds lovely :)

    http://carabosseslibrary.blogspot.com/2014/06/teaser-tuesdays_17.html

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  2. What a lovely nostalgic teaser you've chosen. Here is my Tuesday Teaser

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  3. I adored this book! I hope you are loving it too!

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  4. This book was like a "sleeper hit" with me. I picked it up impulsively, not sure what I would think...and then discovered that it was an engaging story that kept me moving along with the characters and their lives. I could feel their experiences. Thanks for sharing...and for visiting my blog.

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    1. The friend who loaned this book to me couldn't get into it, but maybe she just wasn't in the mood for it. Timing is everything! I'm glad you enjoyed it too.
      Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment here.

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  5. I love how those little English and Scottish villages consider one an 'incomer' even after decades.

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    1. Seems that's true of most little towns everywhere.

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  6. I've read a sample of this book a while back and it does sound good, its nice to have a realxing read once in a while isnt it. Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier
    Gill x

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  7. It sounds mostly sweet. I can only imagine the societal problems the couple would face. Thanks for coming by my blog Through Raspberry Colored Glasses.

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    1. I felt like I really got to know the characters well, and that's always fun.

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  8. Beautiful teaser, have heard a lot about this book and thought it sounded good. Mine: The Swiss Family Robinson

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  9. Sounds good, enjoy!

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  10. I enjoyed this book when I read it some time ago. I might have to read it again now that you've reminded me of it. :-)

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    1. If you're like me, you pick up different nuances when you read a book for the second time.

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  11. I like how he transports himself from a sad situation to one of comfort. Nice teaser.

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    1. Major Pettigrew is definitely an interesting character.

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  12. I used to sleep in moving cars all the time. This is a great description of it.

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    1. For me it brought back memories of going on road trips as a child. We always left during the cool of the night when we went to the Texas Gulf Coast, and I remember my parents' voices lulling me to sleep.

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  13. I love the cover! This sounds like a touching story. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. I love the cover too. So simple, yet it hints at a story.

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  14. Great teaser! Really gives me a sense of the tranquil, poignant tone behind the book.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

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  15. Hi Sandra,

    I can relate to this storyline on so many fronts, especially feeling like an outsider as a 'newbie' in a relatively small community and always managing to doze off when we go on a long journey in the car. Generally I can still hear everything going on around me, but the gentle 'thrum' of the engine and motion of the car, somehow prevent me from opening my eyes! You have me wondering who Roger and Sandy are?

    There is definitely a time and place in my reading schedule for this gentle, slow paced, descriptive style of writing, so this has to be a must be for my TBR pile.

    Thanks for sharing,

    Yvonne.

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    1. Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I'm glad my blog post about this book resonated with you. By the way, Roger is General Pettigrew's son and Sandy is the son's girlfriend.

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  16. This sounds like it could be a good summer read! Thanks for visiting my blog! :-)

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  17. Great teaser. Thanks for stopping by my blog! Happy reading!

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  18. I absolutely LOVED this book. I listened to the audio version and read the print version. Thanks for visiting my blog.

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  19. This sounds like a lovely book and I love the teaser! So glad you broke the rules! I will definitely have to look for this one.

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  20. That sounds like a fantastic read. I will have to put it on my TBR. Thank you for stopping by Fire & Ice :)

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  21. Great teaser -- reminds me of our trips in the car when I was growing up.

    Here's my TT post.

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  22. Some folks just zone out in a car! Thanks for the visit!

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  23. sigh... I do that when travelling too!!

    Thanx for visiting my TT
    Naomi @ Nomi’s Paranormal Palace

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  24. This is the second time that I have heard of this book...loved the teaser! Made me remember long car trips when I was a kid and that feeling of sleepiness!

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  25. It sounds like an interesting, relaxing book!

    Thanks for stopping by my blog!

    ^_^

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  26. I've heard so many good things about this book from lots of people! Great teaser :)

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  27. I read and enjoyed this one. Hope you do too. Here's Mine

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  28. I've heard good things about his one and have been wanting to read it for awhile. Hope I can get to it soon!

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  29. Lovely teaser! I'm a huge fan of the cover, the colour and cuteness, love it! Thanks for sharing (:

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  30. Great teaser. And the description makes me want to read the book too. Thanks for sharing (and thanks for commenting on my Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake teaser)!

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  31. Great teaser. Sounds like a good cozy. :-)

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  32. What a great way to just doze off :-)

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