"Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day" by Winifred Watso
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megustaleer
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"Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day" by Winifred Watso
Miss Pettigrew is a member of a class of women who don?t exist any more, but who were prevalent in my childhood. In fact, much of my education was at the hands of (by then elderly) spinsters. Thankfully better qualified ones than Miss Pettigrew.
.
It was not until many years later still that I understood the reason why my childhood world was inhabited by so many single women.
Miss Pettigrew was 40 in 1938. She would have been one of the generation of late Victorian and Edwardian girls whose hopes and plans for a future of domestic, marital bliss were dashed by the carnage of The Great War. Miss Pettigrew would have been 20 in 1918, and should have at least been engaged, if not married by then, but most of the young men of suitable age had gone to fight in France and many had either not returned, or had returned so damaged that they couldn?t cope with courtship and marriage.
So, Miss Pettigrew and her ilk had to live an independant, poverty-stricken life they had not expected, were not trained for, and did not want.
The book opens with Miss Pettigrew, about to be evicted for rent arrears, and reluctantly seeking yet again the uncongenial position of governess, being sent to the wrong address by the employment agency. She arrives at the appartment of Miss La Fosse, who is clearly not expecting her as she is not even dressed, and is entertaining a young man. Miss Pettigrew is ushered into the flat where it soon becomes apparant that Miss La Fosse is in a panic at the prospect of another of her young men arriving before she can get rid of the current one.
Without any preamble this beautiful young thing draws Miss Pettigrew in her life, and Miss P. proves very adept at handling Miss La Fosse?s romantic entanglements. She does this using what I thought of as ?The Miss Marple Technique? ...in other words, she likens the various young men to people she has worked for, and treats them accordingly, adopting characteristics of other employers to disguise her own timidity.
Miss La Fosse, and her friend Miss Dubarry (whose love-life Miss P also sorts out) ?adopt? Miss P, and do a Ciderella-like transformation on her, before whirling her off to a cocktail party, then a Night Club. Throwing caution, and all her dowdy, downtrodden personality to the winds Miss P determines that she will make the most of this one day experiencing Life, before returning to her dreary penurious existence at the beck and call of yet more unpleasant families.
And make the most of it she does. Her new-found confidence, reinforced by the occaional glance in a mirror at the ?makeover? her new young friends have performed on her, even takes her on to the dance floor for an ?Old-Fashioned Waltz? with one of her new acquaintances.
At the end of the day, of course, she will have to return her borrowed finery, so it is with slow footsteps she returns to the flat and explains to Miss La Fosse the reason she had come that morning. She doesn?t mind if Miss La Fosse has an unacknowledged child, or even two, but she would like the job.
Ther is no child, of course, but Miss La Fosse suggests a much more amenable job, as her own future plans have changed, thanks to Miss P, and she has other news for Miss Pettigrew which hint at a much brighter future.
Such a joyful Cinderella story, a delightful tale that leaves you with a smile and the hope of a happier (if maybe not quite ?proper?) future for Miss Pettigrew.
.
It was not until many years later still that I understood the reason why my childhood world was inhabited by so many single women.
Miss Pettigrew was 40 in 1938. She would have been one of the generation of late Victorian and Edwardian girls whose hopes and plans for a future of domestic, marital bliss were dashed by the carnage of The Great War. Miss Pettigrew would have been 20 in 1918, and should have at least been engaged, if not married by then, but most of the young men of suitable age had gone to fight in France and many had either not returned, or had returned so damaged that they couldn?t cope with courtship and marriage.
So, Miss Pettigrew and her ilk had to live an independant, poverty-stricken life they had not expected, were not trained for, and did not want.
The book opens with Miss Pettigrew, about to be evicted for rent arrears, and reluctantly seeking yet again the uncongenial position of governess, being sent to the wrong address by the employment agency. She arrives at the appartment of Miss La Fosse, who is clearly not expecting her as she is not even dressed, and is entertaining a young man. Miss Pettigrew is ushered into the flat where it soon becomes apparant that Miss La Fosse is in a panic at the prospect of another of her young men arriving before she can get rid of the current one.
Without any preamble this beautiful young thing draws Miss Pettigrew in her life, and Miss P. proves very adept at handling Miss La Fosse?s romantic entanglements. She does this using what I thought of as ?The Miss Marple Technique? ...in other words, she likens the various young men to people she has worked for, and treats them accordingly, adopting characteristics of other employers to disguise her own timidity.
Miss La Fosse, and her friend Miss Dubarry (whose love-life Miss P also sorts out) ?adopt? Miss P, and do a Ciderella-like transformation on her, before whirling her off to a cocktail party, then a Night Club. Throwing caution, and all her dowdy, downtrodden personality to the winds Miss P determines that she will make the most of this one day experiencing Life, before returning to her dreary penurious existence at the beck and call of yet more unpleasant families.
And make the most of it she does. Her new-found confidence, reinforced by the occaional glance in a mirror at the ?makeover? her new young friends have performed on her, even takes her on to the dance floor for an ?Old-Fashioned Waltz? with one of her new acquaintances.
At the end of the day, of course, she will have to return her borrowed finery, so it is with slow footsteps she returns to the flat and explains to Miss La Fosse the reason she had come that morning. She doesn?t mind if Miss La Fosse has an unacknowledged child, or even two, but she would like the job.
Ther is no child, of course, but Miss La Fosse suggests a much more amenable job, as her own future plans have changed, thanks to Miss P, and she has other news for Miss Pettigrew which hint at a much brighter future.
Such a joyful Cinderella story, a delightful tale that leaves you with a smile and the hope of a happier (if maybe not quite ?proper?) future for Miss Pettigrew.
Last edited by megustaleer on 18 Apr 2007, 08:23, edited 2 times in total.
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sleepydumpling
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Ooh, this sounds like something I would enjoy.
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megustaleer
- Posts: 33
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Well here's the Amazon UK link for it.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h ... .y=5&Go=Go
I don't know which Amazon (or other bookseller) site is best for Oz.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h ... .y=5&Go=Go
I don't know which Amazon (or other bookseller) site is best for Oz.
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sleepydumpling
- Posts: 1719
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Don't you worry, I'm a librarian, we can winkle ourselves copies of all sorts of things!
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megustaleer
- Posts: 33
- Joined: 17 Apr 2007, 11:06
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