Review"Here you'll find delicious wit, quirky characters, the colourful intrigues of daily life, and certainly love and laughter...delightful." (_Jan Karon, author of the bestselling Mitford Series_ ) "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." "Miss Read's Books...have deservedly received the highest praise from both English and American reviewers." (_New York Times Book Review_ ) Product DescriptionOpen the gate to Fairacre, America’s favorite English village. Having bid a last farewell to her pupils at Fairacre School, Miss Read settles down to what she hopes will be a relaxing retirement. It is not entirely so, of course. She finds herself as busy and in demand as ever: on holiday in Florence, helping with church and school affairs, and offering a kindly ear to her eccentric neighbors. With her teaching days behind her, Miss Read discovers her talent for writing, opening a new and exciting chapter in her life — and bringing to a close her stories of life in Fairacre, the timeless English village beloved by millions of readers.

Review"Trust Miss Read to brew up the gentlest of trivia into a cup of fictional Bovril tha will warm the hearts of her fans." (_New York times Book Review (Feb 11, 1973)_ ) "This affectionate tale of English village life will delight all Miss Read's fans and charm those nostalgia-hunters in search of the simple life." (_Publishers Weekly_ ) Product DescriptionOpen the gate to Fairacre, America’s favorite English village. The two-hundred-year-old cottages known as Tyler’s Row, with charming leaded-glass windows and an arched thorn hedge over the gateway, are supposed to provide a haven of peace for their new owners, Peter and Diana Hale. They plan to convert the middle two cottages into one, to create their own rural refuge. But beset by carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and bills, as well as their neighboring tenants, the redoubtable Sergeant Barnaby and the sour Mrs. Fowler, both longtime residents of Tyler's Row, the couple soon have cause to ponder their decision. Fairacre is not the utopia they expect, and the Hales must adapt to ordinary life in a village full of extraordinary quirks.

Open the gate to Fairacre, America's favorite English village.The English village of Fairacre may appear idyllically peaceful to passersby, but those who live among its shady lanes always have problems to untangle. When a terrible rumor emerges — that the Fairacre School is to be closed and the children bused to nearby Beech Green — the village is up in arms at once. The schoolmistress, Miss Read, suffers agonizing indecision at the prospect, and her situation is made worse when her infants' room teacher decides to leave and the short-tempered Mrs. Pringle becomes more contrary than ever.

From Publishers WeeklyIn the latest-and possibly final-installment of the chronicles of the English village of Fairacre and its tiny school, the pseudonymous author and narrator Miss Read (Changes at Fairacre) begins the academic year anticipating few surprises. Two relatively minor but frightening strokes, however, force the stalwart headmistress to consider, and eventually opt for, early retirement. In the course of her final, lovingly described year at Fairacre school, Miss Read carries on her amiable feud with the school's grouchy cleaner, fends off marriage proposals from a handsome newcomer to town, keeps a watchful eye on the courtship of a newly widowed friend and continues her involvement in the pleasing minutiae of village life. Though Miss Read acknowledges the existence of the contemporary world, the village and its school remain resolutely old-fashioned: "More worldly children need videos and computers, but in Fairacre, we still enjoy pencils and paper, I am glad to say." Sensible, well read and acutely observant, the delightfully prim Miss Read continues to be very good company indeed. Line drawings. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library JournalIn the finale to a series that began with Village School (1955), Miss Read's long teaching career in Fairacre is brought to a satisfactory close. This quintessential "gentle read" chronicles Miss Read's decision to retire as schoolmistress after a series of small strokes. Readers are also brought up-to-date on the lives of other inhabitants of the village who have appeared in scores of previous books: Mrs. Pringle, Miss Read's bullying cleaning lady; the newly widowed Henry Mawne; the Willet family; and her old friends Amy, Vicar Gerald Partridge and his wife, the Umbleditches, and the Annetts. Miss Read must also decide whether to resist the attentions of a handsome newcomer with a romantic interest in her. As soothing and warm as a cup of Earl Grey tea, this book will delight fans and newcomers to the series alike.Nancy Pearl, Washington Ctr. for the Book, SeattleCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product DescriptionIt is spring in the village of Thrush Green. In neighboring Lulling, Charles Henstock admires the blooming garden of his new vicarage, glad that the squabbles with his parishoners in Affairs at Thrush Green are settled. And yet the good vicar wistfully recalls his former home - the ugly, old rectory of Thrush Green, which burned to the ground. Now, from the rectory's ruins, the villagers are building eight retirement homes for the older folks most in need. But how to choose who will live there? How will they get on together? And how will they accommodate the dogs, cats, and birds that must come along? The spring has brought a new crop of dilemmas, but Dr. Henstock and the villagers are determined to make the old people feel at home in Thrush Green.In the end, harmony is restored to this tiny fictional world. With wit and grace, Miss Read has charmed numerous critics and won the loyalty of readers who will happily find themselves once more At Home in Thrush Green.About the AuthorMiss Read is the pseudonym of Mrs. Dora Saint, a former schoolteacher beloved for her novels of English rural life, especially those set in the fictional villages of Thrush Green and Fairacre. The first of these, Village School, was published in 1955, and Miss Read continued to write until her retirement in 1996. In the 1998, she was awarded an MBE, or Member of the Order of the British Empire, for her services to literature. She lives in Berkshire.

In the follow-up to Thrush Green, the arrival of a stranger in the village stirs ripples of speculation and interest.

Taken from CHRISTMAS AT FAIRACRE, a delightfully nostalgic festive tale from the ever-popular Miss Read.

Miss Quinn, who cherishes her privacy, intends to spend Christmas on her own as she likes it. But before the holiday, her borther telephones to tell her that his wife has been rushed to the hospital, and would Miss Quinn come and stay with the children? Miss Quinn's unexpectedly hectic Christmas has a significant effect upon her life.

Product DescriptionMiss Read's delightful chronicles of life in Thrush Green continue with RETURN TO THRUSH GREEN. It's spring again in the village, and with the change 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 Piggot -- one of Thrush Green's more malevolent sorts -- cannot dim the happiness that inevitably prevails at Thrush Green.About the AuthorMiss Read is the pseudonym of Mrs. Dora Saint, a former schoolteacher beloved for her novels of English rural life, especially those set in the fictional villages of Thrush Green and Fairacre. The first of these, Village School, was published in 1955, and Miss Read continued to write until her retirement in 1996. In the 1998, she was awarded an MBE, or Member of the Order of the British Empire, for her services to literature. She lives in Berkshire.

From Kirkus ReviewsFor the fans, another deep dream of peace--in the doings of that Cotswold English village of Thrush Green, endearingly chronicled as civil neighbors enjoy little pleasures and major satisfactions. In this roughly 42nd tribute to utopian village life (Thrush Green, Fairacre, or Lulling), retired gentleman Harold Shoosmith- -who once in Africa had admired the mission school founded in 1892 by Nathaniel Patten, a Thrush Green native, and had caused a statue in his honor to be erected in Thrush Green--is thrilled when Vicar Charles Henstock receives word that a packet of letters from Patten has been found. Ah, the excitement, the flurry! A dinner party is planned for the man who found the letters and for a young woman who is a direct descendent of Patten's (they're both single--ah, how things work out!). There are plans for a joint celebration of both Patten's contributions and Thrush Green's own schoolhouse centenary. Along the way, there are also, of course, vibrations from former teachers Dorothy and Agnes, and contributions for the mission present-day are meager until.... Meanwhile: Winnie Bailey has an operation; Dotty Harmer is writing a book about her fierce schoolmaster father; and there's the usual hubbub at Christmas. A bedtime soother of remarkable potency for the following. Again, the illustrations by John S. Goodall have a neat, affectionate intimacy. -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.Review"For the fans, another deep dream of peace--in the doings of that Cotswold English village of Thrush Green, endearingly chronicled as civil neighbors enjoy little pleasures and major satisfactions. In this roughly 42nd tribute to utopian village life (Thrush Green, Fairacre, or Lulling), retired gentleman Harold Shoosmith- -who once in Africa had admired the mission school founded in 1892 by Nathaniel Patten, a Thrush Green native, and had caused a statue in his honor to be erected in Thrush Green--is thrilled when Vicar Charles Henstock receives word that a packet of letters from Patten has been found. Ah, the excitement, the flurry! A dinner party is planned for the man who found the letters and for a young woman who is a direct descendent of Patten's (they're both single--ah, how things work out!). There are plans for a joint celebration of both Patten's contributions and Thrush Green's own schoolhouse centenary. Along the way, there are also, of course, vibrations from former teachers Dorothy and Agnes, and contributions for the mission present-day are meager until.... Meanwhile: Winnie Bailey has an operation; Dotty Harmer is writing a book about her fierce schoolmaster father; and there's the usual hubbub at Christmas. A bedtime soother of remarkable potency for the following. Again, the illustrations by John S. Goodall have a neat, affectionate intimacy." (_Kirkus Reviews_ )

Review"If you've ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you'll relish a visit to Fairacre." -- Jan KaronProduct DescriptionThe first novel in the beloved Fairacre series, VILLAGE SCHOOL introduces the remarkable schoolmistress Miss Read and her lovable group of children, who, with a mixture of skinned knees and smiles, are just as likely to lose themselves as their mittens. This is the English village of Fairacre: a handful of thatch-roofed cottages, a church, the school, the promise of fair weather, friendly faces, and good cheer -- at least most of the time. Here everyone knows everyone else's business, and the villagers like each other anyway (even Miss Pringle, the irascible, gloomy cleaner of Fairacre School). With a wise heart and a discerning eye, Miss Read guides us through one crisp, glistening autumn in her village and introduces us to a cast of unforgettable characters and a world of drama, romance, and humor, all within a stone's throw of the school. By the time winter comes, you'll be nestled snugly into the warmth and wit of Fairacre and won't want to leave.

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.

Product DescriptionGOSSIP FROM THRUSH GREEN returns readers to the delightful English village, neighbor to Fairacre, for a golden summer. But this sleepy, pristine setting conceals a flurry of activity amongst the villagers. Rumor has it that Mr. Venables is considering retirement just as the village's teacher is about to make an important decision. Molly Curdle prepares for a new baby. The kindly vicar, Charles Henstock, works on his sermon -- quite unaware of the disaster that will overtake him. However, there is never any doubt that all will end well in this very English village. About the AuthorThe prolific Miss Read is Mrs. Dora Saint, whose novels draw on her own memories of living and teaching in a small Enlish village. She and her husband, a retired schoolmaster, have one daughter and enjoy a quiet life in Berkshire.

In the English village of Fairacre, the retired schoolteachers Dolly Clare and Emily Davis enjoyed a remarkable friendship, as this moving volume reveals. 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. They each experienced young love and then heartbreak when the First World War interrupted both of their romances. The triumphs and tragedies of their days are depicted with all the humor, heartbreak, and human warmth for which Miss Read is known, providing a sensitive portrait of life in the country.

Product DescriptionFeelings are running high in the Cotswold village of Thrush Green. The rector’s plan for the neglected churchyard doesn’t meet with universal approval; there is a clash of personalities at the local school; and someone has returned to the village after an absence of fifty years.About the AuthorMiss Read is the pseudonym of Mrs. Dora Saint, a former schoolteacher beloved for her novels of English rural life, especially those set in the fictional villages of Thrush Green and Fairacre. The first of these, Village School, was published in 1955, and Miss Read continued to write until her retirement in 1996. In the 1998, she was awarded an MBE, or Member of the Order of the British Empire, for her services to literature. She lives in Berkshire.