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The Caxley Chronicles #1
The Market Square
Records the friendship between two families living in a quiet English market town at the turn of the century
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1966
4 people are currently reading
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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 - 30 of 33 reviews
November 14, 2022
Somehow, Miss Read always manages to be cosy without being sentimental.
February 20, 2019
This was one of the few Miss Read (Mrs. Dora Saint) books I had not previously read. It was lovely to experience the nostalgia of coming back to a well-loved author and find earlier threads and mention of characters from both her Fairacre and Thrush Green series.
Nostalgic and enjoyable. 4.5 stars
Nostalgic and enjoyable. 4.5 stars
August 30, 2021
I’ve been listening to this one on audio this week- very relaxing & therapeutic it was too.
February 9, 2019
The Caxley Chronicles two-book series--The Market Square and The Howards of Caxley--are probably now my favorite books of the many I've read by Dora Jessie Saint, otherwise known as Miss Read. There is more depth here, with themes of love, loss, joy, failure, betrayal, forgiveness, duty, selfishness, humility, sacrifice...you get the picture. At the same time, Miss Read's gentle and quirky sense of humor is still at work, which adds authenticity and a lighter tone. The author's heart and soul apparently went into creating the captivating story of these two families and their interactions through several generations. Very highly recommended!
February 13, 2022
This is technically a re-read, I read Market Square probably 2 presidents ago so I remembered some details and plot but there were several new things I discovered.
The story of both the Howard and North families in the town of Caxley, mentioned as the seat of commerce in the Fairacre series covers the early years of the 20th century. This includes early 20th century opinions, a thing Miss Read was aware of and didn't try to hide from modern readers. Prejudice toward gypsy or Roma people is plain as directed toward Edna Howard. Class distinctions are also plain and for modern readers especially Americans, it can be peculiar or infuriating.
The main characters are Bender North, a big hearty dude who runs the ironmongery shop, similar to a hardware store and the quiet little baker Sep Howard. Opposites in looks, personality and as we see, fortunes, both see the world around them change and yet find comfort. Bender in nature, Sep in his religious faith.
I had a sense of dread reading the chapters leading to World War I because of what we know and it has a profound effect on the story. No spoilers. It doesn't stop with this, the lives of the people of Caxley and the market square manage to adapt and even welcome the changes such as automobiles.
I've always wondered what a BBC or Masterpiece Theater version of Miss Read would be like, trying to imagine the adaptions of the Fairacre and Thrush Green books. I alternated between wanting to see it and being grateful it hasn't been done. But I could see an adaptation of this book and its sequel, The Howards of Caxley without too much anxiety.
The story of both the Howard and North families in the town of Caxley, mentioned as the seat of commerce in the Fairacre series covers the early years of the 20th century. This includes early 20th century opinions, a thing Miss Read was aware of and didn't try to hide from modern readers. Prejudice toward gypsy or Roma people is plain as directed toward Edna Howard. Class distinctions are also plain and for modern readers especially Americans, it can be peculiar or infuriating.
The main characters are Bender North, a big hearty dude who runs the ironmongery shop, similar to a hardware store and the quiet little baker Sep Howard. Opposites in looks, personality and as we see, fortunes, both see the world around them change and yet find comfort. Bender in nature, Sep in his religious faith.
I had a sense of dread reading the chapters leading to World War I because of what we know and it has a profound effect on the story. No spoilers. It doesn't stop with this, the lives of the people of Caxley and the market square manage to adapt and even welcome the changes such as automobiles.
I've always wondered what a BBC or Masterpiece Theater version of Miss Read would be like, trying to imagine the adaptions of the Fairacre and Thrush Green books. I alternated between wanting to see it and being grateful it hasn't been done. But I could see an adaptation of this book and its sequel, The Howards of Caxley without too much anxiety.
May 11, 2017
Nothing like a 'Miss Read' (the pen name of Dora Saint) for a bit of light, cheering and yet not superficial or trashy reading in a time of stress. This two-part volume, part of the Caxley Chronicles series, traces the lives of two families with businesses in the market square of an imaginary Home Counties town - the ironmonger Bender North and the baker Sep Howard - from the coronation of King Edward VII in 1901 to the beginning of World War I, and then from the Armistice to 1931 as the shadow of a second war looms. Businesses go up and down, marriages and family feuds break the friendship between the two men and then mend them again, young men die or are maimed in war, while new technologies like the car and the aeroplane, not to mention great social changes, have their impact on the lives of the two clans. We end with a death and and a new, long awaited relationship - all of it told with a skilful and delicate pen, sketching a lost world which perhaps never existed in quite the form portrayed, but with admirable avoidance of sentimentalism and acknowledgement of human imperfection. Not great literature but a jolly good read.
May 23, 2018
In this book Miss Read focuses on two families, the Howards and the Norths. Part of the story takes place during World War I with the expected tales of glory and sorrow. The two male heads of families sort of feud for a while. There's also a Romeo and Juliet type of romance that happens between young people from the two families.
The descriptions of the buildings and the market square are well done and the characters are also well done. The Hunger March seems to refer to the 1932 march which involved thousands of people and thousands of police and an attempt by the government to white-wash the entire affair.
This book seems to me to be a little more serious than the Fairacre ot Thrush Green series of books. It's still good and I will be going on to read the next one in the series.
The descriptions of the buildings and the market square are well done and the characters are also well done. The Hunger March seems to refer to the 1932 march which involved thousands of people and thousands of police and an attempt by the government to white-wash the entire affair.
This book seems to me to be a little more serious than the Fairacre ot Thrush Green series of books. It's still good and I will be going on to read the next one in the series.
July 25, 2021
Lovely story set in Caxley in the first thirty or so years of the twentieth century, about the lives of two shop-owning families: Septimus Howard the baker and his family, and Bender North the ironmonger with his. Quite broad-brush to cover so many years in such a slim volume, but nonetheless an affectionate portrait of small market town life at that time, including the effects of WWI and the loss of life and health amongst the families' sons. Includes a few references Dolly Clare and her fiancé. Looking forward to reading the second in this little series when I get hold of it.
May 9, 2022
"The Market Square" is another wonderful novel by the one and only Miss Read. I thought I couldn't enjoy any series more than the Thrush Green novels, but this first half of The Caxley Chronicles took my breath away. Miss Read's writing is so beautiful and soothing that I almost felt I was there in the Caxley Market Square, witnessing all the joys and dramas of those times.
I wish I could thank Miss Read for all the joy, comfort and genuine happiness that reading and listening to her books has given me. There are a lot of books I often reread for comfort, but Miss Read's writing takes me to a place of such safety and contentment that no other book or author has found before. Thank you, Miss Read!
I wish I could thank Miss Read for all the joy, comfort and genuine happiness that reading and listening to her books has given me. There are a lot of books I often reread for comfort, but Miss Read's writing takes me to a place of such safety and contentment that no other book or author has found before. Thank you, Miss Read!
February 24, 2015
I listened to this after having read the sequel, but it's really not a problem, because I enjoy anything Miss Read wrote. Only 4 stars because there isn't any interesting plot, but the story of two families living before, during and after WW1. What is so brilliant about Miss Read's writing is her gift of portraying the atmosphere of an era, relaying the lives of people's ups and downs, heartache and joy, at a time we can only imagine, when life was both simpler and so much harder than today.
January 30, 2018
2.5
Sweet, but too light for my taste there wasn’t any meat.
Sweet, but too light for my taste there wasn’t any meat.
May 2, 2023
My first Miss Read book and I enjoyed the slow gentle pace of it. It was calm and peaceful and I enjoyed reading about the characters in it. Will read more.
July 22, 2015
The book in this series, is basically about two men, and their families. Their businesses, and their homes, are on the Market Square. The two men have grown up together, and their children have been friends all of their lives. One man married a gypsy, and the town still frowns on her. One man is more prosperous than the other, and he helps his neighbor. When the other one has a set back, his neighbor helps him. Some of their children marry. There are grandchildren. Death come to one of them, which hurts the other deeply. This book gives a picture of the town, and the Market Square. It gives a picture of the beauty of nature. It tells of the intertwining of the lives of two families.
May 22, 2021
Very nice story! This one takes place during WWI and features different characters than the ones in the Fairacre series, although there are a couple of mentions of familiar characters and places. I didn't find this story as endearing as Fairacre and I think it's because there are less children and no school featured. The setting here is just as the title states, the market square of Caxley. The story is centered around two families with businesses there.
November 3, 2022
This is primarily the story of two men who live and work on the Market Square in Caxley: Sep the baker and Bender the ironmonger. Sep is quiet and easy to shout down, while Bender is large and loud. They do not get along at all, and when Bender's daughter marries one of Sep's sons, war is declared by Bender. We also get the stories of the two families, as the sons go off to war and the daughters marry. A very good book!
May 8, 2014
This is like Pilcher and Maeve Binchey all rolled up together. I so enjoyed listening to this book and can't wait to find others in the series. Small English village, another time without technology of any sort, but still there were the joys and pains of life and these villagers were stalwart, moral people who lived through it all, especially WWI. Loved it.
August 30, 2019
Lovely, gentle story about two families, the Norths and the Howards, and the intertwining of their lives during the early part of the 1900’s.
This is definitely the first part of a two-book series and June Barrie made this first title a pleasure to listen to.
Extra: one of the women ends up divorced from her sleep around husband.
This is definitely the first part of a two-book series and June Barrie made this first title a pleasure to listen to.
Extra: one of the women ends up divorced from her sleep around husband.
August 7, 2007
I listened to this while driving my babies to soccer and volleyball. I LOVE Miss Read. Such gentle storytelling! Such wisdom! This volume tells about the rise of Sep Howard, the baker of Caxley, and the fall of his friend Bender. It is full of life and truth.
May 23, 2020
A relaxing, easy, non-stressful light read. The book equivalent of a Hallmark movie. Just what I was needing during these strange days.
#popsugar challenge 2020/ book with the same title as a movie but unrelated to it
#popsugar challenge 2020/ book with the same title as a movie but unrelated to it
May 22, 2021
From the first page’s description of a sudden rain shower in the square, I was drawn to Miss Read’s beautiful narration of the ordinary. This book moves quietly, handles its subjects tenderly, and reminded me of the goodness of kind lives faithfully lived. I’m glad to have read it.
July 31, 2011
I love the Miss Read books. They bring to mind Rosamund Pilcher's early works.
June 25, 2015
Miss Read does a superb job of using language to convey a simple yet heart warming setting, characters and plot. Love this story of two families in a small town.
December 4, 2020
The Miss Read books have been a breath of fresh air. Gentle storylines, good morals. A cozy read.
January 12, 2022
Any book by Miss Read is a delight and this is no exception. In a small town on the eve of the First World War, local businessmen strive to survive in a time of disruption and social change. The motor car is beginning to replace horse drawn conveyances and not every one in the village can adapt to the change. The story is told through the eyes of 2 families in the village: Bender who wants to continue to do business on the old way and Sep who is more inclined to embrace the changes. Meanwhile the young are courting and not always to the approval of their parents. Miss Read paints a wonderful picture of country life in the early 20th century and her accounts of the residents and their passions is interesting and enoyable.
May 5, 2020
The Market Square is the first book in the Caxley series of MIss Read books. Every time I finish one of the Miss Read books I think it's my favorite, then I read the next one and that's my new favorite! I think it's the simplicity and innocence of the people, the town, that makes it feel so wholesome. I can just picture the schoolhouse and the little bakery. Written in 1966 the story does have some slang words used differently then we do now. Words that people would take offense to. I do really enjoy these sweet stories and look forward to my next one!
February 18, 2025
I've read all of Miss Read's Thrush Green and Fairacre series. Whilst this has a similar feel and is beautifully atmospheric as well as having Interesting characters plots and twists - it does have a slightly more sombre feel. If you like Miss Read's other books - it is well worth reading - I just found it a little more serious - particularly because it touches on WWI.
January 31, 2023
Was good! i will read the sequel!
June 29, 2023
A beautiful compact novel about living in England in a small market town prior to, during and shortly after World War II.
May 21, 2025
Another gentle meander through the lives of two families in fictional Caxley, from the coronation of Edward VII to the end of the first World War.
Bender North and Sep Howard have been friends since school days. Now, Bender runs the hardware story and Sep the bakery on Caxley Market Square. Their different views on life in the Square and beyond it are reflected in their marriages, families and church/chapel going habits.
The narrative begins as Sep is gradually paying back a loan from his old friend but as the years go by, it's the bakery that gains financial traction and the hardware store that is threatened by more modern products who operate on a less lackadaisical timetable. The dynamics alter as their children form romantic attachments for better and/or worse and still daily life trundles along. Men volunteer and are called up for military service, and not all of them will come home. Those who stay at home find comfort in family, nature and the steady flow of the River Cax.
I've read this book multiple times and sought it out as an accompaniment to illness knowing it would be undemanding and familiar. Hit the spot nicely.
Bender North and Sep Howard have been friends since school days. Now, Bender runs the hardware story and Sep the bakery on Caxley Market Square. Their different views on life in the Square and beyond it are reflected in their marriages, families and church/chapel going habits.
The narrative begins as Sep is gradually paying back a loan from his old friend but as the years go by, it's the bakery that gains financial traction and the hardware store that is threatened by more modern products who operate on a less lackadaisical timetable. The dynamics alter as their children form romantic attachments for better and/or worse and still daily life trundles along. Men volunteer and are called up for military service, and not all of them will come home. Those who stay at home find comfort in family, nature and the steady flow of the River Cax.
I've read this book multiple times and sought it out as an accompaniment to illness knowing it would be undemanding and familiar. Hit the spot nicely.
June 4, 2008
I didn't have time to finish this audio. It was definitely interesting.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews