Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson

Miss Petigrew Lives for a Day cover

This is the first Persephone book that I’ve read and it was the perfect choice after reading Dracula. I wanted something completely different and light-hearted and this just fitted the bill.

The story takes place over one very eventful day in which Miss Pettigrew, a 40 year old spinster who has very little experience of the world, has had to eke out a meagre existence working as a governess to ghastly children whose parents are even worse.

Finding herself unemployed again Miss Pettigrew is sent by the employment agency to Miss LaFosse’s flat as she is apparently looking for a nursery governess.

Miss Pettigrew is bowled over by Miss LaFosse’s beauty and quickly becomes involved in the exciting life of the night club singer who is juggling men, and considering this book was written in 1938, is so ‘fast’ that if she were a car she would be a Grand Prix winner.

Anyway, if you want a jolly good uplifting read this one is definitely worth reading, you’ll find yourself smiling your way through it.

Library Loot

I had a ‘phone call from the library yesterday to let me know that the Willa Cather book that I had requested was waiting for me, so I sauntered up there in the afternoon and of course I had to take out just a few books more. I ended up coming home with these:

An omnibus by Ian Rankin containing Let it Bleed, Black and Blue and The Hanging Garden. Judith, Reader in the Wilderness is planning to read Let it Bleed, and we’re intending to have a bit of a chat about it.

The Willa Cather book is Death Comes for the Archbishop – lots of people have recommended this one.

A Persephone book by Winifred Watson called Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. This will be my first Persephone read. According to the sticker on the book this is now a major film, but I haven’t seen it.

And because it’s coming up for Hallowe’en and lots of people have enjoyed it, particularly Stefanie, So Many Books and Jane GS, (Reading,Writing,Working,Playing), I decided to take out Dracula. I really hate the blood spattered cover but it’s about time that I got around to reading it and I’m hopeful that it’s going to be a lot better than The Seven Jewels by Stoker.