Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

This debut novel by Helen Simonson is next up for my book group and, although I did not feel totally engrossed in the book, I did come to feel a certain fondness for Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired), a widower living in the village of Edgecome St. Mary in Sussex. The major has been living alone for several years now; his ambitious and mostly unlikable adult son, Christopher, is in "The City" as an investment banker and seems to think his father is not worth his time. Nevertheless, he and his new American girlfriend, are renting a cottage near the Major to keep an eye on him.
Major Pettigrew's younger brother, Bertie, dies unexpectedly, and he is dealing not only with this new grief, but distress that the mate to a valuable Churchill shotgun may not be returned to him by the widow. The matched set were divided between the two sons when the father died; at the time the father stipulated, verbally, that the guns should be reunited when one or the other of the brothers died. Major Pettigrew wants the gun because it confers prestige, and because he always felt, deep down, that as the oldest son it was rightfully his. On the other hand, Christopher and Bertie's family want to sell the guns to get the money.
Major Pettigrew is comforted in his grief by an unlikely outsider, the widow of a Pakistani shop owner in the village, Mrs. Jasmina Ali. She is smart, beautiful, a good business person, and loves literature. They become friends and would like to become something more. But the village and Ernest's family and friends look down on her because of her color, her religion and her social class. She is sucked back into her brother's family, and even though her husband left the shop to her, it appears it will go to his nephew instead, if the family has its way.
Major Pettigrew has a sharp wit but is on the verge of giving up when sensible Grace--the suitable choice of partner for him--encourages him NOT to settle but to pursue his passion. He drives north, helps Jasmina escape, and in the end, even rescues the seemingly cold-hearted nephew. All ends happily after all.