<div>Two novels following the intertwined lives of a pair of English families through the world wars, by the beloved author of the Fairacre series. Set in the quiet country town neighboring the village of Fairacre, The Caxley Chronicles follow two families, the Howards and the Norths, through the tumultuous first half of the twentieth century. The first novel, The Market Square, portrays 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 . . . Praise for Miss Read’s novels “If you’ve ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you’ll relish a visit to Fairacre.” —Jan Karon “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 “Miss Read does this sort of thing very well, and it all goes down as easily and pleasantly as lemon whip.” —Kirkus Reviews</div>

The Caxley Chronicles

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

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Winter in Thrush Green

<div>An English village scrambles to prepare for a big anniversary: &ldquo;If you&rsquo;ve ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you&rsquo;ll relish a visit to Fairacre.&rdquo; &mdash;Jan Karon Village Centenary welcomes readers back to Miss Read&rsquo;s cozy English downland village just in time for the hundredth anniversary of Fairacre Shool. Miss Clare, who was a pupil and later a teacher there, points out that such a milestone should be celebrated, and all of Fairacre is quick to offer suggestions&mdash;from a tea party to a full-scale pageant. Deciding how best to stage the grand occasion, however, is only one of Miss Read&rsquo;s problems. The new teacher, Miss Briggs, fresh from college and full of idealistic theories, proves a thorn in Miss Read&rsquo;s side. Plus: Miriam Quinn is afraid she might have to leave home; the vicar has decided to keep bees; the ancient skylight in the school is leaking; and Mrs. Pringle is her usual dour self. But as the seasons continue to change, the centenary year unfolds&mdash;with all its hopes and fears, memories and feuds, and friendships that make the tough times so much easier to bear.</div>

Village Centenary

<div>&ldquo;If you&rsquo;ve ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you&rsquo;ll relish a visit to Fairacre.&rdquo; &mdash;Jan Karon Miss Read once again transports readers to the picturesque English village of Fairacre with her Village Diary. Having received a beautiful diary for Christmas, she proceeds to set down a year&rsquo;s worth of observations and experiences as the village school&rsquo;s headmistress. And what a year it is! As the villagers prepare for their country pageant, Fairacre welcomes many newcomers, such as the headstrong Amy; the earnest new infants&rsquo; teacher, Miss Jackson; and Mr. Mawne&mdash;whom the villagers would like to see the reluctant Miss Read marry . . . &ldquo;Miss Read&#39;s Books . . . have deservedly received the highest praise from both English and American reviewers.&rdquo; &mdash;The New York Times Book Review &ldquo;Miss Read reminds us of what is really important. And if we can&rsquo;t live in her world, it&rsquo;s certainly a comforting place to visit.&rdquo; &mdash;USA Today</div>

Village Diary

<div>Discover these &ldquo;novels about the gentle rhythms of English village life,&rdquo; as a community bands together to save their beloved local church (The New York Times). The first day of October brought an unheralded and violent storm, which whipped through the quiet English village of Fairacre, blowing down trees and telephone poles&mdash;and, worst of all, damaging the roof of St. Patrick&rsquo;s church. The inhabitants of tiny Fairacre can&rsquo;t imagine how they&rsquo;ll be able to afford the repairs, until Mr. Willet suggests a fundraising festival. Preparations for a food sale, concert, school play, and gigantic Christmas bazaar are soon made&mdash;but will they be enough? With her customary humor and grace, Miss Read recounts a story of catastrophe and courage. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;ve ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you&rsquo;ll relish a visit to Fairacre.&rdquo; &mdash;Jan Karon &ldquo;Miss Read reminds us of what is really important. And if we can&rsquo;t live in her world, it&rsquo;s certainly a comforting place to visit.&rdquo; &mdash;USA Today</div>

The Fairacre Festival

<div>&ldquo;Here you&rsquo;ll find delicious wit, quirky characters, the colorful intrigues of daily life, and certainly love and laughter. . . . Delightful.&rdquo; &mdash;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&mdash;and used with alarming consequences&mdash;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. &ldquo;Affectionate, humorous, and gently charming . . . sometimes funny, sometimes touching, always appealing.&rdquo; &mdash;The New York Times &ldquo;Miss Read has a humble, laughing heart.&rdquo; &mdash;Mademoiselle</div>

Over the Gate

<div>Discover the little English village that neighbors Fairacre, in a novel that&rsquo;s &ldquo;enchanting, lovely, gentle, pointed, and charming&rdquo; (Minneapolis Sunday Tribune). Miss Read&#39;s charming chronicles of English small-town life have achieved legendary popularity, providing a welcome return to a gentler time with &ldquo;wit, humor, and wisdom in equal measure&rdquo; (The Plain Dealer). Welcome to Thrush Green, the neighboring village to Fairacre, with its blackthorn bushes, thatch-roofed cottages, enchanting landscape, and jumble sales. Readers will enjoy meeting a new cast of characters and also spotting familiar faces as they become immersed in the village&rsquo;s turn of events over the course of one pivotal day: May Day. All year, the residents of Thrush Green have looked forward to the celebration. Before the day is over, life and love, and perhaps eternity, will touch the immemorial peace of the village. &ldquo;The more turbulent the real world, the more charming we may find the stability of Miss Read&rsquo;s tiny fictional world.&rdquo; &mdash;Los Angeles Times</div>

Thrush Green

<div>Take a trip to America&rsquo;s favorite English village: &ldquo;If you&rsquo;ve ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you&rsquo;ll relish a visit to Fairacre.&rdquo; &mdash;Jan Karon The two-hundred-year-old cottages known as Tyler&rsquo;s Row have been home to Fairacre residents for generations. With leaded-glass windows and an arched thorn hedge over the gateway, they make an ideal subject for a &ldquo;Beautiful Britain&rdquo; calendar. But the charming exterior of Tyler&rsquo;s Row conceals more than its share of quirks, as well as some rather particular characters. The new owners, Peter and Diana Hale, plan to create their own rural refuge by converting the middle two cottages into one. But beset by carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and bills, as well as their neighboring tenants&mdash;the redoubtable Sergeant Burnaby and the sour Mrs. Fowler&mdash;the couple soon has cause to ponder their decision. Fairacre isn&rsquo;t the utopia they expected, and the Hales must adapt to life in a village that&rsquo;s not always picture perfect. Featuring a &ldquo;rare combination of humor, delicacy, irony, and precision,&rdquo; the novels of Miss Read capture the challenges and joys of small-town community life (TheNew York Times Book Review). &ldquo;The more turbulent the real world, the more charming we may find the stability of Miss Read&rsquo;s tiny fictional world.&rdquo; &mdash;Los Angeles Times &ldquo;Miss Read has three great gifts&mdash;an unerring intuition about human frailty, a healthy irony, and, surprisingly, an almost beery sense of humor.&rdquo; &mdash;The New Yorker</div>

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Tyler's Row

<div>From the author of the Fairacre series: &ldquo;The more turbulent the real world, the more charming we may find the stability of Miss Read&rsquo;s tiny fictional world.&rdquo; &mdash;Los Angeles Times Thrush Green is never quite as quiet as it first appears. When a local, long-empty cottage called Tullivers shows signs of occupancy, the village whispers in excitement. Phil, a lovely woman with a young son, has been deserted by her husband and quickly attracts the attention of the villagers&mdash;and the interest of several bachelors. Harold Shoosmith gives both advice and practical help in the garden, while Winnie Bailey&rsquo;s nephew, Richard, offers his assistance with household repairs and takes Phil for a drive to London. When Phil receives some unexpected news, her new freedom brings even more changes to her life&mdash;and a new love to Thrush Green.</div>

News from Thrush Green

<div>&ldquo;If you&rsquo;ve ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you&rsquo;ll relish a visit to Fairacre.&rdquo; &mdash;Jan Karon After many years of teaching in the charming English village of Fairacre, Miss Read settles down to what she hopes will be a relaxing retirement. But, of course, it is not entirely so. Having bid farewell to her pupils at Fairacre School, Miss Read finds herself as busy and in demand as ever: on holiday in Florence, helping with church and school affairs, and offering a kind ear to her often eccentric neighbors. Soon she is counseling Henry Mawne on his thorny marriage; gently resisting her own perennial suitor, John Jenkins; and finally discovering her talent for writing. Once again, Miss Read&rsquo;s affection for the minutiae of village life, her love of nature, and her good humor make her excellent company.ally important. And if we can&rsquo;t live in her world, it&rsquo;s certainly a comforting place to visit.&rdquo;&mdash;USA Today</div>

A Peaceful Retirement

<div>Two novels in the beloved Fairacre series, full of &ldquo;delicious wit, quirky characters . . . and certainly love and laughter&rdquo; (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. &ldquo;Miss Read&rsquo;s Books . . . have deservedly received the highest praise from both English and American reviewers.&rdquo; &mdash;The New York Times Book Review &ldquo;Miss Read reminds us of what is really important. And if we can&rsquo;t live in her world, it&rsquo;s certainly a comforting place to visit.&rdquo; &mdash;USA Today &ldquo;[Read&rsquo;s] heroes are the good, the uncomplicated, and those who do the unsung work of the world. It&rsquo;s a warm, comfortable, part of the picture.&rdquo; &mdash;Kirkus Reviews</div>

Miss Clare Remembers and Emily Davis

<div>A schoolmistress&rsquo;s summer vacation is ruined&mdash;or is it?&mdash;in this delightful English village tale. The end of a school year often brings a burst of joy to children&rsquo;s hearts&mdash;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&rsquo;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&mdash;and perhaps when Miss Read returns, refreshed, to her beloved village, she&rsquo;ll be ready to tackle the various quandaries and mishaps that await her . . . &ldquo;The more turbulent the real world, the more charming we may find the stability of Miss Read&rsquo;s tiny fictional world.&rdquo; &mdash;Los Angeles Times &ldquo;Miss Read has three great gifts&mdash;an unerring intuition about human frailty, a healthy irony, and, surprisingly, an almost beery sense of humor.&rdquo; &mdash;The New Yorker</div>

Farther Afield

<div>Make a visit to this English village: &ldquo;What you will find in the novels of Miss Read is an aura of warm happiness.&rdquo; &mdash;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 caf&eacute;, and its rivalry with the Two Pheasants becomes more acute. One knows, however, that Miss Read will set everything right in the end. &ldquo;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.&rdquo; &mdash;The Plain Dealer</div>

Affairs at Thrush Green

<div>A year in the life of your favorite English villagers from Thrush Green: &ldquo;Miss Read&rsquo;s novels are sheer delight&rdquo; (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 fa&ccedil;ade. Architect Edward Young overhears a rumor that the old people&rsquo;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&rsquo;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&rsquo;s end, these stories are satisfyingly intertwined, capturing a bygone era with the charm and humor that give Miss Read her enduring appeal. &ldquo;The more turbulent the real world, the more charming we may find the stability of Miss Read&rsquo;s tiny fictional world.&rdquo; &mdash;Los Angeles Times</div>

The Year at Thrush Green

<div>Both the good and the bad find sanctuary in an English village&mdash; &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll relish a visit to Thrush Green&rdquo; (Jan Karon, #1 New York Times&ndash;bestselling author). It&rsquo;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&rsquo;s tranquility is disrupted by the sudden arrival of Joan&rsquo;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&mdash;one of Thrush Green&rsquo;s more malevolent sorts&mdash;cannot dim the happiness that inevitably prevails at Thrush Green. &ldquo;The more turbulent the real world, the more charming we may find the stability of Miss Read&rsquo;s tiny fictional world.&rdquo; &mdash;Los Angeles Times &ldquo;A charming little world in which to live . . . One learns a good deal about human nature, integrity, and about truth.&rdquo; &mdash;Christian Herald</div>

Return to Thrush Green

<div>Old and new friends find a warm welcome in the cozy English village of Thrush Green&mdash; &ldquo;Miss Read&rsquo;s novels are sheer delight&rdquo; (Chicago Tribune). There had been general dismay when Miss Watson and Miss Fogerty retired to Barton-on-Sea after many years of devoted service teaching the children of Thrush Green, so their visit to see old friends in the village brings great pleasure. The new headmaster, Alan Lester, is cautiously accepted, but rumor is rife about his wife&rsquo;s health. Meanwhile, farmer Percy Hodge is also the subject of local speculation: Is his strange behavior the result of an infatuation with the young Doreen Lilly? As for affairs at the Lovelocks&rsquo; house, it is increasingly apparent that Bertha Lovelock is now in her dotage, and a new and most unfortunate habit is the cause of considerable embarrassment to the good people of Lulling. All these matters and more are faced by our old friends against the familiar background and changing seasons of the Cotswolds. &ldquo;[A] rambling, gently humorous novel . . . Heartwarming simplicity.&rdquo; &mdash;Publishers Weekly</div>

Friends at Thrush Green

<div>Even a small English village can&rsquo;t escape growing pains&mdash; &ldquo;If you&rsquo;ve ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you&rsquo;ll relish a visit to Fairacre.&rdquo; (Jan Karon, #1 New York Times&ndash;bestselling author). Times are changing in the charming downland village of Fairacre, and Miss Read isn&rsquo;t certain it&rsquo;s all for the best. The new commuter lifestyle has caused a decline in attendance at the local school, and officials are threatening closure. Miss Read worries about the failing health of Dolly Clare. Vegetable gardens have given way to trips to the Caxley markets, and the traditional village f&ecirc;te now includes a prize for best quiche. With her trademark patience and good humor, Miss Read hopes for the best and plans for the worst as the village grows increasingly modern. Despite all the innovations, Fairacre still retains its essential elements: gentle wit, good manners, and the comfort of caring neighbors. &ldquo;The characters and settings are as familiar and comfortable as old shoes. . . . Read writes with deep affection about what she knows and never succumbs to the temptation of clich&eacute;s. An occasional visit to Fairacre offers a restful change from the frenetic pace of the contemporary world.&rdquo; &mdash;Publishers Weekly &ldquo;For the devoted following: a soothing oasis of tidy living for the frazzled reader weary of an untidy world.&rdquo; &mdash;Kirkus Reviews</div>

Changes at Fairacre

<div>Tongues are wagging in this charming novel of English village life&mdash; &ldquo;If you&rsquo;ve ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you&rsquo;ll relish a visit to Thrush Green&rdquo; (Jan Karon, #1 New York Times&ndash;bestselling author). Gossip 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&rsquo;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&mdash;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. &ldquo;There is a special kind of English writer who writes deceptively simple evocations of English rural life. . . . It is not earth-shattering, but it reveals the fragility of even the most ordinary lives, the courage and stoicism with which people respond to adversity, their generosity in friendship and their gratitude for small pleasures.&rdquo; &mdash;The Washington Post &ldquo;Bid a joyful welcome to old friends and new . . . in their beloved . . . Thrush Green, the happy world to which Miss Read introduced us so many years ago.&rdquo; &mdash;Publishers Weekly </div>

Gossip from Thrush Green

<div>Big changes are afoot in a small English village&mdash; &ldquo;If you&rsquo;ve ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you&rsquo;ll relish a visit to Fairacre&rdquo; (Jan Karon, #1 New York Times&ndash;bestselling author of To Be Where You Are). Trouble brews in the tiny country village of Fairacre, when it is discovered that Farmer Miller&rsquo;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&rsquo;s mind. &ldquo;Wise, ironic, kindly, full of atmosphere and characters, rural charm, broad dialects, and the impishness of children.&rdquo; &mdash;St. Louis Post-Dispatch &ldquo;Affectionate, humorous, and gently charming . . . Sometimes funny, sometimes touching, always appealing.&rdquo; &mdash;The New York Times</div>

Storm in the Village

<div>Save the date for some English village fun: &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll relish a visit to Thrush Green&rdquo; (Jan Karon, #1 New York Times&ndash;bestselling author). In the Cotswolds village of Thrush Green, celebrations are underway. A statue of Nathaniel Patten has graced the green for years, but little is known of the village&rsquo;s most distinguished son until an unexpected letter arrives. When the correspondence shows that one hundred years have passed since the opening of Patten&rsquo;s mission school in Africa, coinciding with the centenary of Thrush Green&rsquo;s own village school, the townsfolk decide to combine festivities for a very special occasion. As with all village events, the plans for the celebration are beset with anxieties, but when the long-anticipated day arrives, the village finds reason to rejoice. &ldquo;For the fans, another deep dream of peace&mdash;in the doings of that Cotswold English village of Thrush Green, endearingly chronicled as civil neighbors enjoy little pleasures and major satisfactions . . . A bedtime soother of remarkable potency.&rdquo; &mdash;Kirkus Reviews</div>

Celebrations at Thrush Green

<div>There&rsquo;s no pleasing Mrs. Pringle&mdash;and everyone in Fairacre knows it. &ldquo;Miss Read&rsquo;s novels are sheer delight&rdquo; (Chicago Tribune). Miss Read is certain of one thing&mdash;she won&rsquo;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 &ldquo;flare-ups&rdquo; of her bad leg to her possessive fondness for the school&rsquo;s two coal stoves. Her neighbors also remember Maud Pringle&rsquo;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&rsquo;s (and readers&rsquo;) favorite grouch. &ldquo;Miss Read is a master of characterization and description . . . Mrs. Pringle is a book to savor to the very end.&rdquo; &mdash;Broward Sun-Sentinel &ldquo;A soothing oasis of tidy living for the frazzled reader weary of an untidy world.&rdquo; &mdash;Kirkus Reviews</div>

Mrs. Pringle of Fairacre

<div>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&rsquo;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&rsquo;s household as she does with the office, and the regret for her lost Christmas is mitigated by the children&rsquo;s joy and the unexpected arrival of an old flame . . . &ldquo;Miss Read&rsquo;s novels are sheer delight.&rdquo; &mdash;Chicago Tribune </div>

No Holly for Miss Quinn

<div>In this small English village, when one door closes, another opens for its favorite schoolteacher. &ldquo;You&rsquo;llrelish a visit to Fairacre&rdquo; (Jan Karon, #1 New York Times&ndash;bestselling author). Gradually worsening health forces Miss Read to consider an early retirement from her job as the village school&rsquo;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&rsquo;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. &ldquo;As soothing and warm as a cup of Earl Grey tea, this book will delight fans and newcomers to the series alike.&rdquo; &mdash;Library Journal &ldquo;Sensible, well read and acutely observant, the delightfully prim Miss Read continues to be very good company indeed.&rdquo; &mdash;Publishers Weekly</div>

Farewell to Fairacre

<div>Two favorite villagers make a life-changing decision. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;ve ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you&rsquo;ll relish a visit to Thrush Green&rdquo; (Jan Karon, #1 New York Times&ndash;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&rsquo; 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. &ldquo;Once again, Miss Read renders a charming recital of events in Thrush Green, a quaint English village caught in time (most likely teatime).&rdquo; &mdash;Booklist </div>

The School at Thrush Green

<div>&ldquo;Delicious wit, quirky characters, [and] the colorful intrigues of daily life&rdquo; make Fairacre America&rsquo;s favorite English village (Jan Karon, #1 New York Times&ndash;bestselling author). 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&mdash;that the Fairacre School is to be closed and the children bused to nearby Beech Green&mdash;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&rsquo; teacher decides to leave and the short-tempered Mrs. Pringle becomes more contrary than ever. &ldquo;Affectionate, humorous, and gently charming . . . Sometimes funny, sometimes touching, always appealing.&rdquo; &mdash;The New York Times &ldquo;Miss Read reminds us of what is really important. And if we can&rsquo;t live in her world, it&rsquo;s certainly a comforting place to visit.&rdquo; &mdash;USA Today</div>

Village Affairs

<div>&ldquo;If you&rsquo;ve ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you&rsquo;ll relish a visit to Thrush Green,&rdquo; where there&rsquo;s a spring in the step of villagers young and old (Jan Karon, #1 New York Times&ndash;bestselling author). It is spring in the village of Thrush Green. In neighboring Lulling, Charles Henstock admires the blooming garden of his new vicarage, glad the squabbles with his parishioners in Affairs at Thrush Green are settled. And yet the good vicar wistfully recalls his former home&mdash;the ugly, old rectory of Thrush Green, which burned to the ground. Now, from the rectory&rsquo;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. &ldquo;Beneath the deceptive simplicity . . . there is arch humor and perceptive character analysis . . . Delightful.&rdquo; &mdash;Publishers Weekly</div>

At Home in Thrush Green

<div>A new season brings changes&mdash;and hope&mdash;to the little English village of Thrush Green, from the beloved author of the Fairacre series. Nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds, Thrush Green is normally a peaceful place. But as autumn turns to winter, feelings are running high in the village. Miss Fogerty, a respected teacher at the village school for over thirty years, is troubled by the methods of the new young teacher. Dotty Harmer takes up driving, much to the concern of others, and it isn&rsquo;t long before she is involved in an accident and a threatening court case. And when the good rector innocently suggests the neglected churchyard should be tidied up, Thrush Green is outraged. It seems wherever you look, there are difficulties and changes, but as spring arrives, there is renewed hope that all will end well. &ldquo;Thrush Green is a village somewhere on the road between Lulling and Nod. Nonetheless, there is nothing sleepy about the place. No indeed. In this delicious installment, there are &lsquo;battles&rsquo; erupting all over. . . . [Miss Read] has plenty of grist here for the village mill. You can&rsquo;t get farther away from the front page than this.&rdquo; &mdash;The New York Times</div>

Battles at Thrush Green

<div>&ldquo;For those who miss the Waltons, or who can&rsquo;t get enough of Jan Karon, Fairacre is an excellent place to visit&rdquo; (Publishers Weekly). After a long winter of red noses and wet mittens, summer is a welcome time for Miss Read and her downland village friends. Summer at Fairacre charmingly recounts this bright, bustling season and the problems and possibilities that unfold against the background of roses, skylarks, and bees. Joseph Coggs finds a temporary home in the schoolhouse while his mother is in the hospital. Miss Read&rsquo;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. Still, the sounds of children playing and the fragrance of summertime flowers fill the air, as Miss Read shepherds her students and friends through the warm season. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;ve ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you&rsquo;ll relish a visit to Fairacre.&rdquo; &mdash;Jan Karon, #1 New York Times&ndash;bestselling author </div>

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Books By Miss Read (28 Books)