Big Day Out

I have been longing to read Winifred Watson's Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (1938) for ages. I specifically wanted the beautiful version published by Persephone Classics, with its delightful illustrations by Mary Thomson, but I had great difficulty finding a copy in Australia and the import costs were horrific. So when my husband messaged me from London, standing outside Foyles Charing Cross, asking if I wanted anything, I immediately knew just what to ask for! Twenty four hours later, this delicious volume was in my hands! All I needed was to brew a cup of tea, and curl up with this book to satisfy my long-held reading desire.

The story takes place over a single day in the life of Guinevere Pettigrew, a down-on-her-luck governess in her forties. She is about to be evicted from the room she rents, and desperately needs a new job. Miss Pettigrew is sent by her employment agency for an interview as a governess, but is mistakenly sent to the home of Miss Delysia LaFosse, a young, glamorous socialite. From the moment Miss LaFosse opens the door, Miss Pettigrew is whisked away into a life she had previously only imagined from her weekly visits to the movies. 

Miss LaFosse has a problem with men. Specifically, she is irresistible to them but chooses unwisely. She calls on Miss Pettigrew to assist her in managing her lovers Phil, Nick and Michael.  Quick witted, Miss Pettigrew is able to intervene, pretending to be an old friend of Miss LaFosse, and swiftly dispatches the men. She also plays matchmaker, helping Miss LaFosse to see what she wants from a lover to help her choose more wisely.

She also assists Edythe Dubarry, Miss LaFosse's friend, and is given a glamorous makeover, a gown and jewels to help Miss Pettigrew fit in with the vibrant young people she will be spending the evening at the club with. She hardly recognises herself, and has to regularly look in the mirror to seek reassurance that she belongs.

Over the course of the day, Miss Pettigrew's transformation is more than just a make over. She blossoms from a naive spinster to a beloved confidante, finally feeling worthy of friendship and love for the first time in her life. She observes the carefree young people around her, realising how much of her life she has missed. She experiences the delight of cocktails and decadent desserts, and the attentions of a man.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is a remarkable novel, which I am so glad to have read. Modern readers will find it jarring to read passages that are casually sexist, racist and antisemitic, but it was written in 1938. The novel is intended to be light-hearted, and I found myself laughing aloud at this Cinderella story. Highly recommend this for anyone wanting to escape to another person's life for a day. It is on the list of 1001 Books people should read before they die, and was published by Persephone as part of their reprints of neglected books by women writers.