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Fairacre #11
Farther Afield
On the first day of the summer holidays Miss Read plunges literally into the end of term, by falling downstairs and breaking her arm and twisting her ankle. Her friend Amy Garfield insists on taking her on holiday to the idyllic island of Crete. The two women, so dissimilar but united in friendship, have time to assess the values of married and single life.
205 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1978
About the author
Miss Read
169 books551 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 92 reviews
January 2, 2026
I finished this last night and feel happy that my first review of 2026 is a 5 star read. This is a little different because Miss Read breaks her arm, goes to Crete on holiday with her friend Amy, and spends a lot of time questioning her spinster status. She's always been happy with her single state, but what has she missed by not being married and/or not having children? As well, we get to see a softer side to Mrs. Pringle.
This is #11 in the Fairacre series, and I still have several to look forward to, so that makes me happy too.
This is #11 in the Fairacre series, and I still have several to look forward to, so that makes me happy too.
April 18, 2023
This is now tied with Miss Clare Remembers for my favourite book in the Fairacre series!
July 4, 2019
The summer break is at hand, and Miss Read has many plans: first, getting the house “bottomed,” as Mrs. Pringle says, otherwise known as spring cleaning. Miss Read is also contemplating travel plans and considers the relative merits of Wales, the Peak District and Dorset...
Unfortunately, none of these come to fruition, for on the first day of cleaning with Mrs. Pringle, Miss Read catches her heel on the stairs and falls, breaking her right arm near the elbow and badly spraining an ankle, as well as bashing her head. Amy comes to her rescue, driving her to hospital and establishing Miss Read in her home at Bent. Miss Read is very grateful, of course, but Amy is equally grateful for her friend’s presence. Amy’s husband, always with an eye for pretty girls, has apparently taken things a bit too far and thinks himself actually in love with a young woman from his office. He has told Amy that he wants a divorce; Amy is understandably hesitant to throw away years of marriage.
When Miss Read has mended enough to get around, she goes with Amy on holiday to Crete, using the ticket originally intended for James. They enjoy a lovely holiday although Amy is naturally pensive at times, wondering whether she should agree to a divorce.
[Amy’s attitude is quite different from modern ideas. Infidelity is widely viewed, at least in the US, as an automatic deal-breaker. Women - or men - who forgive a spouse’s unfaithfulness are often looked down upon. Personally, I find Amy’s viewpoint quite sensible. More than likely, James is merely infatuated and will soon “fall out of love”, and after all, why should Amy give up her home and security to another woman?]
Anyway, after enjoying their holiday, Amy and Miss Read return home. Miss Read has recovered and is anxious to get back to her own home, her cat, and her own fire. School starts back up soon, and she is busy with its affairs again.
And what about Amy? Well, she does get a happy ending to her story - James has a car crash, with the OW in the car (and apparently she may have actually caused it). Her ardour has cooled; she has begun realizing he is much older and sees him as an old stick, rather than as worldly and sophisticated. On top of recovering from his injuries, he also contracts measles. In the end, James realizes he has been a fool.
As usual, a delightful, beautifully-written story about village life. 4.5 stars.
Unfortunately, none of these come to fruition, for on the first day of cleaning with Mrs. Pringle, Miss Read catches her heel on the stairs and falls, breaking her right arm near the elbow and badly spraining an ankle, as well as bashing her head. Amy comes to her rescue, driving her to hospital and establishing Miss Read in her home at Bent. Miss Read is very grateful, of course, but Amy is equally grateful for her friend’s presence. Amy’s husband, always with an eye for pretty girls, has apparently taken things a bit too far and thinks himself actually in love with a young woman from his office. He has told Amy that he wants a divorce; Amy is understandably hesitant to throw away years of marriage.
When Miss Read has mended enough to get around, she goes with Amy on holiday to Crete, using the ticket originally intended for James. They enjoy a lovely holiday although Amy is naturally pensive at times, wondering whether she should agree to a divorce.
[Amy’s attitude is quite different from modern ideas. Infidelity is widely viewed, at least in the US, as an automatic deal-breaker. Women - or men - who forgive a spouse’s unfaithfulness are often looked down upon. Personally, I find Amy’s viewpoint quite sensible. More than likely, James is merely infatuated and will soon “fall out of love”, and after all, why should Amy give up her home and security to another woman?]
Anyway, after enjoying their holiday, Amy and Miss Read return home. Miss Read has recovered and is anxious to get back to her own home, her cat, and her own fire. School starts back up soon, and she is busy with its affairs again.
And what about Amy? Well, she does get a happy ending to her story - James has a car crash, with the OW in the car (and apparently she may have actually caused it). Her ardour has cooled; she has begun realizing he is much older and sees him as an old stick, rather than as worldly and sophisticated. On top of recovering from his injuries, he also contracts measles. In the end, James realizes he has been a fool.
As usual, a delightful, beautifully-written story about village life. 4.5 stars.
April 18, 2023
I enjoyed this immensely! And I finished it on Miss Read’s birthday! A lot happens in this story and my favorite part is how Amy finally becomes a full character so that her long-standing friendship with Miss Read becomes whole and real from the reader’s perspective. I loved reading about their friendship in this story and how wonderfully each supported the other in some tough times.
I loved the “farther afield” section in Crete and how well Miss Read describes all the stages of taking a vacation: the anticipation, the settling in, the exploration, the speed of the vacation as the days go by, the comparison to home, the bumpiness of the leaving and return, the joy of being home again.
There are some amusing subplots too with marriages and Mrs Pringle and the W.I. and the thrum of the village gossip network. Amy’s James comes to a crisis point. I still feel for Amy, but I think that relationship is on the up and up. Finally, I loved Miss Read’s many reflections on her single state and whether the examples of the marriages around her will tempt her to marry. I love the conclusion she comes to which is summed up so brilliantly in her delight in making herself a pancake for supper. No husband is requiring meat and potatoes from her! I love Miss Read just as she is.
The #followustofairacre group is discussing this on Friday paired with No Holly For Miss Quinn which is a perfect complement.
I loved the “farther afield” section in Crete and how well Miss Read describes all the stages of taking a vacation: the anticipation, the settling in, the exploration, the speed of the vacation as the days go by, the comparison to home, the bumpiness of the leaving and return, the joy of being home again.
There are some amusing subplots too with marriages and Mrs Pringle and the W.I. and the thrum of the village gossip network. Amy’s James comes to a crisis point. I still feel for Amy, but I think that relationship is on the up and up. Finally, I loved Miss Read’s many reflections on her single state and whether the examples of the marriages around her will tempt her to marry. I love the conclusion she comes to which is summed up so brilliantly in her delight in making herself a pancake for supper. No husband is requiring meat and potatoes from her! I love Miss Read just as she is.
The #followustofairacre group is discussing this on Friday paired with No Holly For Miss Quinn which is a perfect complement.
March 11, 2017
Another lovely visit with Miss Read, both in Fairacre and "farther afield" in Crete. Miss Read's descriptions are always so beautiful that I long to visit these places myself. (Fairacre, of course, has the small problem of being fictional, but maybe I'll get to Crete someday.) Miss Read takes a fall down some stairs and her friend Amy is in emotional distress, so they fly off to Crete to soothe their battered bodies and hearts.
--
p. 103:
'It is a truth universally acknowledged,' Jane Austen tells us, 'that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.'
A lesser truth, universally acknowledged, is that the first week of a fortnight's holiday is twice as long as the second week. Why this should be so remains a mystery, but no doubt the theory of relativity might throw some light on the matter if one could only understand it.
p. 135:
Really, civility puts almost too great a strain on mankind at times.
--
p. 103:
'It is a truth universally acknowledged,' Jane Austen tells us, 'that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.'
A lesser truth, universally acknowledged, is that the first week of a fortnight's holiday is twice as long as the second week. Why this should be so remains a mystery, but no doubt the theory of relativity might throw some light on the matter if one could only understand it.
p. 135:
Really, civility puts almost too great a strain on mankind at times.
May 1, 2018
Miss Read's stories are easygoing and not at all taxing to read. I felt that selecting the eleventh Fairacre novel, Farther Afield, would be just the thing for quite a busy week. I must admit that I haven't been reading the series in any kind of order; the novels work very well as standalone reads, and nothing feels left out or unexplained from one to the next. The descriptions of the natural world here are charming; there is such a celebration of the English countryside, which made me feel a little homesick! Important matters are discussed here, but in rather a lighthearted and accessible manner. Farther Afield is such an easy novel to immerse oneself in. I found this enjoyable book to be very calming, and a lovely dose of escapism.
August 8, 2012
A summer vacation takes an unexpected turn for Miss Read, the village school teacher. I love the depiction of day to day life and landscape in this series about the little Cotswold town of Fairacre --great cosy reading when that's what's wanted. This was cosy, but mostly set somewhere else.
April 16, 2020
Miss Read leaves her precious village of Fairacre for Greece! Further Afield indeed!
The summer holidays were meant to be relaxing, but unfortunately for Miss Read, she starts by breaking her arm! Just as she’s getting better, Amy hears that her husband wants a divorce – so that he can be with his mistress. To give both parties time to think, Amy asks Miss Read to take her husband’s place on their visit to Greece and away the two friends go.
The premise of the book sounds much more dramatic than anything in the Fairacre series so far (yes, even more than the Church being damaged!) but the book remains a calm, cosy read like the others. Most of the book is spent in Greece, with wonderful descriptions of the country! I really enjoyed this change of pace from Fairacre, even though I find the village extremely charming.
I’ve mentioned before that the Fairacre series occasionally touches on darker themes, such as the domestic abuse and alcoholism (both involving the Coggs, sadly). This is the first book where a darker subject is front and centre but I don’t know how I feel about the handling of the whole thing. It seems like the problem wasn’t so much as “Amy’s husband repeatedly cheats” but “Amy husbands wants to leave her for his mistress.” It’s pretty sad that the characters are resigned to the fact that he does cheat on his wife (repeatedly!), rather than this being an issue about his lack of respect for the vows he made with her and you know, an issue that does not need to happen. It’s pretty maddening because cheating is not inevitable. You just need to constantly choose to love (and hence be faithful) to the person you have made a commitment to.
A side effect of Amy’s marital problems being front and center (though everyone tactfully avoids bringing the topic up) is that Miss Read gets a lot of time to muse about whether it’s better to be single or happy. The conclusion? Both choices result in their own happiness. Amy is, for better or for worse, happy to be married (even though it leads to heartbreak over her husband) and Miss Read is happy to be single. I quite liked how the book explored this question over the course of the story and was fair towards both positions on marriage.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. The sections on travelling and the descriptions of Greece are delightful, and it’s always nice to see the friendship between Amy and Miss Read. While I don’t agree with the book’s view on cheating, it was still interesting to see how other people thought – I wonder if this was the way of thinking back then or if it’s specific to Miss Read.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
The summer holidays were meant to be relaxing, but unfortunately for Miss Read, she starts by breaking her arm! Just as she’s getting better, Amy hears that her husband wants a divorce – so that he can be with his mistress. To give both parties time to think, Amy asks Miss Read to take her husband’s place on their visit to Greece and away the two friends go.
The premise of the book sounds much more dramatic than anything in the Fairacre series so far (yes, even more than the Church being damaged!) but the book remains a calm, cosy read like the others. Most of the book is spent in Greece, with wonderful descriptions of the country! I really enjoyed this change of pace from Fairacre, even though I find the village extremely charming.
I’ve mentioned before that the Fairacre series occasionally touches on darker themes, such as the domestic abuse and alcoholism (both involving the Coggs, sadly). This is the first book where a darker subject is front and centre but I don’t know how I feel about the handling of the whole thing. It seems like the problem wasn’t so much as “Amy’s husband repeatedly cheats” but “Amy husbands wants to leave her for his mistress.” It’s pretty sad that the characters are resigned to the fact that he does cheat on his wife (repeatedly!), rather than this being an issue about his lack of respect for the vows he made with her and you know, an issue that does not need to happen. It’s pretty maddening because cheating is not inevitable. You just need to constantly choose to love (and hence be faithful) to the person you have made a commitment to.
A side effect of Amy’s marital problems being front and center (though everyone tactfully avoids bringing the topic up) is that Miss Read gets a lot of time to muse about whether it’s better to be single or happy. The conclusion? Both choices result in their own happiness. Amy is, for better or for worse, happy to be married (even though it leads to heartbreak over her husband) and Miss Read is happy to be single. I quite liked how the book explored this question over the course of the story and was fair towards both positions on marriage.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. The sections on travelling and the descriptions of Greece are delightful, and it’s always nice to see the friendship between Amy and Miss Read. While I don’t agree with the book’s view on cheating, it was still interesting to see how other people thought – I wonder if this was the way of thinking back then or if it’s specific to Miss Read.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
June 25, 2021
It was neat to see Miss Read out of her usual habitat of Fairacre, enjoying a beautiful holiday in Crete with her best friend Amy. I was sad though that after so many years of being content Miss Read finally admits to being lonely. The book ends on a bittersweet note, and hopefully Miss Read gets her happily ever after somehow.
November 17, 2024
This was a lovely one with Miss Read falling and breaking her elbow and other injuries and so is whisked off to Crete by her friend Amy to recuperate after a few weeks. The story is beautifully and simply told and the summer in Crete shines through the pages.
November 21, 2022
My first (and most loved) job after leaving full-time education was as a librarian on one of Surrey’s mobile library vans. During this time I read my way through all the Miss Read books on its shelves & fell in love with them. I went on to collect copies of my own but a few have escaped me. This is one of them. Now I am re reading both the Fairacre and Thrush Green series in sequential order & finding the ones which slipped through my net. It’s been really wonderful to re-discover ‘Farther Afield’ as I vividly remember it from many years ago. I believe it is one of only two of Dora Saint’s Miss Read books (as opposed to her autobiographical ones) which are not set in Fairacre or Thrush Green but predominantly in Crete.
A lovely read and so nice to reunite with an old friend.
A lovely read and so nice to reunite with an old friend.
September 2, 2018
A bent from the usual Fairacre books, where Miss Read spends some quality time in Crete with her old friend, Amy, followed with some self introspection. She is intermittently torn between the joys of spinsterhood and the companionship of a married life, but she happily decides to settle with her current situation. She and her friend Amy, both live up to the age old adage, 'A friend in need is a friend indeed.' And like all other books of hers, this too was filled with the usual delightful descriptions of the quaint English village, which I devour. A good 4.5 stars!
March 7, 2023
Not the best of her series, but still so fun to read. Comforting and delightful. I especially love the assorted ages and types of people in her books and the details of nature. I've been enjoying her books for over 50 years, and they're always a pleasure.
September 26, 2025
These books always make me laugh with their wit and sarcastic asides (all held inside because of British manners), but it's the close community and all the slowly-deepening relationships and little helps they all give one another that keep me hugging these books to my chest when I'm done.
May 2, 2025
Loved the trip to Greece
July 2, 2021
Whenever I read a Thrush Green novel, I conclude that that's my favourite series, and then when I pick up the next Fairacre novel, I decide that actually that one is my favourite.
I was, again, hesitant about getting the next Fairacre book, surely I've read too many, surely it'll be dull this time. Then when I saw that Miss Read goes on holiday and thus the book isn't based in Fairacre much, I did think I'd made a mistake. Fairacre and its characters are what make the series delightful.
However, knowing I'm not going on holiday this year, and haven't been for nearly six years, I decided to plough on and virtually go on holiday and I'm glad I did.
As always, despite the fluffy look, Miss Read explores some very serious topics, she handles, adultery, loneliness, and domestic abuse with the seriousness they deserve, but doesn't leave you despairing, but managed to weave wisdom.and hope and such sensible thinking into her storylines, and for that I'm grateful.
Now....Miss Read's holiday. My goodness I enjoyed it so much. I used Google maps and photos to look up the places she stayed and visited - highly recommend doing that as it enriched those chapters. And I'm pleased to say that Miss Read was as witty and as full of charm and quirkiness on Crete as in Fairacre. Very enjoyable book.
I was, again, hesitant about getting the next Fairacre book, surely I've read too many, surely it'll be dull this time. Then when I saw that Miss Read goes on holiday and thus the book isn't based in Fairacre much, I did think I'd made a mistake. Fairacre and its characters are what make the series delightful.
However, knowing I'm not going on holiday this year, and haven't been for nearly six years, I decided to plough on and virtually go on holiday and I'm glad I did.
As always, despite the fluffy look, Miss Read explores some very serious topics, she handles, adultery, loneliness, and domestic abuse with the seriousness they deserve, but doesn't leave you despairing, but managed to weave wisdom.and hope and such sensible thinking into her storylines, and for that I'm grateful.
Now....Miss Read's holiday. My goodness I enjoyed it so much. I used Google maps and photos to look up the places she stayed and visited - highly recommend doing that as it enriched those chapters. And I'm pleased to say that Miss Read was as witty and as full of charm and quirkiness on Crete as in Fairacre. Very enjoyable book.
June 6, 2014
This was published in 1965 when foreign holidays were not commonly taken.
I found the story bland and the protagonist, a single teacher who breaks a bone and is whisked off to Crete for a holiday by a livelier friend, to be a dull person. Nobody ever addresses this teacher by name and she does not share her name with us. She watches the progress of two relationships and reflects - without any depth - on what marriage has or has not to do with love.
Maybe the books set in her village are livelier with a larger cast, but having read this one I'm not inclined to seek them out to read.
I found the story bland and the protagonist, a single teacher who breaks a bone and is whisked off to Crete for a holiday by a livelier friend, to be a dull person. Nobody ever addresses this teacher by name and she does not share her name with us. She watches the progress of two relationships and reflects - without any depth - on what marriage has or has not to do with love.
Maybe the books set in her village are livelier with a larger cast, but having read this one I'm not inclined to seek them out to read.
October 3, 2013
I always like Miss Read books. I love the details of village life and the beautiful countryside descriptions. This is one of the ones set in Fairacre and told by Miss Read, the schoolteacher, but this had the added interest of a holiday in Crete, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading about.
August 10, 2013
Superb Miss Read: gently humourous and thought provoking as Miss Read explores the advantages of spinster hood over marriage and vice versa.
July 2, 2015
Wouldn't be summer without a reading foray to Fairacre!
August 25, 2026
I've spent a lot of time recently harvesting and preserving large amounts of garden produce, so I've been listening to this lovely series that I remember my mother enjoying. They don't all seem to be available in audiobook format on the apps I use, so I have skipped ahead a ways in the series to book 11, which really doesn't matter much. This book finds Miss Read having a change of summer plans after she suffers an accident, and she goes on vacation with her friend Amy, who is having marital problems. Amy has been a peripheral character throughout the series, but in this book we get to know her somewhat better. While I love Fairacre, it was nice to see Miss Read get away from the village for a while. We see Miss Read consider the advantages and pitfalls of marriage, and conclude that she is quite happy with her single state. While on the surface this is a light series, it always includes a bit of social commentary. All in all this was a most pleasant visit with some of my favorite characters.
September 7, 2024
Always enjoy Miss Read!
This book in the series was a little different as a huge part of the story revolves around Amy’s marital troubles- it’s interesting (cultural?) how accepting Amy is of James’ infidelities, but this time, it appears serious. However, Amy’s woes also provide an opportunity for an injured Miss Read to recuperate in Crete. It also continued with its usual characters; the crabby Mrs. Pringle, who also suffers a hospital stay, Doc Martin, who treats them both, the poor Coggs family, that can never seem to escape the cloud of neglect and abuse, Tibbs, Miss Read’s spoiled cat, and even dear Miss Claire makes an appearance. Besides Miss Read’s musings on teaching and village life, she spends a good deal of time trying to decide if the “spinister” life or marital “bliss” is better and whether she has “missed out” by not being married. As usual, Miss Read’s books are like having tea and a good gossip with a dear friend.
This book in the series was a little different as a huge part of the story revolves around Amy’s marital troubles- it’s interesting (cultural?) how accepting Amy is of James’ infidelities, but this time, it appears serious. However, Amy’s woes also provide an opportunity for an injured Miss Read to recuperate in Crete. It also continued with its usual characters; the crabby Mrs. Pringle, who also suffers a hospital stay, Doc Martin, who treats them both, the poor Coggs family, that can never seem to escape the cloud of neglect and abuse, Tibbs, Miss Read’s spoiled cat, and even dear Miss Claire makes an appearance. Besides Miss Read’s musings on teaching and village life, she spends a good deal of time trying to decide if the “spinister” life or marital “bliss” is better and whether she has “missed out” by not being married. As usual, Miss Read’s books are like having tea and a good gossip with a dear friend.
September 10, 2017
It's the end of the term and Miss Read has plans for vacation. This is a case of 'the best laid plans of mice and man gain oft aglay.' First, Miss Pringle gets an appendicitis attack and goes to the hospital. Then, if that wasn't enough, Miss Read falls and injuries her arm (she needs to wear a sling now) and her ankle.
She accepts to spend time with her friend Amy who, herself, is having problems as it seems that her husband is cheating on her and even has asked for a divorce. To literally get away from it all they both go to Crete. That part of the book is fascinating as they describe their surrounds and the people they meet.
We also find out Arthur Coggs beats his wife regularly. Amy is also determined not to give her husband a divorce, a decision strengthened when he refuses to wear a seat belt and is injured in a car accident. It's one of the best of the series, in my opinion.
She accepts to spend time with her friend Amy who, herself, is having problems as it seems that her husband is cheating on her and even has asked for a divorce. To literally get away from it all they both go to Crete. That part of the book is fascinating as they describe their surrounds and the people they meet.
We also find out Arthur Coggs beats his wife regularly. Amy is also determined not to give her husband a divorce, a decision strengthened when he refuses to wear a seat belt and is injured in a car accident. It's one of the best of the series, in my opinion.
August 7, 2019
School is out for the summer. But on the first day of vacation Miss Read falls and breaks her elbow and badly sprains her ankle. Thank goodness her best friend Amy steps in to help get her through those first difficult weeks. Just when she is starting to recover Amy surprises her friend with the offer of a trip to the island of Crete. Amy's husband who was scheduled to accompany her told her he would not be going after all. The ladies have a wonderful time exploring their beautiful surroundings so different from what they are used to. On the last day before flying home Miss Read is very much looking forward to going home to her waiting house, cat and garden. "How dreadful life would be if home were not the best place in it." I really loved that sentence. It certainly sums up how I feel about the place I live.
February 21, 2023
Miss Read has a few more adventures than usual in this tale. Things are looking bleak indeed: Miss Read is hurt on the first day of her holidays and her best friend Amy's marriage is in real trouble this time.
But, in usual Fairacre style, characters can surprise you. Mrs. Pringle shows some real humanity. (And, I have to complain here about the way she is drawn in the books. The illustrations make her look like a troll, but I invision her quite differently. If you've ever watched any British TV shows, you can substitute any slightly heavier but heart-of-gold female in your imagination.) Amy, with her flair for "managaing things" manages a lovely vacation despite the difficult season she's in. And we get to see Miss Read enjoying a quite different world from Fairacre.
All in all, one of my favorite Fairacre stories so far, I think.
But, in usual Fairacre style, characters can surprise you. Mrs. Pringle shows some real humanity. (And, I have to complain here about the way she is drawn in the books. The illustrations make her look like a troll, but I invision her quite differently. If you've ever watched any British TV shows, you can substitute any slightly heavier but heart-of-gold female in your imagination.) Amy, with her flair for "managaing things" manages a lovely vacation despite the difficult season she's in. And we get to see Miss Read enjoying a quite different world from Fairacre.
All in all, one of my favorite Fairacre stories so far, I think.
December 23, 2023
This book is written in an old-fashioned style relating the dilemmas faced by a spinster school teacher. The English countryside setting with the changes of seasons and village telegraph of local gossip makes her life interesting and full.
The summer holidays had arrived and Miss Reid had many plans to fill in her time. She had a sparring session with her housekeeper who cleaned the school in the break. Miss Pringle, is thorough and her all-encompassing skills were to bottom clean every nook and cranny while exposing Miss Reid’s inadequacies.
Luckily Miss Reid has a dear friend in nearby Bent who wants some company. When Miss Reid has a fall her friend Amy comes to the rescue. The holiday to Crete Amy had been planning with her husband didn’t eventuate. He was going away on business and Amy asked Miss Reid to accompany her.
The holiday restored them both to good spirits.
This book is set in a bygone era. The world had begun to change.
The summer holidays had arrived and Miss Reid had many plans to fill in her time. She had a sparring session with her housekeeper who cleaned the school in the break. Miss Pringle, is thorough and her all-encompassing skills were to bottom clean every nook and cranny while exposing Miss Reid’s inadequacies.
Luckily Miss Reid has a dear friend in nearby Bent who wants some company. When Miss Reid has a fall her friend Amy comes to the rescue. The holiday to Crete Amy had been planning with her husband didn’t eventuate. He was going away on business and Amy asked Miss Reid to accompany her.
The holiday restored them both to good spirits.
This book is set in a bygone era. The world had begun to change.
February 23, 2020
I have to admit that when I first began reading the book I was under the impression that it was a children's book and that I would be enjoying a fun ride in the shoes of a village teacher. However, after the first chapter, I realized this was a book for adults about an independent woman who lives in a small community and tries to cope with a serious injury while also musing about stuff like the value of marriage, the kindness and the quirks of people in village and her life as a teacher. I think I enjoyed this book because I read it in parallel with Emma from Jane Austen which shares the same type of discussions about marriage from the perspective of female characters who really do not see the point of it.
August 10, 2020
Feeling stressed and in need of a break? Then a Miss Read book might be what you are looking for. I first found this series in a darling bookstore in England. Anytime I want to "go back" I take down one of these, brew a cup of tea and enjoy. In this book summer break is about to happen but plans change as Miss Read takes a tumble and requires help. Her good friend comes to the rescue with an all expenses paid trip to Crete. There are adventures there and then the return to home sweet home. I love the characters in the fictional town of Fairacre. The copy that I have is actually from 1974 and I didn't find it on the list. I'm glad to see from this image that they are still being published.
October 22, 2026
Miss Read starts the first day of summer holidays with a tumble down the stairs and a broken arm. Her friend Amy comes to the rescue and nurses her until she's able to move about again, then proposes a holiday abroad. Sadly, Amy's dealing with marital woes: her husband James is on a flight of fancy, wanting to marry some young thing and asking for a divorce. Since James is cancelling out on his part of the holiday, Amy invites her friend to take his place. As a reader, I enjoyed going along with them they visit the lovely Isle of Crete and Miss Read's arm heals. The scenery is well described. And when they arrive at home, there are more surprises in store for Amy.
March 9, 2019
Miss Read breaks her ankle, leaving her dependent on friends and neighbours for help. She stays with her friend, Amy, for a while, and ends up joining her on an unexpected vacation to Greece when Amy's husband is unable/unwilling to go. Much of this one takes place outside of Fairacre, which is a change, but a nice one. I think I have only a couple left in the Fairacre series. I hate to see it end, but the Thrush Green series awaits. I try to avoid series generally, but these books are absolutely delicious.
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