Winifred Watson: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (January 2021)

This author was previously completely unknown to our group, but was chosen by one member who heard a dramatization of the novel on the radio read by Maureen Lipton and found it very entertaining.

It is set in London  in 1938, and follows  Miss Pettigrew, a nondescript middle-aged unmarried lady, through one specific day, which completely changes her life. It could be described as a  frothy, humorous and witty romp highlighting life in the metropolis, enjoyed by many of the young upper classes in the ‘30s, before the impact of WW2.

The writer captured the era perfectly, with the style and verbal repartee totally conveyed. One member  described it as “joyous, delightful and rather naughty” and another wrote  “It was very refreshing to have something so upbeat and light and with a positive message that someone’s life can be transformed by chance and with an openness of heart. Miss Pettigrew has in a way nothing to lose but she is willing to go with these new circumstances and for the first time embrace life and totally different experiences in just 24 hours.”

Perhaps this is a very appropriate message for us all in these unpredictable times.

Margaret Cunningham

Literature group convenor.