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Fairacre #9
Tyler's Row
Miss Read heard about the sale of Tyler's Row from Mrs Pringle and before long Fairacre was alive with rumours. Why were the present owners selling? Was it true that a football pools winner was about to buy it? Had Tyler's Row been condemned or was it to be restored?
192 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1973
92 people are currently reading
445 people want to read
About the author
Miss Read
158 books508 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.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
February 4, 2019
Yes, I do want to buy a thatched cottage and live in the English countryside. Miss Read writes the books about the life I might have had. I wouldn't trade but a little vicarious visit now and then is pure pleasure.
November 6, 2025
Another pleasant visit to Fairacre. Finally, the dilapidated cottages of Tyler's Row get new owners, Fairacre gets new residents, the villagers have a field day with fresh gossip, a few other problems arise and are settled, and I had a fine time as well. Plus, added bonus.....2 particularly unpleasant characters get their comeuppance!
June 24, 2019
The row of four cottages in Fairacre known as Tyler’s Row is owned by an old soldier, Jim Bennett. The middle two are vacant, but the end cottages are let; one to an equally elderly soldier friend, Sergeant Burnaby, and the other to a Mrs. Fowler. The rent Mr. Bennett receives is a mere pittance, and certainly not enough to make the many repairs and updates needed. So Mr. Bennett decides to sell them.
Peter Hale, headmaster of Caxley Grammar School, and his wife, Diana, eventually buy the cottages. They combine the two middle spaces into one and move into this space with Sergeant Burnaby and Mrs. Fowler as their tenants. They eventually plan to incorporate the two end cottages into the middle, forming one good-sized house. However, this must wait until their tenants leave, either by moving away or through death.
It isn’t long until the Hales are in the middle of a war, literally, between the old soldier and Mrs. Fowler. The Hales do their best to stay out of it, until Mrs. Fowler blatantly steals several items belonging to the Sergeant, as well as some of Diana’s garden plants. The Hales also suspect Mrs. Fowler has sprayed weed killer on some of Diana’s plants.
Meanwhile, life in Fairacre goes on pretty much as always. Another infants’ teacher marries and gives notice, to Miss Read’s dismay. The skylight is still the same leaky thorn in Mr. Willet’s side. Mrs. Johnson, the wife and mother of a fairly new family to Fairacre, organizes the first PTA, where she espouses radical ideals; she is adamantly against corporal punishment, and is decidedly communist in her political persuasion. Although outwardly polite, Fairacre breaths a sigh of relief when the Johnson family returns to London.
Sergeant Burnaby becomes ill, and is henceforth unable to live alone. It is at this time that Tom comes home extremely ill, and the Hales rush him to the vet. Upon hearing a diagnosis of poisoning, the Hales are understandably furious; Peter declares Mrs. Fowler has gone too far this time. Fortunately, Tom recovers, but Peter wastes no time in having a frank talk with their remaining tenant, telling her they will notify the police if Sergeant’s missing property isn’t returned, and that they will press charges if she poisons Tom again.
There is a happy ending. Mrs. Fowler decides to move into a flat above a shop owned by a nephew and his wife, leaving the Hales free to complete their renovations.
As always, it’s a joy to visit Fairacre and get acquainted with new friends as well as visit old ones!
Peter Hale, headmaster of Caxley Grammar School, and his wife, Diana, eventually buy the cottages. They combine the two middle spaces into one and move into this space with Sergeant Burnaby and Mrs. Fowler as their tenants. They eventually plan to incorporate the two end cottages into the middle, forming one good-sized house. However, this must wait until their tenants leave, either by moving away or through death.
It isn’t long until the Hales are in the middle of a war, literally, between the old soldier and Mrs. Fowler. The Hales do their best to stay out of it, until Mrs. Fowler blatantly steals several items belonging to the Sergeant, as well as some of Diana’s garden plants. The Hales also suspect Mrs. Fowler has sprayed weed killer on some of Diana’s plants.
Meanwhile, life in Fairacre goes on pretty much as always. Another infants’ teacher marries and gives notice, to Miss Read’s dismay. The skylight is still the same leaky thorn in Mr. Willet’s side. Mrs. Johnson, the wife and mother of a fairly new family to Fairacre, organizes the first PTA, where she espouses radical ideals; she is adamantly against corporal punishment, and is decidedly communist in her political persuasion. Although outwardly polite, Fairacre breaths a sigh of relief when the Johnson family returns to London.
Sergeant Burnaby becomes ill, and is henceforth unable to live alone. It is at this time that Tom comes home extremely ill, and the Hales rush him to the vet. Upon hearing a diagnosis of poisoning, the Hales are understandably furious; Peter declares Mrs. Fowler has gone too far this time. Fortunately, Tom recovers, but Peter wastes no time in having a frank talk with their remaining tenant, telling her they will notify the police if Sergeant’s missing property isn’t returned, and that they will press charges if she poisons Tom again.
There is a happy ending. Mrs. Fowler decides to move into a flat above a shop owned by a nephew and his wife, leaving the Hales free to complete their renovations.
As always, it’s a joy to visit Fairacre and get acquainted with new friends as well as visit old ones!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2023
This got off to a slow start for me but after that I loved it. I especially loved Diana Hale, who is a new character. I hope we get to see more of her. Good riddance to Mrs Fowler! Seriously awful woman!
I loved Mrs Pringle’s defense of Miss Read at the end. It was just the best.
I loved Mrs Pringle’s defense of Miss Read at the end. It was just the best.
February 6, 2017
It seems a bit unfair giving this book three stars because I think it did exactly what it was trying to do: be a sweet little tale about English village life in 1972. But, nothing really happened, there were awkward shifts in between first and third person, and some of the writing was clunky. It was the first 'Miss Read' book I've read, and I'm sure it will the last.
www.clairefuller.co.uk
www.clairefuller.co.uk
December 29, 2016
I wanted a light read, and finding this at a local used book store was just the ticket. What's more comfy than an English village in the early 1970's , especially when there's a thatched cottage with an overgrown garden, "tiny diamond-paned windows and ancient beams which criss-cross the brickwork." Add in a limitless view of fields to the summit of the downs to really sell the place. Well, as an old house enthusiast with stacks of architecture books with the word 'cottage' in the title, who can spend hours wistfully gazing at English cottages on Pinterest, how could I resist? This story revolves around a couple near retirement age, the Hales, buying a run-down thatched cottage that has been divided up into four units, with the two center ones empty. Because of the lease terms, apparently, the two elderly neighbors on either end can't be evicted. The Hales buy it with visions of knocking not only the center two together, but expanding the entire structure into one house. Only problem is the perpetually angry disruptive neighbors.
Miss Read, one of two teachers at the Anglican school, narrates part of this book. I found it a bit confusing at first, with the Miss Read sections in first person, and a third person omniscient narrator telling the Hales' story. Miss Read also comments about the house and occupants of Tyler's Row. I really enjoyed Miss Read's narration. Her dry subtle wit is so wonderfully British. Her comments about the new Parents and Teachers Association from an already overworked teacher's perspective are particularly apt, and her daily encounters with Mrs. Pringle, the char (British for cleaning lady) at the school, are hilarious and underline Miss Read's endless patience and endurance. Other old villagers like Mr. and Mrs. Willet and the postmaster also fill in the scene, as well as Miss Read's sophisticated friend Amy.
Not a whole lot happens, plot-wise. But that's not really the point. It was a step back into a time I well remember, but now seems light years away. (I actually visited England in the early 70's.) Of course Miss Read and the Hales were an older generation to my baby boomer one, and I probably would have thought them stuffy and uncool. (Or maybe not. I adored two of my professors, a married couple nearing retirement in the early 70's, for their subtle dry wit, and they weren't in the least 'cool' in 70's pop culture terms.) Now I commiserate with an older generation. I found it telling that Mr. Hale works as a school teacher (not even a headmaster), and has a comfortable house where they raised their children (which they sell to downsize), spends an apparently large sum with an architect and contractors to renovate the older cottage, and is the sole support of the family. While his wife, with the children now grown and on their own, works in the home running the household, in her garden, and in the community for whatever charitable drive she is commandeered for, and employs a housekeeper and sends her laundry out. Oh, what a vanished lifestyle! Well, at a teacher's pay, at least. (Interestingly, though, Miss Read, who teaches at the small church school, is apparently as poor as a church mouse.)
If you enjoy this sort of English village nostalgia, you will no doubt enjoy Miss Read. The illustrations in this paperback edition were quite charming, too.
Miss Read, one of two teachers at the Anglican school, narrates part of this book. I found it a bit confusing at first, with the Miss Read sections in first person, and a third person omniscient narrator telling the Hales' story. Miss Read also comments about the house and occupants of Tyler's Row. I really enjoyed Miss Read's narration. Her dry subtle wit is so wonderfully British. Her comments about the new Parents and Teachers Association from an already overworked teacher's perspective are particularly apt, and her daily encounters with Mrs. Pringle, the char (British for cleaning lady) at the school, are hilarious and underline Miss Read's endless patience and endurance. Other old villagers like Mr. and Mrs. Willet and the postmaster also fill in the scene, as well as Miss Read's sophisticated friend Amy.
Not a whole lot happens, plot-wise. But that's not really the point. It was a step back into a time I well remember, but now seems light years away. (I actually visited England in the early 70's.) Of course Miss Read and the Hales were an older generation to my baby boomer one, and I probably would have thought them stuffy and uncool. (Or maybe not. I adored two of my professors, a married couple nearing retirement in the early 70's, for their subtle dry wit, and they weren't in the least 'cool' in 70's pop culture terms.) Now I commiserate with an older generation. I found it telling that Mr. Hale works as a school teacher (not even a headmaster), and has a comfortable house where they raised their children (which they sell to downsize), spends an apparently large sum with an architect and contractors to renovate the older cottage, and is the sole support of the family. While his wife, with the children now grown and on their own, works in the home running the household, in her garden, and in the community for whatever charitable drive she is commandeered for, and employs a housekeeper and sends her laundry out. Oh, what a vanished lifestyle! Well, at a teacher's pay, at least. (Interestingly, though, Miss Read, who teaches at the small church school, is apparently as poor as a church mouse.)
If you enjoy this sort of English village nostalgia, you will no doubt enjoy Miss Read. The illustrations in this paperback edition were quite charming, too.
May 29, 2018
its been years since i read a Miss Read book, and this one i must have missed, as i felt sure that i had read most f them. But my pleasant recollections of these novels were not dimmed by time. They are charming and real escapism reads, and although may to a degree appear quaint today, they still have a good feel and they do also have a point and some of the issues in the books are still with us today
December 30, 2016
This was a nice and cozy novel about life in a small village. Good characters and idyllic setting for those times when you just need a comforting novel to escape to.
April 28, 2019
I love all Miss Read's books, they are so gentle and funny in a very human way, so very English country life, in fact they remind me of all my old (forgive me...Scottish) aunts, the gossip, the recipes, the interest in all the small bits of neighborly news whether people, animal or vegetable. Perhaps that's why I dive into these little gems from time to time, all the older branch of my family is gone and I miss them. Reading a Miss Read novel is like taking a little vacation into another time and place where you can laugh at foibles and eccentricities know that everything will be put right in the end and you will NOT run into anyone from Game of Thrones. (Although this one has a gloriously 'hate-able' villainess.)
Again, to rest my eyes, I read this in large print in an older edition and there were quite a few typos. Long before computers/Word or Scrivener, this book was probably re-transcribed after the original edition and since it was 'only for the old folks and sight-impaired market' they probably didn't feel the necessity of careful editing.' As you know, typos/faulty research, things like that tick me off. Miss Read's books have stood the test of time and deserve better.
Again, to rest my eyes, I read this in large print in an older edition and there were quite a few typos. Long before computers/Word or Scrivener, this book was probably re-transcribed after the original edition and since it was 'only for the old folks and sight-impaired market' they probably didn't feel the necessity of careful editing.' As you know, typos/faulty research, things like that tick me off. Miss Read's books have stood the test of time and deserve better.
April 18, 2020
Perfect quarantine reading.
A lovely escape . It has inspired me to plant an English cottage garden. Miss Read always soothes the soul.
A lovely escape . It has inspired me to plant an English cottage garden. Miss Read always soothes the soul.
January 12, 2021
Another little gem!
February 13, 2023
My "read through Miss Read in publication order" challenge (to myself) means that I am spending a lot of time in Fairacre and Thrush Green. I've pretty much decided I prefer Fairacre, probably because the 1st person view from "Miss Read" in the book is so witty and real.
This particular Fairacre story has a bit more plot than some: "outsiders" (from, gasp, Caxley!) buy a row of cottages. They rehab the middle two into a home and deal (with various degrees of success) with the two end cottages and the inhabitants that live in them.
Meanwhile, life in Fairacre continues as it usually does: gently, with much gossip, meddling, and humor.
This particular Fairacre story has a bit more plot than some: "outsiders" (from, gasp, Caxley!) buy a row of cottages. They rehab the middle two into a home and deal (with various degrees of success) with the two end cottages and the inhabitants that live in them.
Meanwhile, life in Fairacre continues as it usually does: gently, with much gossip, meddling, and humor.
January 12, 2022
Tyler’s Row is a lovely story about a married couple, Diana and Peter, who buy an old row of four connected cottages with the intention of one day opening it all into one house. The trouble is that there are elderly tenants in both end cottages, and they most decidedly do NOT get along.
I loved the English-countryside-of-50-years-ago homeyness of this book, and as the narrator, Miss Read, is a teacher in the village 2-room school, we get a bit of a view into that too. The students had handwork class and nature walks, which are familiar to those of us who school in the Charlotte Mason method.
I loved the English-countryside-of-50-years-ago homeyness of this book, and as the narrator, Miss Read, is a teacher in the village 2-room school, we get a bit of a view into that too. The students had handwork class and nature walks, which are familiar to those of us who school in the Charlotte Mason method.
November 11, 2019
We’re back in the world of Fairacre! I really enjoyed my first Wodehouse and it’s gentle British humour reminded me of another cosy read – the Fairacre series. Sadly, the library didn’t have the next book in the series [insert title] so I had to borrow the next available one.
Tyler’s Row introduces what proves to be a big change for the village of Fairacre: new inhabitants. Peter and Diana Hale, residents of the nearby town of Caxley, have bought Tyler’s Row and inherited the two bickering tenants. Having moved in to the remaining empty cottage, the two of them must find a way to adjust to an incurably nosy village.
At the same time, Miss Read is losing a battle against the formation of a Parent-Teacher Association, as well as the potential loss of the nursery teacher. I gotta say, I expected these two stories to tie together in a particular way but this did not happen. Perhaps it will in latter books.
The stories are told from two points of view, Miss Read and the Hales. It makes sense because their stories are pretty distinct, although Fairacre’s small population makes it invariable that they hear of each other (or rather, Miss Read hears far too much about the Hales).
As you can expect, I really enjoyed this story and the chance to get to know new characters. I hope to get to see more of the Hales in the latter books.
The last thing I want to talk about in my review is kind of random, but I really appreciate the fact that Miss Read is happily single. I feel that in a lot of books, even non-Romance ones, singleness is more often than not seen as a state to move out of. Because of that, Miss Read’s contentment with her single life and her vehement disapproval of her friend, Diana’s, attempts to matchmake her is something that I think should be celebrated.
There isn’t much else for me to say about the book. As always, it’s a pleasure to return to the world of Fairacre and I’ll definitely be going to back to the series as the Christmas season approaches (it’s not set in winter but it has such a cosy feel that I think it’s great for the season)
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
Tyler’s Row introduces what proves to be a big change for the village of Fairacre: new inhabitants. Peter and Diana Hale, residents of the nearby town of Caxley, have bought Tyler’s Row and inherited the two bickering tenants. Having moved in to the remaining empty cottage, the two of them must find a way to adjust to an incurably nosy village.
At the same time, Miss Read is losing a battle against the formation of a Parent-Teacher Association, as well as the potential loss of the nursery teacher. I gotta say, I expected these two stories to tie together in a particular way but this did not happen. Perhaps it will in latter books.
The stories are told from two points of view, Miss Read and the Hales. It makes sense because their stories are pretty distinct, although Fairacre’s small population makes it invariable that they hear of each other (or rather, Miss Read hears far too much about the Hales).
As you can expect, I really enjoyed this story and the chance to get to know new characters. I hope to get to see more of the Hales in the latter books.
The last thing I want to talk about in my review is kind of random, but I really appreciate the fact that Miss Read is happily single. I feel that in a lot of books, even non-Romance ones, singleness is more often than not seen as a state to move out of. Because of that, Miss Read’s contentment with her single life and her vehement disapproval of her friend, Diana’s, attempts to matchmake her is something that I think should be celebrated.
There isn’t much else for me to say about the book. As always, it’s a pleasure to return to the world of Fairacre and I’ll definitely be going to back to the series as the Christmas season approaches (it’s not set in winter but it has such a cosy feel that I think it’s great for the season)
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
September 16, 2024
Most likely every village or small town has its "Tyler's Row" -- a small neighborhood, in this case a few connected cottages, rented out by an absentee landlord to people of limited means and generally left to rack and ruin. This particular place has appeared from time to time in the Fairacre novels, and now it gets its own story. The landlord is getting older and needs more money than the justly meager rents can provide, so he is happy to sell the cottages to a retired schoolmaster and his wife. They plan to fix up and live in the center cottage, while continuing to collect rent from the sitting tenants on either side until those tenants depart. Of course some trouble ensues -- one tenant is an old soldier who, on his own, wouldn't be too troublesome, but the other is a quarrelsome and rather picky woman who is a constant complainer. How it all plays out (and of course there's a happy ending) makes for a gentle, comforting entertainment, like all of Miss Read's books. Recommended for a peaceful afternoon's escape to the England of the 1950s.
November 9, 2010
Tyler's Row is not going to be my favorite Miss Read book. Not that it's bad, just that it barely involved Miss Read at all, and while a pleasant tale, not really memorable. Seems like she just wrote it because she had a contract, but had no inspiration for this particular tale. It's a slim book, so it didn't take long to read.
April 30, 2020
Always a joy to read a Miss Read book - especially between deep books.
December 31, 2024
I'd planned to start this "Miss Read" series at the beginning, until I found an omnibus containing three of the later books at my local second-hand bookshop. I dipped into "Thrush Green" sometime last year, if I remember correctly, and of course it was special, although I found it a little basic, not having aged well, but there's always a chance that I will continue with it again in the future.
As for this series, I'm a sucker for English village cottagey stories and this one did not disappoint. Peter & Diana purchase a cottage within Tyler's Row, adjacent to two anti-social tenants. What they didn't do was put up with their rubbish. They were determined to live peacefully and encourage all around to do the same. Lesson learnt through reading this book was that sometimes it's in everyone's best interests to speak up and say something, although not always. You have to pick your battles and sometimes it's a necessity of life that those battles are waged. Looking forward to the remaining books in the omnibus and, in fact, the remains of the entire series at a future date.
As for this series, I'm a sucker for English village cottagey stories and this one did not disappoint. Peter & Diana purchase a cottage within Tyler's Row, adjacent to two anti-social tenants. What they didn't do was put up with their rubbish. They were determined to live peacefully and encourage all around to do the same. Lesson learnt through reading this book was that sometimes it's in everyone's best interests to speak up and say something, although not always. You have to pick your battles and sometimes it's a necessity of life that those battles are waged. Looking forward to the remaining books in the omnibus and, in fact, the remains of the entire series at a future date.
August 19, 2020
Tyler's Row by Miss Read is a novel of English village life. This particular one is about a retirement couple who buy an ancient row house of 4 sections to convert into one large house. The problem is, they have to let the current renters stay until they decide to go on their own. Peter and Diana Hale complete the middle section. On either side of them are two strange characters who make living between them less than ideal. I wasn't sure what to make of this novel for about the first third of the book but it grew on me. It's kind of like a story about nothing, really....like Jerry Seinfeld said about his TV series, but you end up liking it.
August 1, 2024
As usual, I loved my visit to Fairacre!
Tyler’s Row is for sale and is bought by the Hale’s. This story revolves around the Hale’s plans for the cottage, their love/hate relationships with their two side tenants, Mrs Fowler and Sergeant Burnaby, and their acclimation into the sweet town of Fairacre. Of course, the village school, with Miss Read, her dear friend Amy, Mr. Willets, and Mrs. Pringle also played a part as Miss Read has to ward off another attempt of Amy’s matchmaking and deal with Mrs Johnson’s demand for a PTA. Miss Read stories always make me want to travel to England, drink tea and live in a village as lovely as Fairacre. ❤️
Tyler’s Row is for sale and is bought by the Hale’s. This story revolves around the Hale’s plans for the cottage, their love/hate relationships with their two side tenants, Mrs Fowler and Sergeant Burnaby, and their acclimation into the sweet town of Fairacre. Of course, the village school, with Miss Read, her dear friend Amy, Mr. Willets, and Mrs. Pringle also played a part as Miss Read has to ward off another attempt of Amy’s matchmaking and deal with Mrs Johnson’s demand for a PTA. Miss Read stories always make me want to travel to England, drink tea and live in a village as lovely as Fairacre. ❤️
August 16, 2021
"Every profession, I thought wearily, has its own appalling jargon, but surely Education takes the biscuit."
Takes the biscuit! 😂 Is that where we got the American expression, "takes the cake?" Which came first, taking the cake or taking the biscuit?? Now I'm curious. If biscuit came first and cake derived from it, shouldn't we be saying, "takes the cookie" instead? 😂
I have learned some fun vocabulary from this series, including "slapdash" and "fair twizzled up." But the biscuit takes the cake! 😆
Takes the biscuit! 😂 Is that where we got the American expression, "takes the cake?" Which came first, taking the cake or taking the biscuit?? Now I'm curious. If biscuit came first and cake derived from it, shouldn't we be saying, "takes the cookie" instead? 😂
I have learned some fun vocabulary from this series, including "slapdash" and "fair twizzled up." But the biscuit takes the cake! 😆
January 26, 2022
I enjoyed another escape into the peaceful life of Fairacre. Well, that's relatively speaking, for the sale of the 4 cottages at Tyler's row does not come without its challenges. While the new owners focus on renovations and landscaping, the two remaining tenants continue their guerrilla warfare against each other, and Peter and Diana are pulled into these skirmishes against their will. The narrator, the schoolmistress, has her own troubles to contend with, specifically the interference of some newcomer parents into how the school should be run. As always, all ends well.
December 8, 2024
Tyler's Row is 200 years old. With its thatched roof and leaded glass windows, it is quintessential old England. However, with each of the four cottages renting at 4 shillings a week, Jim Bennett cannot afford to attend to repairs. His renters cannot afford more, and now two cottages are unrented. He is throwing in the towel, and the Hales pick it up. Peter has always wanted to live in the country. Phase One remodeling is done. They move in. Two flies in the cream soon surface: their renters make life almost unbearable. In the meantime, life goes on in Fairacre and the school. Lovely!
September 18, 2024
This is the 9th Fairacre series book (I think there are 12!) and I really enjoyed this one. A couple purchases a row of attached cottages with renters on either side. One is a poisonous old biddy and the other a cantankerous retired soldier and the couple thinking they are in a sweet country village are beginning to experience it's not exactly peace and quiet. I'm taking a break after this one because I need to catch up with other books, but I will come back!
August 20, 2018
Just like others in the series, Tyler's Row turned out to be perfectly heartwarming, oozing oodles of charm. Miss Read books are my best stress-busters and sweet escapisms from the harsh realities of day-to-day life. They easily transport you into a secluded and charming world with quirky characters, where everything moves at it's own slow pace. You can't go wrong with them.
September 12, 2020
The Hales move into Tylers Row with a view to knocking the four dilapidated cottages into one. Since that will take time and money they are content to begin with the middle two, sandwiched between the vinegar-spirited Mrs Fowler (by name and nature) and Sergeant Burnaby. The stage is set for a less than smooth transition.
November 8, 2022
After the maliciousness of The Ink Black Heart, it was a welcome relief to revisit the gentlefolk of Fairacre with their more modest trails and tribulations. Though one suspects that had the technology been available in this era, the embittered Mrs Fowler would most likely make for a particularly venomous internet troll!
May 17, 2023
I can’t stop with this series. Just so comforting and easy to slip into the world of Fairacre. This novella features residents of Tyler’s Row. I love how this author creates characters that are flawed and sometimes just terrible. I love the sly humor. I love how interconnected this village is. It makes me long to live in such a community.
December 31, 2019
This is one of my favorite series. You will find out about life in a rural English village. The characters are memorable. Miss Read lives and idyllic life. I feel a sense of contentment while reading Miss Read's stories. You will want to move to Fair Acre.
April 29, 2020
Peaceful reading
Small town life, country living.... simple stories about everyday people makes for enjoyable reading. Sit down with a cup of tea and find yourself wanting to live at a slower pace like the citizens at Fairacre village.
Small town life, country living.... simple stories about everyday people makes for enjoyable reading. Sit down with a cup of tea and find yourself wanting to live at a slower pace like the citizens at Fairacre village.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews