I normally have several books going at once; and by several I mean three tops. Often one is related to feeding my soul, another will touch on something professional/work related, and the third for relaxation with both fiction and non-fiction falling in the third category. However, some weeks are just one book weeks and this was one of them. Between several urgent work situations, international travel, preparing for and attending a conference, and a family crisis, it was sometimes all I could do to make sure I was falling towards God and not away. In the midst of this, Paul and his letter to the Thessalonians and Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson have been what I’ve turned to.
Major Pettigrew has delighted me and proved to be a worthy distraction. Having lived a very controlled and proper life, now in his late 60’s the major (at least at the point of the book I’m at) has started a friendship with the local shop keeper and made other decisions that find him no longer in the controlled and proper life, but smack dab in the messy middle of life. He has a very dry sense of humor and is quick with verbal volleys with Mrs. Ali, the shop keeper. I’ve found myself laughing out loud at gymnastics practice for my niece and wanting to wake the man next to me on the plane to read him a line or phrase I just loved and had to share with someone. I did restrain myself, but it hard when you read something you feel compelled to share!
What have you read recently you wanted to share with someone?
I loved Major Pettigrew! I found some timely applications for my life, too, in his story.
And yeah, Paul’s pretty great too.
One thing I love about the Major is the internal wrestling he does with what others will think, what is proper, and what he wants to do. (Actually that could apply to Paul as well!)
Not something I’ve read recently but something that keeps coming back to me during these past months in the US. Lewis has and Narnia and especially this book have become more and more special.
Then Hwin, though shaking all over, gave a strange little neigh, and trotted across to the Lion.
“Please,” she said, “you’re so beautiful. You may eat me if you like. I’d sooner be eaten by you than fed by anyone else.”
“Dearest daughter,” said Aslan, planting a lion’s kiss on her twitching, velvet nose, “I knew you would not be long in coming to me. Joy shall be yours.”
“Now, Bree,” he said, “you poor, proud frightened Horse, draw near. Nearer still, my son. Do not dare not to dare. Touch me. Smell me. Here are my paws, here is my tail, these are my whiskers. I am a true Beast.”
“Aslan,” said Bree in a shaken voice, “I’m afraid I must be rather a fool.”
“Happy the Horse who knows that while he is still young. Or the Human either…”
The Horse and His Boy – Chapter 14
Kristi, I love The Chronicles of Narnia! Thanks for sharing this section! Amy