Saturday 24 November 2012

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson


Sent by her employment agency to the home of Miss LaFosse, a flighty night club singer in 1930s London, Miss Pettigrew finds, not the governess position she was expecting, but a door to a new world full of experiences and emotions, sights and challenges that change her internally and externally.  Miss Pettigrew has landed at the right place and the right time for a transformation.  She immediately becomes a welcome, or rather, essential participant in a vibrant and exciting world of romance, intrique, beauty and high society.  A true Cinderella, Miss Pettigrew relaxes into this world, and drops her judgmental notions of morality and proper behaviour (with the help of some alcohol).  She is accepted for her inner charm, and dons the metaphorical glass slipper with grace. 

Winifred Watson

This is a delightful romp of a book.  A healthy dose of suspended disbelief is essential!    It is fun (and funny!), light-hearted, and optimistic with snappy dialogue and well-drawn characters.  Miss Pettigrew's inner dialogue is one of the most endearing aspects of her character.  Published in 1938, it is firmly set in its time, with a few telling comments about Jews, and Italians, and women which are extraneous to the general tone of the book.  I recommend it.

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