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The Caxley Chronicles: A Poignant Literary Family Saga of Friendship Tested by War in 20th Century England
Set in Caxley, the quiet country town neighboring the village of Fairacre, The Caxley Chronicles follow two intertwined families, the Howards and the Norths, through the tumultuous first half of the twentieth century. The first Caxley tale, The Market Square, introduces the deep-rooted camaraderie of Septimus Howard and Bender North, whose friendship survives misunderstandings, the tragedy of war, and the bitterness of loss. The story of their families continues through the generations. The second tale, The Howards of Caxley, tells of Edward Howard, grandson to them both. Edward flies for the Royal Air Force Reserve as England prepares for another war -- and Caxley braces itself for overwhelming changes.
448 pages, Paperback
First published November 4, 1999
131 people are currently reading
223 people want to read
About the author
Miss Read
158 books515 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 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 28, 2018
'The Caxley Chronicles' is a two-volume novel about a small village in England during the early to mid twentieth centuries. It centers around two middle-class families; the Norths and the Howards. Both shopowners as the first book begins (“Market Square”), the story follows their struggles and triumphs in a difficult period of history.
“Market Square” begins with Bender North and his hardware shop. His relationship with Septimus Howard, the baker across the street, has been established since their schooldays, although they are vastly different in both temperament and physical characteristics.
“The Norths were middle class. They were respected tradespeople, church-goers and, best of all, comfortably off. Bertie was glad he was not in the class above his – the gentry. Their children were sent away to school or had stern governesses. Their fathers and mothers seemed to be away from home a great deal. It would not have suited Bertie...
Other people – far too many of them for Bertie’s tender heart – were also poor. He saw them in his father’s shop, thin, timid, unpleasantly smelly, rooting in their pockets or worn purses for the pence to pay for two screws, a cheap pudding basin, or a little kettle. They were pathetically anxious not to give any trouble...
... It seemed strange to the listening boy, his head not far above the counter, that the poor whose money was so precious, should be content to accept shoddy goods, whereas those with plenty of money should make such a terrible fuss if there were the slightest fault in their purchases.”
The families become interwined through marriage and support one another when difficult choices must be made and financial upheaval affects both businesses.
When the first World War comes along, the author does not describe life in the trenches of Europe or give a picture of wartime life from the soldier’s perspective. ‘Market Square’ is just that; written from the perspective of the villagers, the book focuses on how the war affects the lives at home; food shortages, the wounded returning home, and the losses.
The second book, “The Howards of Caxley”, continues the story through the Second World War and beyond, and the fortunes of the various family members. The indomitable spirit of England as it stands alone for a time in the war is portrayed, each villager possessing their individual manner of persevering through the dark days of the war.
“The raids now began in earnest. The phoney war was at an end and the evacuees again began to stream from the stricken towns. Many of them spent the rest of the war away from their own homes. Many had no homes to return to. Many adopted the town of their refuge, grew up, married and became happy countrymen for the rest of their lives.”
Marraiges among both families take place, children grow up and take their place in the village (or not), and English village life changes and moves into a new period of history with women taking part in the workplace and businesses expanding. The market square has changed forever; Bender North’s hardware shop is now a restaurant and the bakery has expanded; motorcars have replaced horses and war evacuees return home to the city.
Although the war years in themselves are tumultuous enough, this book has been described as a 'comfort read', easy and relaxing, and I certainly found it so. Of the two, I enjoyed the first book more although I was engaged enough with the characters to follow along with the events in each family.
February 22, 2019
The Caxley Chronicles tells the generational story of two families, the Norths and the Howards, who live in a quiet country town in England. It covers the first half of the twentieth century and follows both families through two world wars.
One of the things I love about Miss Read is that, while unpleasant things may happen to her characters, she never unduly dwells on the darker side of life. Instead she takes the reader beyond the deprivations or sadness to the other side where life goes on and hope is sure to be found.
5 stars
One of the things I love about Miss Read is that, while unpleasant things may happen to her characters, she never unduly dwells on the darker side of life. Instead she takes the reader beyond the deprivations or sadness to the other side where life goes on and hope is sure to be found.
5 stars
January 4, 2011
I like the series! For those readers who like to read a series in order this is the book to read first! I wish I had figured it out before I read "The Howards of Caxley" and started the Fairacre series. I read "Market Square" and then I had to skim through "The Howards..." to refresh my memory. Everything fell into place once I had the history. The Fairacre Series is related to Caxley only because it is a few miles from Caxley...or as "they" say "down the road". The residents of Fairacre come to Caxley to shop and go to the movies. They have friends and sometimes family that live there. Miss Read has a special talent for presenting a lot of detail in a way that keeps you moving through the book. You are not bored and start skipping over parts to get to the meat of the story. You will laugh and cry along with her characters. I recommend Miss Read books!
March 22, 2024
Overall, this is a cosy, light read, if a wee bit rose tinted of southern market town life in England, for the first 50 years of the 1900s. It follows the generations of the North and Howard families, with two books in this omnibus. I enjoyed reading it, and the light saga mood suited my current reading mood.
If that's enough for you, read no further. But I have been journalling this as I complete sections. So prepare for waffle!
Part 1
I had never heard of Miss Read until I came across this book by chance in a box exchange place. It would seem that she wrote a shed load of books, and these Caxley ones aren't the ones she is best known for. There's a little introduction at the start saying that she meant write three books for this but only wrote the first two. And also that a number of characters from other books appear in this. I have no idea about that, but having finished the first one, I have not found that to be a hindrance.
This book has the first two books in it, one about 100 pages, the other about 300 pages. I have just finished reading the first.
Set in a littlemarket town, Caxly, in the south of England, this follows the tales of two families: the Norths, headed by Bender North (not a robot) who runs a third generation ironmongers; and the Howard's, headed by Septimus, who run a bakery. North is doing well, a big easy going man who is helping the nervous and prim Howard with financial difficulties. It starts in the Edwardian era with the coronation of the new king, post Victoria's death, and ends on the eve of the first World War when the tables of fortunes have turned and North has been forced to sell out to competitors.
It is a story of the community and families rather than an indepeth character story, so it fair bangs through the years and incidents of local gossip and tut tutting, with nothing too dramatic. It's all kind of twee, cosy middle England at the turn of the century, but a nice light read.
We start to see changes, big stores coming in and the little man squeezed out, women to work (albeit only unmarried), and the horse and cart being replaced by the car. All the while Septimus forever looking out of his window at the drinking fountain statue of Queen Victoria that the locals paid for on her death. A looking back and longing for the good old days, which feels a little apt as it ends with Bender sobbing at his old desk.
Part 2
Ha ha ha, what a muppet I am. Both books are about 200 pages long. I have just finished the next part, which is part two of the first book in this volume, The Market Square.
This one covers the fortunes and misfortunes of the North's and Howard's, through the first World War and the settling down of life afterwards. Big events and some social upheaval are mentioned, but nicely glossed over as we don't like too much unpleasantness here. Bad things happen of course, one son is killed in the war, Bertie North loses a foot, and later on a wife is abandoned by an inconstant husband. Life rolls on, and the premises of the old North shop finds new uses. Seeing the characters move on over the decades, age, and in one case die, brings a bit of nostalgia. Nothings detailed and it is light reading but I am finding it to be great escapism.
Part 3
And now to the second world war, as told in part one of The Howard's of Caxley. Here we are really following the lives and adventures of the grandchildren, as well as mean Uncle Robert flitting about in the sidelines. It is, like the others, light, so the grittiness of war doesn't come in to it. In fact the family suffers no losses in that respect. Instead we have the dramas of marriage, a bad choice and a roman Catholic choice, which has the grandparents tutting away, but thankfully no one is thrown out of the family. Edward, the grandson, also grows frustrated with Caxley and decides to leave - both due to the petty mindedness, everyone gossiping about everyone else's business; but also that he feels stifled by the family and little town life. It is good to see these problems acknowledged in a book about a small town. Whether he returns in the end or not (I suspect he will) I think it does people good to pull themselves out of the situation that has always defined them, and go off and figure out who they are. It also does you good to see the world, the lives of others and so on. It gives you a bit of perspective.
Part 4
Final section, part two finished, which brings us up to 1950 and as far as Miss Reid ever wrote with this particular series.
It's post war and Edward is off finding his feet and discovering himself. But fear not, he'll be back. There are a couple of things that grated for me as a modern reader. One was that the dear old men were thoughtfully spared the childbirth room. Probably a bit namby pamby as a teacher refers to having to not call children who need a bit more help with reading, backward any more. For all the rose tinted cosy you might get out of this book I am glad I don't have to live in that era.
The other issue was Septimus youngest son, Robert, who is bitter and nasty, upset about how father treated him. Its all nicely explained away as that he is mad and it is vulturish to be bitter about what you get of the family fortune - which is easy for Edward to say when he gets the lot. In part I agree, as money is not worth that stress, and it is the root of much misery and evil. But it is not so much the monetary value as to what Sep is saying to his family members with his bequests. And he does overlook his son Robert and treat his grandson Edward as the golden child favourite. Even though Robert puts in the graft and runs the restaurant. It is a message that you are not as worthy or as well considered, and I do think Sep is partly to blame. Although the book doesn't take that stance and paints him as a pillar and as Robert clearly mad.
But overall its been a good light read into 50 years of two family histories in a little southern market town, and an era that is now gone.
If that's enough for you, read no further. But I have been journalling this as I complete sections. So prepare for waffle!
Part 1
I had never heard of Miss Read until I came across this book by chance in a box exchange place. It would seem that she wrote a shed load of books, and these Caxley ones aren't the ones she is best known for. There's a little introduction at the start saying that she meant write three books for this but only wrote the first two. And also that a number of characters from other books appear in this. I have no idea about that, but having finished the first one, I have not found that to be a hindrance.
This book has the first two books in it, one about 100 pages, the other about 300 pages. I have just finished reading the first.
Set in a littlemarket town, Caxly, in the south of England, this follows the tales of two families: the Norths, headed by Bender North (not a robot) who runs a third generation ironmongers; and the Howard's, headed by Septimus, who run a bakery. North is doing well, a big easy going man who is helping the nervous and prim Howard with financial difficulties. It starts in the Edwardian era with the coronation of the new king, post Victoria's death, and ends on the eve of the first World War when the tables of fortunes have turned and North has been forced to sell out to competitors.
It is a story of the community and families rather than an indepeth character story, so it fair bangs through the years and incidents of local gossip and tut tutting, with nothing too dramatic. It's all kind of twee, cosy middle England at the turn of the century, but a nice light read.
We start to see changes, big stores coming in and the little man squeezed out, women to work (albeit only unmarried), and the horse and cart being replaced by the car. All the while Septimus forever looking out of his window at the drinking fountain statue of Queen Victoria that the locals paid for on her death. A looking back and longing for the good old days, which feels a little apt as it ends with Bender sobbing at his old desk.
Part 2
Ha ha ha, what a muppet I am. Both books are about 200 pages long. I have just finished the next part, which is part two of the first book in this volume, The Market Square.
This one covers the fortunes and misfortunes of the North's and Howard's, through the first World War and the settling down of life afterwards. Big events and some social upheaval are mentioned, but nicely glossed over as we don't like too much unpleasantness here. Bad things happen of course, one son is killed in the war, Bertie North loses a foot, and later on a wife is abandoned by an inconstant husband. Life rolls on, and the premises of the old North shop finds new uses. Seeing the characters move on over the decades, age, and in one case die, brings a bit of nostalgia. Nothings detailed and it is light reading but I am finding it to be great escapism.
Part 3
And now to the second world war, as told in part one of The Howard's of Caxley. Here we are really following the lives and adventures of the grandchildren, as well as mean Uncle Robert flitting about in the sidelines. It is, like the others, light, so the grittiness of war doesn't come in to it. In fact the family suffers no losses in that respect. Instead we have the dramas of marriage, a bad choice and a roman Catholic choice, which has the grandparents tutting away, but thankfully no one is thrown out of the family. Edward, the grandson, also grows frustrated with Caxley and decides to leave - both due to the petty mindedness, everyone gossiping about everyone else's business; but also that he feels stifled by the family and little town life. It is good to see these problems acknowledged in a book about a small town. Whether he returns in the end or not (I suspect he will) I think it does people good to pull themselves out of the situation that has always defined them, and go off and figure out who they are. It also does you good to see the world, the lives of others and so on. It gives you a bit of perspective.
Part 4
Final section, part two finished, which brings us up to 1950 and as far as Miss Reid ever wrote with this particular series.
It's post war and Edward is off finding his feet and discovering himself. But fear not, he'll be back. There are a couple of things that grated for me as a modern reader. One was that the dear old men were thoughtfully spared the childbirth room. Probably a bit namby pamby as a teacher refers to having to not call children who need a bit more help with reading, backward any more. For all the rose tinted cosy you might get out of this book I am glad I don't have to live in that era.
The other issue was Septimus youngest son, Robert, who is bitter and nasty, upset about how father treated him. Its all nicely explained away as that he is mad and it is vulturish to be bitter about what you get of the family fortune - which is easy for Edward to say when he gets the lot. In part I agree, as money is not worth that stress, and it is the root of much misery and evil. But it is not so much the monetary value as to what Sep is saying to his family members with his bequests. And he does overlook his son Robert and treat his grandson Edward as the golden child favourite. Even though Robert puts in the graft and runs the restaurant. It is a message that you are not as worthy or as well considered, and I do think Sep is partly to blame. Although the book doesn't take that stance and paints him as a pillar and as Robert clearly mad.
But overall its been a good light read into 50 years of two family histories in a little southern market town, and an era that is now gone.
May 17, 2018
As usual, Miss Reed’s book is a comfortable couple of stories about an England that doesn’t exist anymore. You sink back and let the peace come over you. The conflicts are not very serious, resolved in a few pages, the descriptions of the countryside are elegiac. These books are pure escapism with decent characterizations are interesting plots.
December 10, 2023
Miss Read lets the men take center stage.
I'm a huge fan of this author's novels about the English villages of Fairacre and Thrush Green, but there's no question that the focus is on the female characters. Perhaps it's because those books are set in the post-WWII era, when agriculture became mechanized, the great country estates broke up, and young folks left villages for urban areas. In any place where middle-aged and older people predominate, spinsters and widows will out-number men.
The Caxley novels look back to the early years of the 1900's, when village life was robust and men ruled. The story centers on two men (frenemies, we'd call them now) who grew up together in the last years of Queen Victoria's long reign. It was a time of peace and prosperity and the middle class grew in size and influence.
Septimus Howard and Bender North are old school mates, but as different as two men can be. Bender's personality is as big as his hefty frame. Secure in his inheritance of a profitable hardware store, he's confident and out-going, a man who likes a drink in the pub and enjoys his position as a community leader.
Septimus is a tiny man from a poor family. His bakery is on shaky grounds and only a loan from Bender North has allowed him to make the improvements needed if he's to stay in business. If Bender is slightly contemptuous of Sep Howard (in a good-natured way) who can blame him? If Sep is intimidated by Bender's confidence and drive, who can blame him?
Ironically, it's Bender who "married safe." The daughter of a prosperous farmer, Hilda is hard-working and a good manager. She's also a snob and a social climber. Having made their home over the hardward store into a showplace, she's now determined to move her family into a more impressive house and lead them up the social ladder.
Sep (a God-fearing Chapel-goer) married a wild card. Edna's mother was a Gypsy and her heritage shows in Edna's dark beauty and her willfulness. She loves her husband, but he can't dominate her and it worries him.
The old Queen dies and time moves on. Surprisingly, it's Sep Howard whose bakery prospers and expands while Bender North's business is threatened by a large chain of hardware stores. The reversal of fortunes of the two men causes resentment and awkwardness. Then the up-heaval of WWI ("The War to End All Wars") unites the villagers in the deadly fight against the Germans. Both the Howards and the Norths have sons in the trenches. One never comes home and another is permanently maimed.
While the fathers have an uneasy relationship, the North and Howard children have grown up together and are fast friends. Bender's son falls in love with Sep's daughter, although he loses her to another man. Will they ultimately end up together?
Bender's daughter and Sep's son make a wartime marriage, although both sets of parents are disapproving and worried. The aftermath of that hasty marriage causes more tension between the families, but produces a grandson who's treasured by all four grandparents.
At the start of the second book, that grandson is now a young man and England is facing a rematch with Germany. This one will be even longer and bloodier than WWI. Edward North loves both sides of his family but longs for independence. He establishes himself in a career, but his love is aviation and flyers are needed in the military.
Both he and his younger sister make wartime marriages to people from outside the village of Caxley. One marriage lasts and one doesn't. Meanwhile, the villagers deal with wartime rationing, Londoners who have been evacuated to the countryside, and the ever-present fear of bombing raids and German invasion.
I love Miss Read's books because she was such a shrewd observer. She tells the details of everyday life that never make the headlines or the history books, but are of vital importance to all of us. Her characters are real people. Most are well-meaning, but they suffer from the same problems that plague all people at all times - selfishness, greed, arrogance, and intolerance. They're capable of being impressively self-sacrificing one moment and disgustingly petty the next. In other words, they're human.
Getting two books for the price of one is a great bargain and they need to be read together. The story of the Norths and the Howards is the story of middle-class England during the first half of the twentieth century. Times keep changing, but human nature remains the same.
I'm a huge fan of this author's novels about the English villages of Fairacre and Thrush Green, but there's no question that the focus is on the female characters. Perhaps it's because those books are set in the post-WWII era, when agriculture became mechanized, the great country estates broke up, and young folks left villages for urban areas. In any place where middle-aged and older people predominate, spinsters and widows will out-number men.
The Caxley novels look back to the early years of the 1900's, when village life was robust and men ruled. The story centers on two men (frenemies, we'd call them now) who grew up together in the last years of Queen Victoria's long reign. It was a time of peace and prosperity and the middle class grew in size and influence.
Septimus Howard and Bender North are old school mates, but as different as two men can be. Bender's personality is as big as his hefty frame. Secure in his inheritance of a profitable hardware store, he's confident and out-going, a man who likes a drink in the pub and enjoys his position as a community leader.
Septimus is a tiny man from a poor family. His bakery is on shaky grounds and only a loan from Bender North has allowed him to make the improvements needed if he's to stay in business. If Bender is slightly contemptuous of Sep Howard (in a good-natured way) who can blame him? If Sep is intimidated by Bender's confidence and drive, who can blame him?
Ironically, it's Bender who "married safe." The daughter of a prosperous farmer, Hilda is hard-working and a good manager. She's also a snob and a social climber. Having made their home over the hardward store into a showplace, she's now determined to move her family into a more impressive house and lead them up the social ladder.
Sep (a God-fearing Chapel-goer) married a wild card. Edna's mother was a Gypsy and her heritage shows in Edna's dark beauty and her willfulness. She loves her husband, but he can't dominate her and it worries him.
The old Queen dies and time moves on. Surprisingly, it's Sep Howard whose bakery prospers and expands while Bender North's business is threatened by a large chain of hardware stores. The reversal of fortunes of the two men causes resentment and awkwardness. Then the up-heaval of WWI ("The War to End All Wars") unites the villagers in the deadly fight against the Germans. Both the Howards and the Norths have sons in the trenches. One never comes home and another is permanently maimed.
While the fathers have an uneasy relationship, the North and Howard children have grown up together and are fast friends. Bender's son falls in love with Sep's daughter, although he loses her to another man. Will they ultimately end up together?
Bender's daughter and Sep's son make a wartime marriage, although both sets of parents are disapproving and worried. The aftermath of that hasty marriage causes more tension between the families, but produces a grandson who's treasured by all four grandparents.
At the start of the second book, that grandson is now a young man and England is facing a rematch with Germany. This one will be even longer and bloodier than WWI. Edward North loves both sides of his family but longs for independence. He establishes himself in a career, but his love is aviation and flyers are needed in the military.
Both he and his younger sister make wartime marriages to people from outside the village of Caxley. One marriage lasts and one doesn't. Meanwhile, the villagers deal with wartime rationing, Londoners who have been evacuated to the countryside, and the ever-present fear of bombing raids and German invasion.
I love Miss Read's books because she was such a shrewd observer. She tells the details of everyday life that never make the headlines or the history books, but are of vital importance to all of us. Her characters are real people. Most are well-meaning, but they suffer from the same problems that plague all people at all times - selfishness, greed, arrogance, and intolerance. They're capable of being impressively self-sacrificing one moment and disgustingly petty the next. In other words, they're human.
Getting two books for the price of one is a great bargain and they need to be read together. The story of the Norths and the Howards is the story of middle-class England during the first half of the twentieth century. Times keep changing, but human nature remains the same.
August 29, 2024
‘Miss Read’ (real name Dora Jessie Saint) is still read today with great pleasure by young people who can have no concept of the world she describes so tenderly. Although many of her books are no longer available, they have achieved the enviable status of ‘collectibles.’ Fortunately, a large number of the volumes in her two major series - The Thrush Green series and the Fairacre series - have never been out of print since first they were published.
Two of the Fairacre novels form a mini-series by themselves called The Caxley Chronicles, and consist of ‘The Market Square’ and ‘The Howards of Caxley.’ They may be read as standalone novels, but a sequential reading helps in understanding the social history of the first half of the twentieth century, starting with the death of Queen Victoria and the consequences of the two world wars upon a small rural town like Fairacre or a village like Thrush Green. ‘Market Square’ comes first, both sequentially and by date of publication.
Together, they deal with the fortunes and happiness of two families, the Howards and the Norths over three generations, from the forthcoming Coronation celebrations of King Edward VII nearly a year after the death of Queen Victoria, and ending in 1950, and capture the spirit of the market town of Caxley. Miss Read’s style retains its simple charm, and while the characters are as endearing as ever, and even when their roles are limited to a brief appearance, they linger in our hearts for their qualities of courage, good will and grace, if that grace is edged round occasionally with thorns.
However, the novels deal with the terrible changes – economic, social and familial – brought about by two world wars. The light-hearted happy note of pre-war Thrush Green has changed significantly to a clear eyed realism at the grim consequences of war within the two families. It could be financial ruin to one of the most successful tradesman in Caxley, Bender North; it could mean the death in action of a beloved eldest son; the maiming of another; the freedom of women, and their dedication to hard work in hospitals, factories, schools and offices, where twenty years before, their mothers had limited themselves to sewing and supervising a householdful of servants.
Whatever the book and its mood, a novel by Miss Read is the gentlest, kindest view of a forgotten rural and idyllic England.
Two of the Fairacre novels form a mini-series by themselves called The Caxley Chronicles, and consist of ‘The Market Square’ and ‘The Howards of Caxley.’ They may be read as standalone novels, but a sequential reading helps in understanding the social history of the first half of the twentieth century, starting with the death of Queen Victoria and the consequences of the two world wars upon a small rural town like Fairacre or a village like Thrush Green. ‘Market Square’ comes first, both sequentially and by date of publication.
Together, they deal with the fortunes and happiness of two families, the Howards and the Norths over three generations, from the forthcoming Coronation celebrations of King Edward VII nearly a year after the death of Queen Victoria, and ending in 1950, and capture the spirit of the market town of Caxley. Miss Read’s style retains its simple charm, and while the characters are as endearing as ever, and even when their roles are limited to a brief appearance, they linger in our hearts for their qualities of courage, good will and grace, if that grace is edged round occasionally with thorns.
However, the novels deal with the terrible changes – economic, social and familial – brought about by two world wars. The light-hearted happy note of pre-war Thrush Green has changed significantly to a clear eyed realism at the grim consequences of war within the two families. It could be financial ruin to one of the most successful tradesman in Caxley, Bender North; it could mean the death in action of a beloved eldest son; the maiming of another; the freedom of women, and their dedication to hard work in hospitals, factories, schools and offices, where twenty years before, their mothers had limited themselves to sewing and supervising a householdful of servants.
Whatever the book and its mood, a novel by Miss Read is the gentlest, kindest view of a forgotten rural and idyllic England.
May 26, 2020
Excellent as always. No Miss Read, the teacher, so, not quite the same. But the author brings all the bucolic-y, village-y splendor through her descriptions. Her gentle characters, even the not so nice ones, subtly hold your interest. There is never any major shocking event, no sex or violence vividly described; instead, she invites us into a gentler understanding of the world. Here the key events surround two families and their up/down fortunes. There's a bit of Romeo and Juliet, given that members of families not always on the best of terms become friends and more. We see two patriarchs make decisions that affect their families. We have mothers who establish their own personalities--sometimes through open defiance (remember this is set in the past) to their husbands and sometimes by sweetness and seeming agreement. But there is a base of reality here. Just because a family is loving and solid does not mean the children will turn out well. But in the world created by Dora Jessie Saint, justice and/or change of heart prevails albeit slowly. Overall, this is another wonderful and comforting read. Especially good to read during these pandemic times when we need all the stability and comfort we can get.
August 16, 2024
a great re-read.
I think I have only read “The Caxley Chronicles” once before because it is not Fairacre OR Thrush Green. But, really, it is a delightful read. Though in the future, I be,ieve. I will take time to savor each book separately and not read them altogether as in this Edition.
I think I have only read “The Caxley Chronicles” once before because it is not Fairacre OR Thrush Green. But, really, it is a delightful read. Though in the future, I be,ieve. I will take time to savor each book separately and not read them altogether as in this Edition.
August 27, 2022
A duo of absorbing tales of Caxley's two most prominent families through three generations of war and many of the trials and tribulations that life throws up. As ever, Miss Read's narrative and characters are spot on and her eye for detail never fails to amaze me.
August 30, 2024
I enjoyed the family growth and intertwining of historic events.
Reading this novel set was easy and somehow comforting . Real life is portrayed in real settings with a positive light on hope.
Reading this novel set was easy and somehow comforting . Real life is portrayed in real settings with a positive light on hope.
November 28, 2025
This feels like it's going to be a cozy little novel about relatively happy people, and it is pretty chill. I find it refreshing that Miss Read keeps the nitty-gritty of real life in her books though--broken marriages, manic-depressive disorder and all.
December 15, 2017
Two books in one:
The Market Square
and, The Howards of Caxley.
The Market Square
and, The Howards of Caxley.
May 24, 2019
Humorous in a dry sort of way. Re-read them all frequently... Soothing
April 28, 2020
3.5. Generations in a small town in Britain; comfortable reading; like watching a good series on the BBC or Masterpiece Theatre.
July 3, 2020
A fantastic read
September 5, 2020
Now this is historical fiction!
May 28, 2015
Set in Caxley, a quiet country town, The Caxley Chronicles follow two intertwined families, the Howards and the Norths, through the tumultuous first half of the twentieth century. I've always been going to read Miss Read and this seemed a good place to start. I expected it to be sort of fluffy and goody-two-shoes, but it was refreshingly Pym-like and I enjoyed it much more than I expected to. Read has a shrewd, but kind view of people. I am looking forward to reading her other books, of which there are many.
May 13, 2015
The Caxley Chronicles is the companion book to the Fairacre series books. It has been awhile since I finished the Fairacre books, so it was nice to revisit the area! I did enjoy the book, and found it full of Miss Read's descriptions of local flower and fauna. The storyline was quite enjoyable, and the ending so satisfying. Looking forward to Thrush Green!!
April 6, 2016
Another lovely Miss Read book. This one takes place in the village of Caxley and is a stand-alone book. There is only a passing mention of a couple of characters that appear in the Fairacre books. It follows two families through 3 generations and the two world wars.
October 21, 2010
Pleasant, easy, relaxing read. I' just bought the Village School to start the whole series!
July 7, 2012
Read 'The Market Square' - pleasant reading
January 1, 2014
I. Loved. This. Book. Love, history, a little religion, honest people and a wee bit of mystery. I can't wait to read more from this author!
January 3, 2017
Chronicles the lives of the North and Howard families during the first half of the 1900s.
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