Journal Entry 1 by ReetPetite from Beeston, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Saturday, November 18, 2006

Synopsis
Miss Guinevere Pettigrew, a gentlewoman spinster approaching middle-age has been working as a governess to make ends meet, but a succession of appalling employers has left her down-trodden. Then one morning, owing to a mix-up at her employment agency, she is sent for an interview with a Miss LaFosse, a glamorous but dissolute cabaret artiste, who is seeking a new maid. Despite the moral and social gulfs between them, a surprising bond is formed, and by the end of the day, both their lives have been entirely transformed.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

A lovely story. It seemed quite modern for a story written so long ago.

This is going to be a bookray going to:
Caro1
Shelbycat
pennywhistler
doodleali
jazz-ee2 - currently here
ETMadrid
 

Journal Entry 2 by Caro1 from Newark, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Sunday, January 21, 2007

Passed to me at the Nottingham meet. Have been looking forward to reading this.

A charming Cinderella story. Thank you ReetPetite for giving me the chance to read it. 

Journal Entry 3 by Shelbycat from Llanelli, Wales United Kingdom on Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Just received this in the post, it's already tempting me from my desk drawer! 

Journal Entry 4 by STP-921375 on Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Thanks for the book! I have a couple of bookrings to read, but will get to this a.s.a.p. 

Journal Entry 5 by STP-921375 on Monday, June 16, 2008

I am terrible sorry for keeping this for sooo long. Anyway, this is an utterly charming book. It manages to be both modern and sweetly old-fashioned at the same time. All the way through I was rooting for Miss Pettigrew and I loved the fact that all the main female characters were so likeable. It's such a shame that the author gave up writing so early in her life.

I shall pass this on a.s.a.p. 

Journal Entry 6 by STP-921375 on Tuesday, June 17, 2008

I am sending this on to doodleali as jazz-ee2 is currently swamped with books and wants to go at the end. 

Journal Entry 7 by doodleali from Arnold, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Monday, June 23, 2008

Received in the post (bookring). Have just finished a book so will start straight away. 

Journal Entry 8 by doodleali from Arnold, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Friday, July 11, 2008

Charming book. Very entertaining with lovely illustrations. Thanks for sharing. 

Journal Entry 9 by jazz-ee2 from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Saturday, July 26, 2008

Received in the post yesterday, have already started reading and enjoying it.
Thanks ReetPetite and doodleali. 

Journal Entry 10 by jazz-ee2 from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Monday, December 29, 2008

Just got round to finishing this book, and I'm afraid the length of time it has taken - months rather than the hours it could take - will be some clue as to what I thought of the book. I found it incredibly hard-going, simpering, based on racist principles and out-dated outlook on marriage and women. Maybe when this was written in the 1930s it would have been very naughty and witty, however when Miss Pettigrew's role becomes to engineer a suitable marriage, away from the 'Wop' Italian and the man with 'a bit of Jew in him', and that the right person was right because he was English. And Miss Pettigrew never really rises above her station, despite living for a day. Maybe I'm looking at it with modern eyes, however this goes against my principles and for this reason I really struggled to finish it. I did like Miss LaFosse's character, though.

'Persephone publishes forgotten fiction and non-fiction by unjustly neglected authors.' Some books are just meant to be forgotten, I would say this is one of them.

To send on to ETMadrid, who will hopefully like it more than I did. 

Journal Entry 11 by ETMadrid from London , Greater London United Kingdom on Monday, January 05, 2009

Thank you very much for sending me this - I'm looking forward to it, since there was a report about it and the publishing house on the local London news a little while back. I'll let you know how I get on with it. 

Journal Entry 12 by ETMadrid from London , Greater London United Kingdom on Tuesday, January 20, 2009

A quite delightful read. The story is made by the way the naughty-but-nice Miss LaFosse wholeheartedly embraces Miss Pettigrew in such an unquestioning and lovable manner, and in the way Miss Pettigrew herself finds joy in being assertive and expressive. Although dated in some respects (the points raised by jazz-ee2 could have jarred, but I prefer to take them with a pinch of salt and not dwell, as they were minor and in my view just help to situate the book and character in its respective era - Miss Pettigrew was never meant to be modern and open-minded), the fact that one can suddenly find oneself in a world so alien to one's own is of course as true today as it was then, and there are not always Miss Lafosses waiting to greet one with open arms behind every door!

I liked learning in the introduction that although elderly, Winifred Watson was still alive when this was first republished. I'm sure that this was a happy event for her. Happy endings all round, but definitely not cheesy ones.

Thanks for including me in this ray, and I look forward to finding an appropriate place to leave it! 

Journal Entry 13 by ETMadrid at Electric Cinema in Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Saturday, January 31, 2009

Released 4 yrs ago (1/31/2009 UTC) at Electric Cinema in Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

I left this on the ledge half way up the stairs.