CHARLOTTE LIBRARY
RECENT ACQUISITIONS
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Updated August 2, 2010
DVDs
Avatar with Sam Worthington
The Book of Eli, Denzel Washington
Chloe, with Julian Moore
An Education with Carey Mulligan
Extraordinary Measures with Harrison Ford
Five Minutes of Heaven with Liam Neeson
Invictus with Morgan Freeman
The Messenger with Woody Harrelson
Remember Me, Robert Pattinson
A Single Man with Colin Firth
Unthinkable with Samuel L. Jackson
Fiction
Alone with You: Stories, Marisa Silver
Angelology, Danielle Trussoni
Captive Queen: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Alison Weir
Faithful Place, Tana French
Father of the Rain, Lily King
Hangman: A Decker/Lazarus Novel, Faye Kellerman
The Lake Shore Limited, Sue Miller
The Lovers, Vendela Vida
Lotus Eaters, Tatjana Soli
Red Hook Road, Ayelet Waldman
Red Queen, Philippa Gregory
Rich Boy, Sharon Pomerantz
Scarlet
Contessa: A Novel of the Italian Renaissance,
Jeanne Kalogridis
Nonfiction
Council of Dads: My Daughters, My
Illness, and the Men Who Could Be Me, Bruce Feiler
Heart Mender: A Story of Second Chances, Andy Andrews
Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived in That House, Meghan Daum
Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World’s Stolen Treasures, Robert K. Wittman
Someone Will Be with You Shortly: One Woman’s Search for Love, Romance, and a Decent Pair of Bone-Colored Espadrilles, Lisa Kogan
Book Reviews by Georgia
Edwards, Circulation Librarian
Major Petttigrew’s Last Stand
by Helen Simonson
Discovering this debut novel from British author Helen Simonson was like finding the pearl in an oyster. It is a charming gem of a story that takes place in the small English village of Edgecombe, St. Mary, Sussex.
Major Ernst Pettigrew is a courtly and proper yet likeable 68 year old retired army officer and widower. He develops a warm friendship with Mrs. Jasmina Ali, a 50ish Pakistani widow who owns the small village market. This improbable couple share the loss of their spouses, a love of books and an a wry tolerance for the world in which they live. What follows is a warm and funny comedy of manners and an unlikely romance. There is a serious side to their story. The Major and Mrs. Ali’s relationship raises issues of prejudice, cultural differences and family strain.
This book was a wonderful surprise and delightful page turner, one that I could not put down. It is filled with a colorful cast of characters and several laugh out loud moments. It poignantly addresses societal and emotional acceptance.
Books like this are rare in today’s literature. The reader will should savor this one with tea and scones.
Interested in reading more book reviews? Click here for a link to our Book Review Archives.
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