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Thrush Green #10
Friends at Thrush Green: A Novel
Old and new friends find a warm welcome in the cozy English village of Thrush Green— “Miss Read’s novels are sheer delight” (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’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’ 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.
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’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’ 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.
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 5, 1991
62 people are currently reading
404 people want to read
About the author
Miss Read
158 books514 followersDora Jessie Saint MBE née Shafe (born 17 April 1913), best known by the pen name Miss Read, was an English novelist, by profession a schoolmistress. Her pseudonym was derived from her mother's maiden name. In 1940 she married her husband, Douglas, a former headmaster. The couple had a daughter, Jill. She began writing for several journals after World War II and worked as a scriptwriter for the BBC.
She wrote a series of novels from 1955 to 1996. Her work centred on two fictional English villages, Fairacre and Thrush Green. The principal character in the Fairacre books, "Miss Read", is an unmarried schoolteacher in a small village school, an acerbic and yet compassionate observer of village life. Miss Read's novels are wry regional social comedies, laced with gentle humour and subtle social commentary. Miss Read is also a keen observer of nature and the changing seasons.
Her most direct influence is from Jane Austen, although her work also bears similarities to the social comedies of manners written in the 1920s and 1930s, and in particular the work of Barbara Pym. Miss Read's work has influenced a number of writers in her own turn, including the American writer Jan Karon. The musician Enya has a track on her Watermark album named after the book Miss Clare Remembers, and one on her Shepherd Moons album named after No Holly for Miss Quinn.
In 1996 she retired. In 1998 she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her services to literature. She died 7 April, 2012 in Shefford Woodlands.
She wrote a series of novels from 1955 to 1996. Her work centred on two fictional English villages, Fairacre and Thrush Green. The principal character in the Fairacre books, "Miss Read", is an unmarried schoolteacher in a small village school, an acerbic and yet compassionate observer of village life. Miss Read's novels are wry regional social comedies, laced with gentle humour and subtle social commentary. Miss Read is also a keen observer of nature and the changing seasons.
Her most direct influence is from Jane Austen, although her work also bears similarities to the social comedies of manners written in the 1920s and 1930s, and in particular the work of Barbara Pym. Miss Read's work has influenced a number of writers in her own turn, including the American writer Jan Karon. The musician Enya has a track on her Watermark album named after the book Miss Clare Remembers, and one on her Shepherd Moons album named after No Holly for Miss Quinn.
In 1996 she retired. In 1998 she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her services to literature. She died 7 April, 2012 in Shefford Woodlands.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
December 31, 2020
A delightful year in the life of Thrush Green! It's always a happy time catching up with the lovely people living there. It was nice that Percy Hodge finally came to grips with life and has a softening of heart. What a comfort read to end this unprecedented year of 2020.
November 3, 2018
This is the 7th or 8th ‘Miss Read’ book I’ve read this year, and as ever, I am both fascinated (and slightly bemused by) the appeal she has for so many readers. She writes a specific kind of realistic fiction; not the sort of dark ‘problem’ sort of novel most frequently associated with the term, but something far more prosaic. I recently read a study of Little Women in which literary critic Sean O’Faolain was quoted as saying that Alcott’s appeal/success could be attributed to the “balanced” view of life she manages to portray. O’Faolain thinks that “the balance she (Alcott) strikes between the dark and bright sides of life is more true of common experience than the opposite imbalance of our so-called realists.” I think this insight is applicable to Miss Read’s books as well. She doesn’t ignore the ‘dark’ sides of life, and that is particularly true in this novel, but she does write about a world in which people are basically sound; prone to their foibles, true, and there are a few curmudgeons and bad apples, even in Thrush Green, but goodness and decency generally do prevail.
There is something quite interchangeable about all of the Thrush Green novels, and I doubt that I will be able to associate any of the plots with specific titles by next year. There is a mostly fixed cast of characters, although a few new ones are generally introduced with each book; and there is a great emphasis on the seasonal round, both in the sense of weather and the pageants/rituals which occur every calendar year. There is some sense of progression and change: there are births, and deaths, and usually a new marriage is made with every book (mostly between middle-aged or even elderly characters, which is interesting). But for the most part, Thrush Green is more about the predictable than the strange and shocking, and I’m sure that why Miss Read devotees find the books ‘cosy’ and comforting.
This book did dwell a little more in the ‘darker’ realm than most - particularly in the storyline of new schoolmaster Alan Lester and his wife Margaret. At first, Margaret is portrayed as a fragile woman, perhaps a bit of a hypochondriac, but later she is revealed to be struggling with alcoholism. There is also a rather sad storyline for Bertha Lovelock, eldest of the Lovelock sisters.
Miss Read does not shy away from death - as if any books set within the countryside ever could - and in her own delicate and understated way, her fictional world is as much about the darker shadows (whether she is describing aging and death, or Cotswold weather) as it is about the brighter signs of renewal.
There is something quite interchangeable about all of the Thrush Green novels, and I doubt that I will be able to associate any of the plots with specific titles by next year. There is a mostly fixed cast of characters, although a few new ones are generally introduced with each book; and there is a great emphasis on the seasonal round, both in the sense of weather and the pageants/rituals which occur every calendar year. There is some sense of progression and change: there are births, and deaths, and usually a new marriage is made with every book (mostly between middle-aged or even elderly characters, which is interesting). But for the most part, Thrush Green is more about the predictable than the strange and shocking, and I’m sure that why Miss Read devotees find the books ‘cosy’ and comforting.
This book did dwell a little more in the ‘darker’ realm than most - particularly in the storyline of new schoolmaster Alan Lester and his wife Margaret. At first, Margaret is portrayed as a fragile woman, perhaps a bit of a hypochondriac, but later she is revealed to be struggling with alcoholism. There is also a rather sad storyline for Bertha Lovelock, eldest of the Lovelock sisters.
Miss Read does not shy away from death - as if any books set within the countryside ever could - and in her own delicate and understated way, her fictional world is as much about the darker shadows (whether she is describing aging and death, or Cotswold weather) as it is about the brighter signs of renewal.
February 25, 2025
An enjoyable reread… a couple of chapters over a morning cup of coffee is ultra idyllic… I’m going to be revisiting more of Thrush Green very soon!!
'It sounds to me,' said Harold, with rare male perspicacity, 'that Agnes may be a little in love with this Teddy herself.'
'Good heavens!' cried his wife, deeply shocked. 'Of course she isn't! She has the cat, after all!'
Harold pondered on this as he lay awaiting sleep. Should men really have to compete with cats?
'It sounds to me,' said Harold, with rare male perspicacity, 'that Agnes may be a little in love with this Teddy herself.'
'Good heavens!' cried his wife, deeply shocked. 'Of course she isn't! She has the cat, after all!'
Harold pondered on this as he lay awaiting sleep. Should men really have to compete with cats?
October 9, 2018
I'm beginning to think I'm going to pack my bags and move to Thrush Green. A perfect book to read last weekend.
June 3, 2018
This was not your run-of-the-mill, nothing-much-happens Thrush Green novel. I enjoyed the many mysteries. Will the persistent Percy Hodges finally find a new wife? Who is the mysterious Teddy and will he win the heart of one of the spinsters? What is Mrs. Lester's baffling illness? Is Bertha just eccentric or is she a certified lunatic?
I loved finding the answers to these questions. And, as always, I loved the gracious way that the folks at Thrush Green dealt with them, especially when the answers were difficult.
I loved finding the answers to these questions. And, as always, I loved the gracious way that the folks at Thrush Green dealt with them, especially when the answers were difficult.
December 25, 2020
The literary equivalent of a good cup of tea, Friends at Thrush Green was ideal reading beside our Christmas tree as my husband rehearsed for our virtual Christmas Eve service. Not exactly a Christmassy book, but the coziness of Miss Read makes it feel appropriate for the season anyway.
Content warnings (for a Miss Read book? really?): miscarriage, alcoholism, and a friend imagining another friend's suicidal ideation. The friend is not suicidal, but her friend imagines what she might be contemplating. Nothing is disturbing; all is set right in turn, gently but without sentiment.
Content warnings (for a Miss Read book? really?): miscarriage, alcoholism, and a friend imagining another friend's suicidal ideation. The friend is not suicidal, but her friend imagines what she might be contemplating. Nothing is disturbing; all is set right in turn, gently but without sentiment.
December 9, 2025
Full of warmth and generosity, a great series to settle into in thesebtruobling times.
February 21, 2016
What can I say that I haven't already said about Thrush Green? This is my village and these are my friends.
February 20, 2021
This is a wonderful book! I have had it on my bookshelf for years and only just picked it up..and then couldn’t put it down. It’s a wonderful read and so uplifting. I have ordered another already! Miss Read was a wonderful writer. It’s too bad I waited so long..but have many more to wade through. If you haven’t read any go for it now!
January 26, 2020
Covers some grittier topics in the village - postnatal depression, alcoholism, miscarriage, the onset of senility, and, kleptomania - all of them are dealt with kindly and honestly.
Even though this has the ex.headmistress setting herself up for unrequited 'love' I'm still putting this in amongst my most liked Thrush Green books.
and..... yay, for Percy ;-)
Even though this has the ex.headmistress setting herself up for unrequited 'love' I'm still putting this in amongst my most liked Thrush Green books.
and..... yay, for Percy ;-)
June 1, 2021
5 stars
April 25, 2023
Re-read.
July 1, 2019
Another cozy Miss Read. I have more rigorous books on my nightstand, but I'm often too exhausted for reading that requires resolve.
As with P.G. Wodehouse, I believe Miss Read is better when not read in quick succession... which is what I did. My enjoyment was dimmed a bit. But I applaud the author for including a few thorny domestic issues. To say more would spoil. This book has the feel of post-war 1950's; I was surprised to see Miss Read wrote this in 1990.
I love the gentle wit! As two friends plan a holiday away, the following conversation made me giggle.
What about somewhere north?
Scotland, you mean?
No, no, no! There's no need to go somewhere as extremed as that, all mist and murk.
As with P.G. Wodehouse, I believe Miss Read is better when not read in quick succession... which is what I did. My enjoyment was dimmed a bit. But I applaud the author for including a few thorny domestic issues. To say more would spoil. This book has the feel of post-war 1950's; I was surprised to see Miss Read wrote this in 1990.
I love the gentle wit! As two friends plan a holiday away, the following conversation made me giggle.
What about somewhere north?
Scotland, you mean?
No, no, no! There's no need to go somewhere as extremed as that, all mist and murk.
January 26, 2025
Such a cozy, comforting series.
November 17, 2021
I’m finding that I don’t have a lot new to say about these Thrush Green books. They feel less meant to be discussed and more meant to be pleasantly enjoyed. It has been a joy to read them this year!
October 4, 2018
Overall, this was another delightful read. (I took off one star this time because Dorothy really annoyed me through parts of the story and I found myself rolling my eyes every time her character showed up.) I enjoyed seeing Percy's latest attempts at finding a new wife. I felt bad for him. He's just a lonely old man looking for companionship. (Unfortunately, he tends to look in all the wrong places!) Miss Read definitely took on a hard subject with the arrival of the Lester family. I liked seeing it brought to light, but I think the struggle is quite a bit more difficult than it came across. Seeing the Lovelock sisters struggling with getting older and some of the complications was sad, too. I'm curious where their story will go from here. As always, it's delightful catching up with the Thrush Green residents.
March 16, 2019
By now, I feel as if I am one of the titular Friends at Thrush Green , and a comforting feeling it is, too. Dorothy and Agnes are now settled as retirees at Barton-on-Sea; they have made new friends there. In particular, Dorothy has become good friends with a blind widower named Teddy, although she has a rival for his affections in Eileen. Both ladies genteelly contest the right to read the daily newspaper to him.
At Lulling and Thrush Green, we see trouble in the Lovelock household. Always eccentric and parsimonious, Bertha has been seen downright stealing at The Fuchsia Bush. Nelly has caught her helping herself to scones, croissants and other admittedly covet-worthy baked goods. Mrs. Peters, ever tactful, spoke to Violet, the youngest and most vigorous of the sisters. Violet is naturally extremely distressed, and finally seeks counsel from the Rev. Charles Henstock. Proving the adage about a sorrow shared, Violet is much relieved knowing she can call on him for help, and that Justin Venables, their trusted family solicitor, and Dr. Lovell are also available if further assistance is necessary.
With Dorothy and Agnes retiring and vacating the “school house,” the Board of Governors has decided to sell it since the widespread ownership of motor vehicles has made it unnecessary for the headmaster or mistress to live in the village. Ironically, the schoolmaster, Alan Lester, buys it. It is soon known by all of Thrush Green that his wife, Margaret, has some sort of illness that incapacitated her frequently. After an incident in Lulling, it becomes obvious that she is an alcoholic.
Miss Read’s books celebrate life, particularly life in a small community. While there is definitely a cozy feel, she doesn’t hesitate to talk about the darker side of the human character. Domestic abuse, kleptomania, alcoholism and the difficulties for single-parent mothers have all been dealt with in the Thrush Green series. And while it’s natural for people to gossip, when it comes to it, almost everyone is supportive and even loving to the sufferers and the loved ones also impacted. Aside from its idyllic setting, Thrush Green stands as a model for how life in a small community should be. As Agnes said in a previous book, ‘It’s the Christian thing to do.’
At Lulling and Thrush Green, we see trouble in the Lovelock household. Always eccentric and parsimonious, Bertha has been seen downright stealing at The Fuchsia Bush. Nelly has caught her helping herself to scones, croissants and other admittedly covet-worthy baked goods. Mrs. Peters, ever tactful, spoke to Violet, the youngest and most vigorous of the sisters. Violet is naturally extremely distressed, and finally seeks counsel from the Rev. Charles Henstock. Proving the adage about a sorrow shared, Violet is much relieved knowing she can call on him for help, and that Justin Venables, their trusted family solicitor, and Dr. Lovell are also available if further assistance is necessary.
With Dorothy and Agnes retiring and vacating the “school house,” the Board of Governors has decided to sell it since the widespread ownership of motor vehicles has made it unnecessary for the headmaster or mistress to live in the village. Ironically, the schoolmaster, Alan Lester, buys it. It is soon known by all of Thrush Green that his wife, Margaret, has some sort of illness that incapacitated her frequently. After an incident in Lulling, it becomes obvious that she is an alcoholic.
Miss Read’s books celebrate life, particularly life in a small community. While there is definitely a cozy feel, she doesn’t hesitate to talk about the darker side of the human character. Domestic abuse, kleptomania, alcoholism and the difficulties for single-parent mothers have all been dealt with in the Thrush Green series. And while it’s natural for people to gossip, when it comes to it, almost everyone is supportive and even loving to the sufferers and the loved ones also impacted. Aside from its idyllic setting, Thrush Green stands as a model for how life in a small community should be. As Agnes said in a previous book, ‘It’s the Christian thing to do.’
September 2, 2016
I just haven't found anything good to read lately. My husband suggested I re-visit one of my favorites . I did and my friends at Thrush Green welcomed me back with open arms. I never tire of this series
December 4, 2024
I've been a fan of Miss Read's books decades! Every few years, I feel the need to re visit the world of Thrush Green and Fairacre to refresh my spirit!
August 25, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up. When the power went out with some heavy downpours and high winds this week, I reached for a Miss Read book waiting on my bookshelf. It's just the kind of cozy read the inclement weather demanded. This is not the kind of book you want to jump into without reading the others preceding in the series. There would be way too many characters to keep up with and you would no doubt find it confusing and throw it down in exasperation. But if you have been reading along, you've come to know the inhabitants of Thrush Green and their foibles and eccentricities. There are good apples and a few bad ones, but the well intentioned definitely do predominate. This book was published in 1990 but there's little to distinguish it from an earlier era of the 50's or 60's. The only professional women are retired school teachers, both spinsters, and a retired nurse. The employed women belong to the working (previously servants') class, and are largely employed as domestics or cooks, or work in a tea room, or in elderly care. The women of the upper middle and higher classes are not idle - besides running their households, raising children, and gardening, they are constantly involved in community service of one kind or another - contributing things for charity sales or making curtains for the elderly home, helping with the church flowers, and involved with the Women's Institute or the Red Cross, all within the cozy confines of Thrush Green and the neighboring village of Lulling. It still seems that when women marry, they give up any kind of career they had. So it does feel like a bit of a time slip to settle into Miss Read's world. In this addition to the series there are some serious topics that come up such as alcoholism and senile dementia. While the village is full of gossips, most everyone treats these issues with kindness and understanding. Some problems seem to be more easily dealt with than others, but not without consequences. Real life does intrude into Miss Read's idyllic settings, and her characters are widely representative and all are treated with sympathy. There's a child and a miscarriage out of wedlock, despite the mother's religious upbringing, and young women leaving home chasing after men, but these are not as scandalous as in generations past, bringing age old stories into a more modern perspective. Still, these books seem very old-fashioned and should be enjoyed as such. Miss Read's great contribution is her understanding of human nature and her sympathy and humor in depicting it. I had to laugh, while recognizing that distinct human tendency of letting one's mind easily go to envisioning worst case scenarios, especially for those of us who are natural worriers, at the following passage where retired spinster schoolteacher Agnes is concerned about her housemate Dorothy after she had heard some unfortunate news:
She seemed to be a very long time in the bathroom, and Agnes's anxiety grew. Was she prostrate with grief? Had she collapsed on the floor, perhaps striking her head on the wash-basin and now lying stunned? Could she - dreadful thought! - be contemplating suicide?
The bathroom cupboard certainly held medicine, but nothing much more toxic than aspirin, TCP, and calamine lotion. To be sure, there was a bottle of disinfectant for the lavatory. And prisoners in cells sometimes hanged themselves, but apart from the belt of the bathrobe there was really nothing to hand in the bathroom in that line. In any case, Agnes thought wildly, that hook on the door would scarcely stand the weight.
If you haven't read any of Miss Read's delightful books, I suggest you get right on it, but start at the beginning.
She seemed to be a very long time in the bathroom, and Agnes's anxiety grew. Was she prostrate with grief? Had she collapsed on the floor, perhaps striking her head on the wash-basin and now lying stunned? Could she - dreadful thought! - be contemplating suicide?
The bathroom cupboard certainly held medicine, but nothing much more toxic than aspirin, TCP, and calamine lotion. To be sure, there was a bottle of disinfectant for the lavatory. And prisoners in cells sometimes hanged themselves, but apart from the belt of the bathrobe there was really nothing to hand in the bathroom in that line. In any case, Agnes thought wildly, that hook on the door would scarcely stand the weight.
If you haven't read any of Miss Read's delightful books, I suggest you get right on it, but start at the beginning.
April 18, 2022
"Ever since the publication of Village School thirty-five years ago, Miss Read has charmed audiences all over the world with her heartwarming stories of life in a country village. Our thirty-fourth Miss Read book is set in Thrush Green, a close-knit community where many of the families have known each other since childhood, and any changes or unusual comings and goings are quickly noted.
"There was 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 gives great pleasure to everyone. The new headmaster, Alan Lester, is cautiously accepted, but rumour is rife about his wife's health. Are those migraine attacks really what they appear to be?
"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' house on Lulling High Street, 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 her younger sister, Violet, not to mention the tradespeople of Lulling.
"All these matters and more are faced by our old friends against the familiar background and changing seasons of the English Cotswolds. Friends of Thrush Green will take Miss Read's many devoted followers on another welcome visit to this much-loved village."
~~front & back flaps
As always, it's so nice to sink into this book and be transported to the charming little village of Thrust Green -- the village that probably never existed except in our imaginations, which is so comfortable and pretty. The most amazing thing about this book (and some of the other books in the series) is that Miss Read deals with modern difficulties in a way that blends them seamlessly into the general impression of a village slumbering peacefully between the wars. Mrs. Lester's alcoholism and subsequent rehabilitation and AA are so modern and yet ... Young Doreen Lilly is the mother on one illegitimate child and returns to the village pregnant with another, yet is not ostracized, nor her child taken into care ... Bertha's dotage has only strengthened her unfortunate lifelong habit of stealthily acquiring other's things, but she's treated with loving kindness by all.
This book is the portrait of a gentle, almost unsophisticated way of life in a beautiful Cotswold village, but it manages to be pertinent and modern, in a gentle, unassuming way. Who could ask for anything more?
"There was 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 gives great pleasure to everyone. The new headmaster, Alan Lester, is cautiously accepted, but rumour is rife about his wife's health. Are those migraine attacks really what they appear to be?
"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' house on Lulling High Street, 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 her younger sister, Violet, not to mention the tradespeople of Lulling.
"All these matters and more are faced by our old friends against the familiar background and changing seasons of the English Cotswolds. Friends of Thrush Green will take Miss Read's many devoted followers on another welcome visit to this much-loved village."
~~front & back flaps
As always, it's so nice to sink into this book and be transported to the charming little village of Thrust Green -- the village that probably never existed except in our imaginations, which is so comfortable and pretty. The most amazing thing about this book (and some of the other books in the series) is that Miss Read deals with modern difficulties in a way that blends them seamlessly into the general impression of a village slumbering peacefully between the wars. Mrs. Lester's alcoholism and subsequent rehabilitation and AA are so modern and yet ... Young Doreen Lilly is the mother on one illegitimate child and returns to the village pregnant with another, yet is not ostracized, nor her child taken into care ... Bertha's dotage has only strengthened her unfortunate lifelong habit of stealthily acquiring other's things, but she's treated with loving kindness by all.
This book is the portrait of a gentle, almost unsophisticated way of life in a beautiful Cotswold village, but it manages to be pertinent and modern, in a gentle, unassuming way. Who could ask for anything more?
November 2, 2018
I love Thrush Green! I love the people and how kind and caring they are with each other. I love the gentleness of the stories, even while our friends face difficult and very real life problems.
A new family moves into the little village. There are issues of a sensitive nature that are well known by everyone, but not talked or gossiped about. There is only a desire to help and yet that help is not offered until it is asked for or needed. Such sensitivity!
The Lovelock sisters face their own trials. It is wonderful to see how their friends gather round to protect and to help.
There are romantic involvements. Some end happily. Others are disappointed.
But through all, the love and concern for one another helps each to bear their burdens or to share their joy.
A new family moves into the little village. There are issues of a sensitive nature that are well known by everyone, but not talked or gossiped about. There is only a desire to help and yet that help is not offered until it is asked for or needed. Such sensitivity!
The Lovelock sisters face their own trials. It is wonderful to see how their friends gather round to protect and to help.
There are romantic involvements. Some end happily. Others are disappointed.
But through all, the love and concern for one another helps each to bear their burdens or to share their joy.
February 3, 2022
Does Miss Read ever disappoint? I don't think so! The world of Thrush Green feels both dreamy, unreal and distant, and yet so very real and full of characters you know from your own life.
The writing is beautiful, funny, gentle yet razor-sharp, and occasionally sprinkled with acerbic comments that make you roar with laughter. Miss Read transforms what some might call mundane affairs of village life into a gripping and exciting story. And Gwen Watford's reading of the book is simply flawless.
I cannot find any faults in the whole Thrush Green series. Every single book is a piece of perfection.
The writing is beautiful, funny, gentle yet razor-sharp, and occasionally sprinkled with acerbic comments that make you roar with laughter. Miss Read transforms what some might call mundane affairs of village life into a gripping and exciting story. And Gwen Watford's reading of the book is simply flawless.
I cannot find any faults in the whole Thrush Green series. Every single book is a piece of perfection.
July 21, 2023
Another charming and wonderfully relaxing tale from Miss Read. Sadly, I've not many of her books left to read but I'm thoroughly enjoying each one as I tick it off the list. This far into the series, the characters are quite well-known to me and as I turn the pages, it feels almost as though I'm reading about old friends. They're all getting older, some have moved away and a few new arrivals have appeared but for the most part, life in Thrush Green continues as it always has. And it's a true delight!
September 1, 2025
How interesting and eventful an ordinary life! Every day, something happens, but it doesn't make the evening news. It may make the village grapevine, though. Rumor, speculation, heart's desire, you'll find it all in Friends at Thrush Green. Mainly, there are no ill wishes that accompany what is happening in the village. Margaret Lester comes to her senses. Percy Hodge finds the missing piece. Bertha convinces everyone that her will cannot be changed. Only Albert Piggot is a tiny bit disappointed. Oh, Dorothy is too, spectacularly. Oh dear, but it is all just a part of life, isn't it?
October 13, 2025
I enjoy this series more with each book - the trend continues from the last book. Readers are getting a more realistic look at life among the denizens of this delightful Cotswold village. The gentle humor and gossip are still present and very entertaining, but we’re also privy to the trials of dealing with errant daughters who become unwed mothers, alcoholism, dementia, kleptomania, etc. Still one of my favorite series, and I appreciate how this small, tight knit community comes together to support each other in good times and bad. Lovely!
October 9, 2019
Another very satisfying read! It’s a wonderful series depicting all of the changes life inevitably brings. The continuing characters that appear in each book are familiar, favorite friends. They experience little mysteries, health and sickness, falling in love and often disappointments; all with strength and forbearance and in general cheerfulness and good will towards each other. I read these books because they are charming, cozy and comfortable.
May 17, 2020
These little books are amazing how they can lift and take you far away from your troubles. you get so caught up in their lives and troubles that the end of the book causes a serious "Out of Book" sensation. Real readers know what I'm talking about. I have to order the next two in series, so I'll be reviewing other books for awhile. But these are a must have for those who are needing escapism on a serious level.
February 7, 2018
Are you in the mood for a quiet story about people? One where people have problems but figure them out with friends? Where there is no swearing or blasphemy, no smut or innuendo? Try Miss Read's Fairacre stories for a peaceful hour or two.
Please see my full review here: http://www.morebooksthantime.com/frie...
Please see my full review here: http://www.morebooksthantime.com/frie...
August 7, 2018
I started reading this series back in the 70's. The series made such an impression on me that I started re-reading them. At first, I battled to get copies and now one can order them, great. I have not been to England and Miss Read brought her imagery village alive for me. Her characters have been long remembered by me and I know I shall dive into this series again.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews