Major Pettigrew's Last Stand",by Helen Simonson. This novel caught my attention with the secret love connection between a British citizen and Ms. Ali, a Pakistani, store owner.
The character of the Major (Mr. Pettigrew) came off to me as old and stiff. His obsession with his father's heirloom's, two Churchill rifles causes a family conflict, over whether to sell the beloved guns or to keep them. The rifles were split up, between Mr. Pettigrew and his now deceased brother: Berti, so if he does plan to keep them, he'll have to find a way to convince his brother's widow: Bertie that they are important enough to be joined together.
Bertie's wife Majorie wants to sell them. She finds the symbolism of passing down the heirlooms as insignificant, and is willing to take take the opportunity of selling them as fast as she can. Unfortunately the Churchill's can't sell well separately, so she'll need to convince the Major with the sale. And that's where Ferguson, a potential American buyer of the Churchill's comes into the story. His scheme to buy the Churchill's is clever enough, if not for an unfolding drama that unfolds with Ms. Ali's family and the Major himself. Will the Major succumb to departing with the rifles in order to hang on to Ms. Ali? Or will the Major strengthen his hold to the rifles even more, in order to hang on to his father's legacy?
