Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson ★★★☆☆

A charming light read with a bit of depth.

Fiction – Adult - Classic

234 pages
Publication Date:  1938 

After a colorless life as an English governess, Miss Pettigrew, is mistakenly sent to work for glamourous nightclub singer, Delysia LaFosse, changing the course of both women’s lives.    

This story takes place in a different time and setting than I usually read, but I found it rather refreshing, especially since this was written as a contemporary piece instead of the usual historical fiction I see.  It was beautifully contrived, with lovely writing and a fascinating premise and well executed plot.  And being written before England entered WWII puts an interesting perspective on life during this time.

Miss Pettigrew was an interesting mix of contradiction and a stark contrast to Delysia and her anything goes crowd.  I would by no means this book a sort of moral compass, but I did love Miss Pettigrew opening herself up to new experiences and ideas.  This allows her to decide things for herself and stop depending on the morality forced upon her by others.  She finally got to become more herself and less what she was told to be.  A sort of universal human struggle, we can relate too.

Because of its time period I was a little taken a back my by the language, but I did quickly adapt, but it should be noted that there are a couple of blatantly racist parts that really threw me.  I will make no excuses for them, and only mention them as something to be aware of.

I also really adored the movie with Frances McDormand and Amy Adams, but the book and movie should really be treated as two separate things and not the book coming to life on the big screen.