“Here you’ll find delicious wit, quirky characters, the colorful intrigues of daily life, and certainly love and laughter. . . . Delightful.” —Jan Karon Throughout her years as schoolmistress, Miss Read has gathered excellent accounts of the rich and varied history of her beloved English village, often through neighborly conversation over the gate. Fairacre has garnered its share of odd incidents, entertaining episodes, and village folklore, from an unusual recipe for weight loss found in an old notebook—and used with alarming consequences—to the tragic story of the village ghost. In Over the Gate, Miss Read retells many of these treasured stories of Fairacre past and present, with characteristic grace and wit. “Affectionate, humorous, and gently charming . . . sometimes funny, sometimes touching, always appealing.” —The New York Times “Miss Read has a humble, laughing heart.” —Mademoiselle
This Miss Read story chronicle's the year Miss Read's school celebrates its 100th anniversary, with the help and sometimes hindrance of readers favorite Fairacre friends. 19 line drawings.
The enchanting childhood memoirs of bestselling author Miss Read. Miss Read's early days were spent with two remarkable grandmothers - one in Lewisham and one in Walton-on-the-Naze. EARLY DAYS is full of childhood memories of an extended family of uncles, aunts and cousins and their houses full of mystery and adventure, where Miss Read spent so much time, living in the shadow of the First World War. At the age of seven, Miss Read moved to the small village of Chelsfield, Kent, into a magical new world - and so began her love of the English countryside which was to have such a strong influence on her career as a writer. Her evocative descriptions of the village school, the joys of exploring the woods and lanes rich in wildlife and of childhood events, from toffee-making to the treat of a lift on the corn-chandler's cart, vividly convey this time as one of the happiest of her life.
Two novels in the beloved Fairacre series, full of “delicious wit, quirky characters . . . and certainly love and laughter” (Jan Karon). In the English village of Fairacre, retired schoolteachers Dolly Clare and Emily Davis enjoyed a remarkable friendship. Childhood playmates in Beech Green, they would remain close throughout their long lives, eventually sharing a cottage in their retirement. They felt grief when a village family was lost on the Titanic and each experienced young love and then heartbreak when the First World War interrupted both of their romances. In this two-in-one volume, the triumphs and tragedies of their days are depicted with all the humor, humble tenacity, and human warmth for which Miss Read is known. “Miss Read’s Books . . . have deservedly received the highest praise from both English and American reviewers.” —The New York Times Book Review “Miss Read reminds us of what is really important. And if we can’t live in her world, it’s certainly a comforting place to visit.” —USA Today “[Read’s] heroes are the good, the uncomplicated, and those who do the unsung work of the world. It’s a warm, comfortable, part of the picture.” —Kirkus Reviews
Miss Read, whose real name is Dora Jessie Saint, has been producing these delightful novels of English village life since 1956. Miss Read draws us magically into the world of the primary school. Anna Lacey, a young country girl, is given her first job in Greater London, and as she learns to cope with the challenges of her new life, we share with her the delights of teaching those dear, devilish, delicious, disarming, infuriating and exhusting creatures who are her young pupils.
Big changes are afoot in a small English village— “If you’ve ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you’ll relish a visit to Fairacre” (Jan Karon, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of To Be Where You Are). Trouble brews in the tiny country village of Fairacre, when it is discovered that Farmer Miller’s Hundred Acre Field is slated for real estate development. Alarming rumors are circulating, among them the fear that the village school may close. The endearing schoolmistress Miss Read brings her inimitable blend of affection and clear-sighted candor to this report, in which a young girl finds her first love, an older woman accepts a new role in life, and the impassioned battle to save the village from being engulfed is at the forefront of every villager’s mind. “Wise, ironic, kindly, full of atmosphere and characters, rural charm, broad dialects, and the impishness of children.” —St. Louis Post-Dispatch “Affectionate, humorous, and gently charming . . . Sometimes funny, sometimes touching, always appealing.” —The New York Times
Through the eyes of many Fairacre friends, we trace Mrs. Pringle's life and her stormy standing as the redoubtable cleaner of the town's school. However maddening she is, life at Fairacre would be poorer without her.
Enchanting and affectionate stories of everyday country life in the idyllic Thrush Green. 'There is something profoundly consoling about a novel by Miss Read' The Lady Contains: THRUSH GREEN, WINTER IN THRUSH GREEN, NEWS FROM THRUSH GREEN, BATTLES AT THRUSH GREEN, RETURN TO THRUSH GREEN, GOSSIP FROM THRUSH GREEN, AFFAIRS AT THRUSH GREEN, AT HOME IN THRUSH GREEN, THE SCHOOL AT THRUSH GREEN, FRIENDS AT THRUSH GREEN, CELEBRATIONS AT THRUSH GREEN, THE YEAR AT THRUSH GREEN, CHRISTMAS AT THRUSH GREEN
Miss Read's many fans will be delighted to renew old acquaintances with two of her most popular Christmas novels, available here in a one-volume edition. Both stories are written in Miss Read's comforting style, as warm as the glowing coals of the cottage fire and the spirit of Christmas itself. 21 line drawings.
When Miss Read receives a magnificent diary for Christmas instead of the more customary bath salts, she decides she must make good use of it. In each chapter of her diary, Miss Read recounts a month in her life as headmistress of Fairacre School. With kindly humor, she relates all the difficulties and all the enjoyment of living in a small country community. Her jollity lasts even through staff problems, a village decision to marry her off, and a nagging cleaning lady. But when she writes about her younger pupils, that amusement breaks into laughter.
A mysterious Fairacre villager receives an unexpected Christmas gift in this heartwarming holiday novel from the popular author of the Thrush Green series. Nobody in Fairacre knows much about Miss Quinn, which is a rare state of affairs and much regretted by the villagers. Apart from the fact that she lives in the annex to Mrs. Benson’s house and that she works in Caxley, her past history and the amount of her salary remains a tantalizing mystery. In fact, Miss Quinn is a highly efficient secretary to a Caxley businessman. She runs him, and her own affairs, with terrifying competence. She is completely unsentimental and plans to spend her Christmas exactly as she wants, without fuss or family. But before the great day, her brother rings to say his wife has been rushed to the hospital, and could she come and cope with the children? Secretly dismayed, Miss Quinn sets out to do her duty. She copes as capably with the turmoil of her brother’s household as she does with the office, and the regret for her lost Christmas is mitigated by the children’s joy and the unexpected arrival of an old flame . . . “Miss Read’s novels are sheer delight.” —Chicago Tribune
There’s no pleasing Mrs. Pringle—and everyone in Fairacre knows it. “Miss Read’s novels are sheer delight” (Chicago Tribune). Miss Read is certain of one thing—she won’t be forced to hire grumpy Mrs. Pringle to straighten up her house. Mrs. Pringle of Fairacre chronicles the life of the beloved but curmudgeonly school cleaner through the stories of her fellow villagers. Readers will delight in the quirks of this favorite character, from the “flare-ups” of her bad leg to her possessive fondness for the school’s two coal stoves. Her neighbors also remember Maud Pringle’s little-known benevolence, like the time she knitted mittens for poor Joe Coggs. The downland village of Fairacre bustles with familiar characters, who all have stories to share about the town’s (and readers’) favorite grouch. “Miss Read is a master of characterization and description . . . Mrs. Pringle is a book to savor to the very end.” —Broward Sun-Sentinel “A soothing oasis of tidy living for the frazzled reader weary of an untidy world.” —Kirkus Reviews
The villagers are alarmed when they hear the startling rumor that the town's schools will be closed and the children bused to nearby Beech Green"--Amazon.
A trip to Florence with her friend Amy is a bright spot in Miss Read's retirement; Henry Mawne's complaints about his new wife and John Jenkins' persistent offers of marriage are not.
Suddenly taken ill, the beloved Miss Read must consider leaving her long-timepost at the school. But through the changing seasons in this humorous, gentledrama, Miss Read's problems are gradually resolved.
In this small English village, when one door closes, another opens for its favorite schoolteacher. “You’llrelish a visit to Fairacre” (Jan Karon, #1 New York Times–bestselling author). Gradually worsening health forces Miss Read to consider an early retirement from her job as the village school’s headmistress. John Jenkins, a handsome newcomer, competes for her affections with the newly widowed Henry Mawne. However, Miss Read has more on her mind than men. Orphans living in her former house have bolstered the village school’s roll, but these new students seem to be having problems with their adoptive family. In the midst of all this turmoil, readers can rest assured that Farewell to Fairacre boasts all the elements they have come to love: eccentric villagers, gentle humor, and a verdant rural landscape teeming with lambs, larks, and blackthorn bushes. “As soothing and warm as a cup of Earl Grey tea, this book will delight fans and newcomers to the series alike.” —Library Journal “Sensible, well read and acutely observant, the delightfully prim Miss Read continues to be very good company indeed.” —Publishers Weekly
Summer arrives in Fairacre, and "Joseph Coggs finds a temporary home in the schoolhouse while his mother is in the hospital. Miss Read's friend Amy mysteriously disappears. Perhaps most difficult of all, Mrs. Pringle, the grumpy school cleaner, is unable to work because the pain in her bad leg flares up."--Cover.
Both the good and the bad find sanctuary in an English village— “You’ll relish a visit to Thrush Green” (Jan Karon, #1 New York Times–bestselling author). It’s spring again in the village of Thrush Green, and with the changing of the seasons comes change in the lives of many villagers. The Young family’s tranquility is disrupted by the sudden arrival of Joan’s father, while Molly and Ben Curdle consider putting an end to their wandering days in order to finally settle down. Even the reappearance of Sexton Albert Piggott—one of Thrush Green’s more malevolent sorts—cannot dim the happiness that inevitably prevails at Thrush Green. “The more turbulent the real world, the more charming we may find the stability of Miss Read’s tiny fictional world.” —Los Angeles Times “A charming little world in which to live . . . One learns a good deal about human nature, integrity, and about truth.” —Christian Herald
Village School" introduces cheerful schoolmistress Miss Read and her lovable group of children, who are just as likely to lose themselves as their mittens. 18 line drawings.
A schoolmistress’s summer vacation is ruined—or is it?—in this delightful English village tale. The end of a school year often brings a burst of joy to children’s hearts—and unmitigated rapture to those of their teachers. And so it is for Miss Read, schoolmistress in the charming English village of Fairacre. She happily anticipates long weeks to call her own, free of timetables, bells, children and their parents. But on the very first day of the summer holiday, while retrieving lining paper from her landing cupboard, she falls and breaks her arm. Will she now spend her holiday resigned to the ministrations of the dour Mrs. Pringle? Just when the summer seems to be ruined, Miss Read’s old friend, Amy Garfield, comes to her aid with a diverting suggestion. They can travel to Crete for two weeks, the change of scenery providing a welcome break for them both—and perhaps when Miss Read returns, refreshed, to her beloved village, she’ll be ready to tackle the various quandaries and mishaps that await her . . . “The more turbulent the real world, the more charming we may find the stability of Miss Read’s tiny fictional world.” —Los Angeles Times “Miss Read has three great gifts—an unerring intuition about human frailty, a healthy irony, and, surprisingly, an almost beery sense of humor.” —The New Yorker
Three uplifting Christmas tales--"No Holly for Miss Quinn, Village Christmas," and "The Christmas Mouse"--are offered here in one enchanting volume. The English village of Fairacre is a vision of holiday joy, but celebrations of the season do not always go as expected.
Set in Caxley, the quiet country town neighboring the village of Fairacre, The Caxley Chronicles follow two intertwined families, the Howards and the Norths, through the tumultuous first half of the twentieth century. The first Caxley tale, The Market Square, introduces the deep-rooted camaraderie of Septimus Howard and Bender North, whose friendship survives misunderstandings, the tragedy of war, and the bitterness of loss. The story of their families continues through the generations. The second tale, The Howards of Caxley, tells of Edward Howard, grandson to them both. Edward flies for the Royal Air Force Reserve as England prepares for another war -- and Caxley braces itself for overwhelming changes.
Make a visit to this English village: “What you will find in the novels of Miss Read is an aura of warm happiness.” —The Columbus Dispatch In the quaint English village of Thrush Green, a terrible fire has burned the rectory to the ground. Now, kindly vicar Charles Henstock has been appointed to the neighboring town of Lulling and its combined parishes. But while he enjoys the beautiful Queen Anne house provided for him, and his pleasant new surroundings, going to a new church is never easy: Poor Dr. Henstock has encountered some very redoubtable females in Lulling; a full-scale power struggle erupts over the question of kneeling cushions for the Lady Chapel; and other difficulties revolve around the crotchety old sexton Albert Piggott. Meanwhile, a mysterious stranger arrives at the Fuschia Bush café, and its rivalry with the Two Pheasants becomes more acute. One knows, however, that Miss Read will set everything right in the end. “Affairs at Thrush Green will surely delight all those addicted to Miss Read . . . and may well make converts of those who read her here for the first time.” —The Plain Dealer
A year in the life of your favorite English villagers from Thrush Green: “Miss Read’s novels are sheer delight” (Chicago Tribune). Circling the seasons at Thrush Green, Miss Read returns to the Cotswold village already beloved by her readers. The snows of January yield to snowdrops and then daffodils. As the spring unfolds, so do the dramas of village life. Dotty Harmer serves up an herbal brew to her neighbor Albert Piggott, who has a soft spot for her despite his crusty façade. Architect Edward Young overhears a rumor that the old people’s home he designed may be a bit cramped, and an American stranger arrives in search of family connections. At the Fuchsia Bush restaurant, Albert’s wife, Nelly, finds herself in charge when the owner falls ill, and soon she receives two surprising gifts with implications for her past and her future. By year’s end, these stories are satisfyingly intertwined, capturing a bygone era with the charm and humor that give Miss Read her enduring appeal. “The more turbulent the real world, the more charming we may find the stability of Miss Read’s tiny fictional world.” —Los Angeles Times
Two favorite villagers make a life-changing decision. “If you’ve ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you’ll relish a visit to Thrush Green” (Jan Karon, #1 New York Times–bestselling author). The School at Thrush Green returns readers to the heart of the Cotswolds just as beloved primary school teachers Dorothy Watson and Agnes Fogerty announce their retirement and make plans to leave Thrush Green and buy a new home at Barton-on-Sea. The village people are aflutter with the news, musing about the teachers’ replacements, the fate of the schoolhouse, and an appropriate farewell gift. Further drama unfolds as Dorothy takes up driving and Agnes finds a new friend in a stray cat. As summer turns to fall, the changing seasons reflect the changing face of Thrush Green, where old and new friends settle down and find happiness. “Once again, Miss Read renders a charming recital of events in Thrush Green, a quaint English village caught in time (most likely teatime).” —Booklist
A highly efficient, thoroughly unsentimental secretary has her plans for a quiet Christmas upset by her brother's sudden plea that she care for his children over the holidays
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