Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

Retired British army major Major Ernest Pettigrew, lives in a quaint English village. He is a widower who was deeply in love with his wife. They have one son named Roger. The story begins with his brother's unexpected death from a heart attack and the Major's deep desire to inherit his brother's gun, worth lots of money. He has the mate to the gun.

He begins an unexpected friendship with Mrs. Ali, a Pakistani widow who runs a local shop. This friendship disturbs the bucolic serenity of the town and opens up many questions. What does it mean to belong? What are the obligations of family and tradition when balanced against personal freedom? Will the village by lost because of petty prejudices?

I liked this book very much because Major Pettigrew struggled with loss and moved forward. At first he was lonely even with the many chores and responsibilities that he had. His friendship with Mrs. Ali allowed him to question values, and tradition and grow as a human being. He made mistakes along the way, admitted them and moved forward.