Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: Q&A With the Author, Helen Simonson
Questions from SeniorLearn for Author Helen Simonson about Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
Q. 1. Can you tell us what inspired you to write this book? Was it a personal story that had to be told, or was it something else?
Q. 2. How do you know so much about what goes on in the mind of a 68 year old man? Perhaps the Major is based on someone you know?
Q. 3. How did you come to know about the Churchills well enough to feature these guns in your story?
Q. 4. Do you remember which came first when you first thought of the story, the Churchills or the Major, who appears to epitomize the shooting culture of E.J Churchill?
Q.5. Did you have any personal first-hand knowledge of Indian/Pakistani relations or is it all from research?
Q. 6. Did you have to do much research for your book -- about the guns, and the Mughal Empire, etc.?
Q. 7. Where had the Major served when in the military? And secondly "did his military service influence his personality?"
Q. 8. Can you tell us the reason Frank Ferguson refers to Lord Dagenham as "Double D"? Are these his initials?
Q. 9. Do Edgecombe St. Mary and Hazelbourne-on-the-Sea really exist or are they purely fictitious?
Q. 10. How long must we wait for your next book? I am a "forever fan" of yours, until my life runs out!