A Short History of a Small Place

A Short History of a Small Place

First edition
Author	T. R. Pearson
Language	English
Publisher	Simon & Schuster
Publication date	1985
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (Hardcover)
Pages	381 pp
ISBN	0-671-54352-0
OCLC	11599872
Dewey Decimal	813/.54 19
LC Class	PS3566.E235 S5 1985
Followed by	Off for the Sweet Hereafter

A Short History of a Small Place is a 1985 novel by T. R. Pearson. It describes the lives and eccentricities of the inhabitants of the fictional town of Neely, North Carolina.

The book is Pearson's first novel. It is told from the point of view of a young boy, Louis Benfield. It focuses on the fates of the Pettigrew family, and particularly Myra Angelique Pettigrew, a Miss Haversham figure, who has withdrawn from society after a failed love affair, and lives with only a chimpanzee named Mr Britches for companion. ^{[1] [2]}

Neely has been identified by some readers as a thinly disguised Reidsville and was also the setting for Pearson's second book, Off for the Sweet Hereafter. ^[3]

Reception

The Independent described it as "an entertaining, innocuous, at times witty and at times trite novel which, happily bouncing its way from episode to episode, barely ever strikes a false note and hardly ever rings a true one". ^[2]

Kirkus Reviews described the novel as a "colorful, often amusing, but ultimately frustratingly episodic novel", noting that it shows "a strong sense of place, a fine ear for speech, a confident, old-fashioned way of storytelling, and a subtle, disarming humor". ^[1]

References

1. "A SHORT HISTORY OF A SMALL PLACE". Kirkus Reviews. May 15, 1985. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
2. Manguel, Alberto (April 5, 1994). "BOOK REVIEW / Mr Plain shares a joke with Mrs Normal: 'A Short History of a Small Place' - T R Pearson". The Independent. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
3. "Pearson's Latest Novel Offers Southern Adventure" (PDF). The Transylvania Times. August 14, 1985. Retrieved July 21, 2025.