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Fairacre #12

No Holly for Miss Quinn

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Miss Quinn, who cherishes her privacy, intends to spend Christmas on her own as she likes it. But before the holiday, her brother telephones to tell her that his wife has been rushed to the hospital, and would Miss Quinn come and stay with the children? Miss Quinn's unexpectedly hectic Christmas has a significant effect upon her life.

148 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

69 people are currently reading
733 people want to read

About the author

Miss Read

157 books514 followers
Dora 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.

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5 stars
522 (44%)
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186 (15%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
1,576 reviews182 followers
December 26, 2023
2023 re-read with Sharon: As delightful on the third time as the first and second!

2021 re-read. I love this story so much. Miss Quinn is very much like myself, and I love that Miss Read, a married woman herself, was able to capture Miss Quinn’s joy in her single life.

“For [Miss Quinn], spinsterhood was truly blessed. She walked into her empty sitting room and closed the door behind her, the better to relish that sweet solitude which to her was the breath of life” (147).

I also love that Miss Quinn steps in to help her brother’s family in their time of need and finds her bond with the whole family strengthened. And that it also helps her to appreciate how hard her sister-in-law works even though she doesn’t Work Outside the Home. I have found too that embracing my married friends’ spouses and children means that I add to my joy. There is real growth for Miriam in the story since she was so close to her brother and resented his marriage for a time.
Profile Image for Kelly.
1,034 reviews72 followers
December 24, 2017
A heartwarming Christmas story. A pleasant lesson in duty to family, loving our neighbors, and putting others ahead of ourselves.

One of my favorite things about this story is Miss Quinn's thought that one or two days of being a wife & mother is harder work than being in an office all week! And later: "'And to think,' she told the dog, 'that I'm known as a working woman. I wonder what Eileen is?'" I'll tell you- Eileen is a housewife! There's a term that deserves a better connotation than it has these days.
Profile Image for Jen.
212 reviews6 followers
December 10, 2025
This book sets the tone for Christmas with me. It’s so done to earth. Nothing is perfect or even completely ready in time for Christmas but Christmas still happens and it’s real and warm. Anyway, this is my annual reread of it and it still ranks high on my Christmas favorites.
Profile Image for Pamela Shropshire.
1,455 reviews72 followers
July 9, 2019
A delightful Christmas story in the Fairacre series! Miriam Quinn is an acquaintance of Mr. and Mrs. Mawne, and when a local widow decides to let the “granny annex” of her home, the Mawnes suggest that it might suit Miriam. It does, to a T. Miss Quinn is an executive secretary who likes a quiet, private life, and she resists all overtures to join this society or that club in Fairacre.

Then her brother, Lovell, calls a few days before Christmas; he is a vicar in Norfolk, married, with 3 children. His wife is ill - a gallbladder attack or something similar - and is in hospital for several days. Miriam and Lovell were very close as children, but Miriam isn’t terribly fond of his wife, who seems frivolous and slapdash.

But Miriam knows her duty, and she puts aside the paint and brushes with which she was painting the sitting room, and drives to Norfolk. She dives right into the chaos of cleaning the vicarage, cooking 3 meals a day, and all the while keeping the children happy. It certainly is not how she planned to spend her Christmas holiday!

But the magic of Christmas works its miracle on her heart, and when she finally is free to return home, she feels more than amply blessed for her little sacrifice.
Profile Image for Moonkiszt.
3,028 reviews333 followers
December 30, 2024
A Perfect Read for the Season!

There is nothing like a Miss Read book to help define a season. In this one, Miss Quinn helps her big brother who is now a Pastor with a congregation in his charge. She has charge of his three small children, household while his wife is in the hospital. Miss Quinn thinks of herself as a spinster, although the story direction hints to a different future..... Miss Quinn takes charge of the family while her brother takes care of his congregation. Everybody learns lessons and an old love turns up and is hopeful, but Miss Quinn, at book's end is satisfied just being able to go to her own home where there are no big decorations, Christmas or otherwise, to say anything different.
Profile Image for Beth Bonini.
1,414 reviews326 followers
December 13, 2020
3.75 stars

Her tact, her charm, and her intelligence, backed by her formidable resolve to keep her life exactly as she wanted it, enabled her to stay clear of any of these entanglements.

"No flies on Miss Quin! She knows her own value, that one, but she ain't for sale!"


Published in 1976, this book features a female protagonist (Miriam Quinn) who values her own independence. She's a working woman, unmarried, who is quite content with her station in life.
Miss Read books tend to be shrewder and more accepting of the broad church of human nature than one might guess on first acquaintance. Although Miss Read has the utmost respect for family life and feeling, she doesn't necessarily conclude that this is the only choice - or even the right choice - for all of the female characters in her books.

At several points in this book - first, with her landlord, the widowed Joan Benson - the reader might feel that she (or he) is being led to conclude that Miss Quinn is slightly selfish for not wanting to spend every free moment with her landlord, or with helping out with various committees and groups in the village. Later, when the illness of her sister-in-law means that she is drafted to help out her brother's family during the week of Christmas, we aren't quite sure if Miss Quinn will flounder in this position of responsibility - or perhaps grow to resent the intrusion on her solitude.

Yes, Miss Quinn softens; yes, there is genuine warmth associated with family, love and the Christmas season. But let it be noted that this book doesn't have even a touch of cloying sentimentality, and the storyline may not necessarily conform to the reader's expectations. The ending of the story - while it may seem unexpected, at least according to the conventions of the romantic novel - is entirely true to the character of its heroine.
Profile Image for Bookworm.
394 reviews55 followers
December 14, 2024
A heartwarming Christmas story about a spinster who goes to look after her brother's children over the holiday. Full of that cozy English village flavor only as only Miss Read can do it. This book really sets one in the Christmas spirit.:)
Profile Image for Mary Durrant .
348 reviews185 followers
December 26, 2015
A beautiful seasonal read.
An unwanted change of plan leads to a very different Christmas for Miss Quinn.
Love the Miss Read stories of a bygone age.
Magical just like Christmas!
Profile Image for Olga Godim.
Author 12 books85 followers
January 25, 2024
3.5 stars
I read this Christmas-y book a bit late in the season, but it was a surprisingly enjoyable story. A novella, quiet and slow, it was published half a century ago. There is nothing of our hectic world in there. Instead it was peaceful and joyful without being sugary. A woman who celebrates her solitude and self-sufficiency instead of yearning for a guy to 'complete' her was a refreshing heroine, a female after my own heart.
I never read this author before, although I know she was popular when she was active. I'll try a couple more of her books now. Happily, my library has a decent selection.
Profile Image for Tracey.
936 reviews33 followers
January 1, 2022
I must admit I wanted a different ending but it was realistic and the story is so beautifully told. I loved it and fell deep in the story. For me, a Brit who has not been home for years, descriptions of the English countryside that I miss are both achingly sad and also heart lifting memories of life as described. I remember that England and time. I walked where Miss Quinn walked and relived it for a golden moment whilst reading this book.
Altogether a wonderful book to finish the year off and one to find warmth in to turn and face whatever the year ahead will bring.
Profile Image for Pol B.
42 reviews1 follower
December 2, 2025
A lovely comforting story, set in the early 1970s ( I assume, as that was the first publishing date). It tells of a single woman moving to Fairacre and a disruption of Christmas plans when a family emergency occurs.
Miss Read’s descriptions of the countryside and the changing seasons are all explained with nostalgic detail.
Profile Image for Joe.
604 reviews
December 17, 2015
Another quietly brilliant character study from Miss Read. Miss Quin is a young, independent, professional woman, who at the beginning of the novel seems perhaps a little more admirable than likeable. Moving to Fairacre offers her some tempting glimpses of village community, family life, and romance—all of which she recognizes, and then politely declines, preferring her own company. I found myself, in the words of Leonard Cohen, loving her solitude and her pride.

I am worried that there may be no more Miss Read Christmas novels for me to read. It has become a seasonal joy for me.
325 reviews16 followers
December 17, 2018
It's been a long time since I've read any Miss Read. As enjoyable as ever. A good Christmas read.
Profile Image for Luisa Knight.
3,220 reviews1,206 followers
November 17, 2022
I liked this one!

Miss Quinn is very excited about having a Christmas all to herself. No people, no fuss; just a quiet and peaceful time in solitude to relax and enjoy her new home.

Then her brother calls. His wife is in the hospital. Might she come and help with the children?

Miss Quinn sets off to assist and is surprised by her experience, learning a few lessons along the way.

It’s pretty simplistic and not very deep in character development or description, but it’s a nice story and one where you see the main character change her perspective by a couple degrees, and those being creditable ones.

Cleanliness: mentions alcohol. Mentions a man and woman had flirted for a time in their past.

**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!

So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
Profile Image for Emma Hinkle.
853 reviews21 followers
December 26, 2024
This was a super sweet book set in the Village of Fairacre around Christmastime! Miss Quinn is a lady who enjoys her solitude and she is looking forward to it when her brother asks if she can come and help take care of his children over Christmas.

This was a delightful read for the Christmas season and was a good reminder to us type A planners to let go of our plans and serve others.
Profile Image for Mary Ellen.
47 reviews7 followers
July 5, 2019
This was a really quick read. Charming and beautifully written, Miss Quinn learns a lesson about sacrifice, family ties and the importance of being present to those you treasure. A sweet book.
Profile Image for Christine.
1,306 reviews
December 23, 2024
Typical Miss Read - no matter how attached you are to your quiet orderly life, it’s good for you to be (forcibly) immersed in a chaotic family scene at Christmas
Profile Image for Cindy.
2,759 reviews
September 22, 2014
Miss Miriam Quinn moves into a quiet English village, expecting to enjoy the countryside and have a little privacy. Instead, she has hardly settled in when she gets a phone call from her brother. His wife is in the hospital and Christmas is days away. Could she please come and take care of the children while their mother is in the hospital?

Miriam quickly learns that taking care of three active young children is harder than it looks. Her quiet Christmas spent redecorating her cottage is not going to happen. Instead she is stuffing a turkey, cleaning up the toddler's accidents, and visiting the hospital. Maybe this mothering thing is tough after all.

This is an old-fashioned book with an old-fashioned setting, but I really liked it. What struck me as the most old-fashioned thing about it wasn't the plot. The question of working woman versus homemaker is still a hot one. No, the most dated thing was the fact that Eileen was in the hospital for an entire week with abdominal pains! It turned out to be gall bladder trouble, but all they kept her for was to run tests and let her rest. I was in the hospital when they removed my appendix and I only spent 2 nights there!

Sweet book with sweet characters.
Profile Image for Sandybeth.
277 reviews
December 19, 2025
I think this is my third re- read of this short book and it is becoming an Advent tradition. I adore Miss Read and I absolutely adore this beautifully heart warming Christmas story. It has all the simplicity for the season that I crave.
I listened to this on Audible and it was perfect.

2022 and I have read it again! Wonderful, it is part of my Christmas now.

10/12/23 Another Christmas read. This time I realised that my Audible copy was an abridged version of the book, so it was lovely this year to hear the whole thing with a new narrator. Honestly, this is such a simple heart warming tale that starts off the Christmas season for me.

15/12/25: A lovely Christmas tradition. A beautiful story.
Profile Image for Hope.
1,501 reviews158 followers
April 6, 2016
Miss Read was the pseudonym of Dora Jessie Saint (1913-2012), a British novelist of cozy fiction. She wrote two sets of novels: the Thrush Green and Fairacre series. The main character in the Fairacre books is an unmarried school teacher. This book is listed as #12 in the series and is about a different spinster. Miss Quinn is in her mid-thirties and works in a busy office in Caxley. She longs for a home in a quiet village and jumps at the chance to rent a room at Holly Lodge in Fairacre.

She is looking forward to a quiet Christmas alone when her brother suddenly calls about a family emergency. How she responds makes up the rest of this charming little book.
Profile Image for Melody.
2,668 reviews308 followers
March 31, 2010
One wonders just what was happening in Miss Read's own life as she wrote this, and the immediately preceding Farther Afield. Here's another story of a confirmed spinster (and also a complete loner) having to confront the realities of other sorts of lives. Miss Quinn is obliged to take over the running of her brother's household while his wife is in hospital, and she ruminates at length on the differences between her life and her sister-in-law's.
Profile Image for Capn.
1,341 reviews
December 1, 2021
My first Miss Read read. Sedate, verging on the dull, to me. Lots of depth in the title character. I liked her, then disliked her, then felt ambivalent towards her. Setting is chiefly in Norfolk, during a wet and windy Christmas in a draughty vicarage. Weather and countryside descriptions were my favourite aspects.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sonia Gensler.
Author 6 books244 followers
Read
January 3, 2017
A quiet and endearing read, perfect for the holidays.
Profile Image for Karen (Living Unabridged).
1,177 reviews64 followers
March 17, 2023
It's funny to me that I vaguely remember reading this as a teenager (my mom liked Miss Read books back in the day) and I didn't love it then. (Although for some reason the conversation between Miss Quinn and her sister-in-law stuck in my memory.)

Now that I'm reading Miss Read books in publication order I have to say: I liked it, but I still don't love it, but for different reasons.

This purports to be a Fairacre book but Fairacre doesn't really come into it. Miss Quinn is not a person we've heard of before in the series. There are a few mentions of Rev. Partridge or Mrs. Pringle at the beginning of this story, but that's about it. All the "action" (in quotes because, well, there isn't really action in Miss Read books) takes place away from Fairacre.

And then there's Miss Quinn herself. She's rather stuck up and set in her ways and at the end of the story she's, well, maybe less stuck up but still definitely stuck in her ways. She helps make Christmas magical for her nieces, nephew, and brother, but it doesn't really change her. (Despite a few similarities there's no Grinch or Ebenezer Scrooge type change of heart in this tale.)

In a book series so strongly about Community, Miss Quinn holds herself outside of that community. She doesn't help with anything or participate in any way in Fairacre. She parachutes in to save the day for her brother (because she wants his approval, I think) but she doesn't really become "part of the family" even to the extent that their daily "girl" Anna obviously is.

And by the last lines of the story...she's basically happy with the status quo and it's hard to imagine her doing anything other than painting her sitting room and drinking tea alone. (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!)
1,198 reviews39 followers
December 26, 2021
I love Miss Read books and those of you who haven’t read them you are missing out. They remind me of the Little House on the Prairie meets the Mitford series. Small town old world feels that take you back in time. Sometimes I have to read between the lines as to what they’re talking about but that makes it more fun. “ The two little girls rolled about in paroxysms of mirth” huh? Also the food…steak and kidney casserole? Mince pies? Piece of gammon? All sounds yucky.
I have almost the whole Miss Read collection and love getting to enjoy them year round.
Miss Quinn gets a call from her brother Lovell in Norfolk that his wife is in the hospital and he is in a terrible way. With his work at the parish being particularly busy during Christmas and the children needing care Lovell is desperate for help. Miriam has never been one to enjoy all the holiday festivities so she’s happy to lend a hand until Eileen is well and home. Caring for the children is taxing but also brings her great joy to have this time with them. All they can hope is Eileen regains her strength and can return home to her family.
Profile Image for Valerie.
1,373 reviews22 followers
December 19, 2024
Miss Quinn is an anomaly in Miss Read's books as she is not an educator. However, she is a spinster who wants to stay that way. She works in Caxley but has recently moved to Fairacre to be out of the bustle of the town and in the wide open spaces. She is living in the annex to Joan Benson's Holly Lodge. She has a small place with a garage, too. It is Christmas, and Miriam Quinn, being a vicar's daughter, is looking forward to redecorating her annex and having a peaceful holiday. No fuss, no bother. You know what they say about best-laid plans, though. Just as she got down to painting, her vicar brother sent out an SOS. His wife must go to hospital, and someone needs to help him with his three children over Christmas. So she packed, bought some provisions, and drove. She was greeted enthusiastically and this is the story of how she survived and what she learned. Most of all, it is the story of what she learned. It is a wonderful Christmas story!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews

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