This is a sweet, quiet little book about 68-year-old Major Pettigrew. His wife died six years ago, and his brother dies as the book opens, leaving him basically alone, aside from his adult son Roger, who is a prat. Major Pettigrew is traditional for the sake of chivalry, whereas many people in his village of Edgecombe St. Mary are traditional in the backwards country sense of ignorant people who want to seem better than others. Following his brother's death, Major Pettigrew finds himself starting up a friendship -- and maybe more -- with Mrs. Ali, the town's Pakistani shop clerk, raising hackles in the village about the Major mixing with a woman of a different class and race.
The relationships in the book are intricate and complicated, but all of the characters have distinct personalities and names, and it isn't difficult to tell them apart. Most of the novel is a well-executed comedy of customs, of sorts. The Major has a very dry sense of humor, which aids him as he navigates through another culture he isn't entirely familiar with. Honor, however, is universal.
The climax is startlingly dramatic, but thankfully doesn't descend into anything too theatrical or ridiculous. The story is sweet and heartwarming without being schmaltzy or contrived. A lovely character-driven story about finding companionship.