Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

Retired Major Pettigrew and Jasmina Ali discover their shared interest in literature after the deaths of their respective spouses. Lively discussions of Rudyard Kipling lead them to realize that they are attracted to each other. Many obstacles lie in the path of true love, however: their ethnic, class and religious backgrounds are different; they are getting on in years, their families do not approve; and the other inhabitants of their small English village definitely do not approve either. Helen Simonson's Major Pettigrew's Last Stand is a romance for readers (like me) who don't like romance. The focus is on the interesting cast of characters, and how they develop over the course of the story.

I listened the Random House audiobook [13 hours] narrated by Peter Altschuler, who uses different voices for each person. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand is a domestic comedy that addresses serious issues thoughtfully. I could not help but be charmed.