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Teacher #11
Starting Over
Ragley, 1952. Lily has just arrived, ready to begin her first year as a teacher at the village school. There to welcome her is John Pruett, who, after his years in the war, has settled into the role of headmaster. Tom, the local bobby, is also on hand to make her feel at home up north. But Lily has a secret lurking in her past that threatens the new life she’s trying to build. Can she move forward and begin to love again? In his new novel, Jack Sheffield invites you to travel back in time. Back to the days when owning a television made you the envy of the neighbours, Woolworth’s still had pride of place on the high street and the village panto was the height of entertainment.
- GenresFiction
327 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 26, 2018
17 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Jack Sheffield
41 books79 followersJack Sheffield (born Jack Linley, 1945) is a British author who wrote a series of books of fiction about the headmaster of a village school in a fictional Yorkshire village. The stories are set from the late 1970s to the early 1980s and attempt to portray life in Yorkshire as it was at that time.
He was trained as a teacher at St John's College, York and later became head teacher of two schools in North Yorkshire and then senior lecturer in primary education at Bretton Hall.
He took up writing after retirement, and his first novel "Teacher, Teacher!" sold 100,000 copies
He was trained as a teacher at St John's College, York and later became head teacher of two schools in North Yorkshire and then senior lecturer in primary education at Bretton Hall.
He took up writing after retirement, and his first novel "Teacher, Teacher!" sold 100,000 copies
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 6, 2025
1952 in Ragley, Yorkshire. The novel follows Lily Briggs through her fist year of teaching at the village school. She is new to the area, moving with her mother Florence and little Freddie. Lily soon gets to know the characters in the village: John Pruett, the head and her new colleague, the vicar and his sister, the colourful characters who run shops, long suffering wives and a community still coping with rationing and the aftermath of war.
Lily loves her new position and engages well with the children – more amusing characters finding their way in the world. A friendship with Tom, one of the local policeman doesn't go unnoticed, but Lily has a secret which she can't shake.
It's the year of the Coronation and everyone wants to watch it on a television, if they can get their hands on one.
With celebrations and heartaches, this is a tale written as a prequel (apparently) or introduction to Sheffield's other books charting his own experience as a Headmaster in Yorkshire. It's a gentle tale with strong echoes of the 'Miss Read' book featuring life in the fictional villages Fairacre and Thrush Green.
I saw the 'secret' quite early on which probably doesn't matter. The chapters are made up of short sections focusing on different individuals engaging with others. The insistence of frequently reporting the age of characters introduced began to grate after a while; it made the style more journalistic than narrative for me.
Lily loves her new position and engages well with the children – more amusing characters finding their way in the world. A friendship with Tom, one of the local policeman doesn't go unnoticed, but Lily has a secret which she can't shake.
It's the year of the Coronation and everyone wants to watch it on a television, if they can get their hands on one.
With celebrations and heartaches, this is a tale written as a prequel (apparently) or introduction to Sheffield's other books charting his own experience as a Headmaster in Yorkshire. It's a gentle tale with strong echoes of the 'Miss Read' book featuring life in the fictional villages Fairacre and Thrush Green.
I saw the 'secret' quite early on which probably doesn't matter. The chapters are made up of short sections focusing on different individuals engaging with others. The insistence of frequently reporting the age of characters introduced began to grate after a while; it made the style more journalistic than narrative for me.
June 26, 2020
This book is a prequel to Jack's other books. I didn't enjoy this one as much, I think because the "secret" was obvious to me from the start, so there was no surprise. It features some of the original character's lives early on, It was good continuity.
April 3, 2023
I really love jack sheffield's books and starting over is a great way to get to know the familiar characters in their younger days. However, somehow i didn't enjoy this quite as much as i enjoyed many of the others in the series.
June 10, 2019
I haven't read any books by Jack Sheffield before and really enjoyed this. Set in the early 50's this gives a great account of 50's life in Yorkshire. I hope his others are just as good.
August 23, 2020
Full of interesting characters and a few surprises
January 1, 2022
Loved it - beautiful story well written. I'm carrying on with the series
Read
April 22, 2022love this series of school days in yorkshire
September 4, 2022
A good gentle read and enjoyed the author who I had not previously read
September 25, 2022
Really good
I enjoyed all of his books,much to look back on the days I was younger,the 70,a and 80's were my younger days
I enjoyed all of his books,much to look back on the days I was younger,the 70,a and 80's were my younger days
April 10, 2024
Loved this. Just as good as the others he's written.
July 27, 2024
Didn’t enjoy this book quite as much as my other Jack Sheffield books which I love.
Still lovely to visit the characters and village again
Still lovely to visit the characters and village again
January 4, 2026
the book was not long enough, it was a quick read but wanted it to carry on
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews