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Fairacre #13
Village Affairs
The villagers of Fairacre are alarmed when they hear the startling rumor that the town's schools will be closed and the children bused to nearby Beech Green
239 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1977
106 people are currently reading
429 people want to read
About the author
Miss Read
158 books514 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 65 reviews
May 10, 2018
I hoped that Village Affairs, one of Miss Read's Fairacre novels, would turn out to be just the right thing to read whilst feeling under the weather. I haven't been reading the series in order; I don't feel as though it matters particularly. I do hope to read all of her novels in time. Village Affairs, the thirteenth book in the series, concerns the village school. I found it rather amusing, and a lovely and immersive read. There are a couple of serious elements to the plot, concerned with whether the school may have to shut, and what will happen to teacher Miss Read, but the manner in which it is presented makes it rather lighthearted and easy to read. This is certainly another well written and charming addition to the series.
June 4, 2023
I thought Miss Read was particularly successful in this novel at bringing out the mixed light and dark, sorrow and joy in life. There are some hard things that happen in this novel, but it’s also one of her funniest novels. Joseph Coggs is in this more and he’s such a dear. I want to do for him just what Miss Read does—feed him treacle tart and enjoy his company.
July 11, 2019
In the installment, Dr. Martin has put Mrs. Pringle on a diet, telling her to lose three stones; a stone is 14 pounds, so 42 pounds, a not insignificant amount. Both the good doctor and Mrs. P are strong-minded and not shy about expressing their opinions, so they have several lively skirmishes.
Mrs. Pringle’s niece, Minnie, is having man troubles again. After several years of being a single mother to an ever-increasing brood, she had got married to “Ern,” a man with as many children as she has herself. Unfortunately, he has now been tempted away from the home fires by Mrs. Fowler (the same Mrs. Fowler who gave Peter and Diana Hale such a difficult time in book 9, Tyler’s Row. Miss Read sympathizes too quickly and commits herself to employing the scatterbrained Minnie as extra house-help, to the detriment of Miss Read’s treasured possessions.
Speaking of children, Amy’s cousin, Vanessa, who married a Scotsman in a previous book, gives birth to their first child, a healthy 11-pound boy. What’s more, within a very short time, she is expecting again. Vanessa has grown up a great deal since she first fell in love with an unsuitable fellow.
Arthur Coggs has been caught stealing, again, and this time he is sentenced to 2 years in prison. Joseph Coggs has always been one of Miss Read’s favorite students, and naturally she takes an interest in the family’s well-being. Since Arthur has never been a reliable bread winner, Mrs. Coggs is actually better off with him out of the picture, both physically and financially.
But the main issue that hangs over Fairacre during this time is the possible closing of Fairacre School. The village schools were instituted during the Victorian era, when families with a dozen or more children was commonplace, and where country families tended to stay in a district for generations. Over the decades, the size of most families shrank drastically, and many country families moved into cities where better jobs could be obtained. Many of the smaller village schools were incorporated into others and children were bused to the larger towns for their education. As Amy points out to Miss Read, the larger schools had more amenities and up-to-date facilities (Fairacre School still had outdoor toilets in the books published in the 1970s!).
Nevertheless, Fairacre citizens became quite militant over the proposition, and special meetings were called where villagers spoke their minds to the educational representative who was attending. Ironically, in the end, Fairacre was notified its school would remain open because of the poor economic situation of the nation.
Reading one of Miss Read’s Fairacre or Thrush Green books is like getting a nice, juicy, gossipy letter from friends in one’s former hometown. The villagers are all old friends - or enemies, it doesn’t matter which - and its lovely to read about what everyone has been up to.
Mrs. Pringle’s niece, Minnie, is having man troubles again. After several years of being a single mother to an ever-increasing brood, she had got married to “Ern,” a man with as many children as she has herself. Unfortunately, he has now been tempted away from the home fires by Mrs. Fowler (the same Mrs. Fowler who gave Peter and Diana Hale such a difficult time in book 9, Tyler’s Row. Miss Read sympathizes too quickly and commits herself to employing the scatterbrained Minnie as extra house-help, to the detriment of Miss Read’s treasured possessions.
Speaking of children, Amy’s cousin, Vanessa, who married a Scotsman in a previous book, gives birth to their first child, a healthy 11-pound boy. What’s more, within a very short time, she is expecting again. Vanessa has grown up a great deal since she first fell in love with an unsuitable fellow.
Arthur Coggs has been caught stealing, again, and this time he is sentenced to 2 years in prison. Joseph Coggs has always been one of Miss Read’s favorite students, and naturally she takes an interest in the family’s well-being. Since Arthur has never been a reliable bread winner, Mrs. Coggs is actually better off with him out of the picture, both physically and financially.
But the main issue that hangs over Fairacre during this time is the possible closing of Fairacre School. The village schools were instituted during the Victorian era, when families with a dozen or more children was commonplace, and where country families tended to stay in a district for generations. Over the decades, the size of most families shrank drastically, and many country families moved into cities where better jobs could be obtained. Many of the smaller village schools were incorporated into others and children were bused to the larger towns for their education. As Amy points out to Miss Read, the larger schools had more amenities and up-to-date facilities (Fairacre School still had outdoor toilets in the books published in the 1970s!).
Nevertheless, Fairacre citizens became quite militant over the proposition, and special meetings were called where villagers spoke their minds to the educational representative who was attending. Ironically, in the end, Fairacre was notified its school would remain open because of the poor economic situation of the nation.
Reading one of Miss Read’s Fairacre or Thrush Green books is like getting a nice, juicy, gossipy letter from friends in one’s former hometown. The villagers are all old friends - or enemies, it doesn’t matter which - and its lovely to read about what everyone has been up to.
April 30, 2009
Hi! First of all, I made a mistake when I was clicking on the stars and I ended up with one star instead of 5! I enjoyed his book very much. In fact, I own the complete collection of Miss Read books and reread them often. I especially enjoy the Fairacre series because Miss Read's adventures in the classroom sound very familiar to me.
March 22, 2023
After the digression to Miss Quinn's story in the previous book, this is a return to form. Once again the village school is (possibly) in danger of closing. Mrs. Pringle is put on a diet, Minnie Pringle wreaks havoc on Miss Read and her treasured possessions, Arthur Coggs ends up in trouble with the law, and Amy and Miss Read's friendship has just the right combo sweet and sharp. (Also, Miss Quinn shows up at a party thrown by the Mawne's so I guess she's a bona fide resident of Fairacre now.)
August 26, 2020
Rumors that Fairacre's school will be closed down due to dwindling enrollment are being passed around the county when nearby Beech Green school is being measured for an addition to their building. Miss Read would not only lose the teaching position she dearly loves, but also the house she lives in as part of her payment.
This was not one of my favorite Miss Read books. So much of the story was her worrying about the school closing and not much else. But they are a pleasant diversion which take me into a different place whenever I read one.
This was not one of my favorite Miss Read books. So much of the story was her worrying about the school closing and not much else. But they are a pleasant diversion which take me into a different place whenever I read one.
December 23, 2012
Will Fairacre school close and put Miss Read out of her job and home? I would have enjoyed more about the villagers and daily affairs in Fairacre and less about the possible school closing and Minnie Pringle's love life. As always, Joe Coggs charms.
December 22, 2020
How can I end the year without going back to one of my favourite series? While this isn’t a Christmas-themed book, the Fairacre series always warms my heart and it feels perfect for the holidays (and for stressful times, and for light reading times, etc).
Village Affairs gives us another year of happenings in Fairacre. Unfortunately for Miss Read, the book is tied together with the threat of the school closing due to falling student numbers. On the village side, Arthur Coggs has been arrested for theft, which you would think is a good thing, but Mrs Coggs seems rather down about it. On the bright side, Vanessa, Amy’s niece, is pregnant!
The book sounds very depressing if we list it by the main events, but it actually made me chuckle quite a few times! Miss Read has a wonderfully dry sense of humour, so even when she is dealing with personal issues (like accidentally hiring Minnie Pringle to clean her house), she makes them sound amusing.
I also have this theory that allowing the serious issues to creep in (such as the closure of rural schools) makes the Fairacre series more heartwarming because it feels more realistic. If we were to have a post-WWII novel in a countryside that is all sunshine and roses, it would quickly feel very saccharine and artificial. But by having the villagers of Fairacre deal with pressing issues (and valiantly fighting for Miss Read to stay), we can see them pulling together, an act that warms the cockles of the reader’s heart.
While you could enter the Fairacre series from any of the books, including this one, I’d recommend starting with one of the first few, since that introduces and sets the stage for many of the minor characters here. As always, I recommend this for anyone looking for a light and comforting read.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
Village Affairs gives us another year of happenings in Fairacre. Unfortunately for Miss Read, the book is tied together with the threat of the school closing due to falling student numbers. On the village side, Arthur Coggs has been arrested for theft, which you would think is a good thing, but Mrs Coggs seems rather down about it. On the bright side, Vanessa, Amy’s niece, is pregnant!
The book sounds very depressing if we list it by the main events, but it actually made me chuckle quite a few times! Miss Read has a wonderfully dry sense of humour, so even when she is dealing with personal issues (like accidentally hiring Minnie Pringle to clean her house), she makes them sound amusing.
I also have this theory that allowing the serious issues to creep in (such as the closure of rural schools) makes the Fairacre series more heartwarming because it feels more realistic. If we were to have a post-WWII novel in a countryside that is all sunshine and roses, it would quickly feel very saccharine and artificial. But by having the villagers of Fairacre deal with pressing issues (and valiantly fighting for Miss Read to stay), we can see them pulling together, an act that warms the cockles of the reader’s heart.
While you could enter the Fairacre series from any of the books, including this one, I’d recommend starting with one of the first few, since that introduces and sets the stage for many of the minor characters here. As always, I recommend this for anyone looking for a light and comforting read.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
January 9, 2023
This is just a simple slice of English village life - in the case of this particular book, small village troubles. Miss Read is the school teacher, ever facing rumors the school is too small and will shut down, the rumors seem to be growing in threat. Alongside she finds herself baffled by some members of the community, but anyway has her hands in the lives of everyone in the community it seems, from helping people get by, to marital troubles, to fears over a recent criminal element. Miss Read is a charming non-nonsense character, the low drama story transported me away to small town England of the past. I did find some of the elements of domestic violence and child neglect a bit grim, though not too dated in their handling.
September 15, 2018
The entire village of Fairacre is buzzing with rumours that seem to be turning out true and if they do, they can impact the lives of many, including that of Miss Read. Yet, with speculation doing the rounds, and Miss Read's increasing apprehension, this book still does not lose the charm of a typical Fairacre book - warm, comfy and a cozy read.
May 28, 2017
It was okay.
I expected it to be better than it was.
I expected it to be better than it was.
September 29, 2024
I can feel us edging toward the end and that makes me sad. Still, this did the job of giving me a quiet bedtime read. The way spousal abuse is depicted in the novel as bad but not arrest-able really made me feel the difference in eras from when it was written to when I was reading it.
February 3, 2019
I love all Miss Read's novels. Miss Read is the pen name of the late Dora Saint. Without a doubt, I could read each one a dozen times and enjoy them immensely.
My late sister, Jae, introduced me to these novels. Jae was partial to the Thrush Green series and, for
me, I identify a little more with Fairacre. However, I'll read any of them with pleasure. Apart from these series, there are several novels that focus on one character or one family or one incident. These are also good, but I'm definitely enamored of series! I am happy to meet the same characters over and over and to partake of their lives and communities over time,
My late sister, Jae, introduced me to these novels. Jae was partial to the Thrush Green series and, for
me, I identify a little more with Fairacre. However, I'll read any of them with pleasure. Apart from these series, there are several novels that focus on one character or one family or one incident. These are also good, but I'm definitely enamored of series! I am happy to meet the same characters over and over and to partake of their lives and communities over time,
January 30, 2019
Always a pleasure to spend time with Miss Read. She beautifully blends an observant love of nature with compassionate humanity for her neighbors and students. I always feel refreshed and better about the world after reading one of her novels! In this installment, we reconnect with Mrs. Pringle's walking wreck of a relative, the messy, fertile, wild spirited Minnie. And the school is in danger of being closed. Arthur Coggs is up to his usual unrepentant ways, but now Mrs. Coggs has unsuccessfully taken up petty larceny. However, as always, a ray of sun brings harmony and beauty to balance the world.
March 28, 2022
Witty, charming, delightful ....and as always soothing. I don't think I shall ever give a bad review for Miss Read's books. This one, like all her others, does not shy away from reality....and tbh has some disturbing and quite sad stories of poverty and domestic violence. Dora Saint weaves these tales I to the general story so well - it's always surprising, for such a lovely series of books, that very serious matters are dealt with...don't know how she does it....but nonetheless the gravity/sorrow is real and yet she does not leave you in despair.
Also the winter, snow and summer scenes and nature walks are described so sumptuously.
Also the winter, snow and summer scenes and nature walks are described so sumptuously.
December 11, 2020
I know I say this in almost every Miss Read review, but it really is always lovely to visit in Fairacre for a while. It certainly provides a welcome breath of fresh, country air for my mind when the world outside of books is dark and stormy.
November 13, 2021
I always enjoy reading Miss Read's books and Village Affairs was no different. This time round, the village is in an uproar about the possible closure of the Fairacre school. With each new book in the series, it's like spending time with old friends and catching up on their lives.
March 12, 2016
When life gets crazy, there's nothing like escaping to Fairacre. Another enjoyable read in this series!!
September 22, 2017
There are three terms for the school. A lot of one-teacher schools have been closed and Miss Read finds out that the Fairacre school is on the chopping block. The school has only two teachers (Miss Read being the only one that lasts other than Miss Claire who retired) and fewer than 30 students.
Thus the main theme for the book is set with the village coming together to try to save the school while the government representative will not commit himself to any position. It seems that England was having major economic problems at the time and condensing schools was a way to save money.
The second theme is about Minnie who is, putting it mildly, not the brightest bulb in the pack. She has marital problems and ends up working for Miss Read, causing more problems than she solves.
The third theme revolves around the Coggs with Arthur Coggs being up to his usual nasty ways but this time being caught and ending up in prison. That's a quite of bit going on in this book and, as usual, the stories are well told and the book is enjoyable.
Thus the main theme for the book is set with the village coming together to try to save the school while the government representative will not commit himself to any position. It seems that England was having major economic problems at the time and condensing schools was a way to save money.
The second theme is about Minnie who is, putting it mildly, not the brightest bulb in the pack. She has marital problems and ends up working for Miss Read, causing more problems than she solves.
The third theme revolves around the Coggs with Arthur Coggs being up to his usual nasty ways but this time being caught and ending up in prison. That's a quite of bit going on in this book and, as usual, the stories are well told and the book is enjoyable.
December 5, 2020
Okay, I admit it. The Miss Read books are just plain comforting. This was the perfect book to read with the furnace out and the cats and I trying to keep each other warm. I wish teachers could still teach like Miss Read did... the kids are a mess and just not attending? Take them on a nature walk! A little boy's home is a disaster zone? Hire him to weed the borders at your house so you can feed him a good meal and it doesn't look like charity. There is a persistent push to close your two room/two teacher school? Ignore it, hope for the best, and by golly the village goes to bat for you!
This is an old series, but it's stood the test of time. The writing is good, the plot is gentle, funny and definitely from a different era, which given the year we have had, is a very good thing!
This is one of a few I found at a used book sale at the library, and I have thoroughly enjoyed each one. I have another on the shelf and am saving it for another time when I just want to read something that doesn't have me on the edge of my seat.
This is an old series, but it's stood the test of time. The writing is good, the plot is gentle, funny and definitely from a different era, which given the year we have had, is a very good thing!
This is one of a few I found at a used book sale at the library, and I have thoroughly enjoyed each one. I have another on the shelf and am saving it for another time when I just want to read something that doesn't have me on the edge of my seat.
May 30, 2025
Will Fairacre school close?
As always, the village of Fairacre welcomes readers back with its familiar cast of characters. Miss Read, the ever-observant head teacher, returns alongside the school caretakers, Mr. and Mrs. Pringle. A change in the infants' classroom sees Miss Norman replacing Mrs. Rose, while new dramas unfold in the Coggs and Minnie Pringle families. Mrs. Pringle, still on Doc Martin’s prescribed diet, remains as cantankerous as ever, and Miss Read finds little comfort in her friend Amy as unsettling rumors swirl about the village school possibly merging with Caxley. Fairacre continues to be a charming and comforting place to visit—I always look forward to the next installment in the series!
As always, the village of Fairacre welcomes readers back with its familiar cast of characters. Miss Read, the ever-observant head teacher, returns alongside the school caretakers, Mr. and Mrs. Pringle. A change in the infants' classroom sees Miss Norman replacing Mrs. Rose, while new dramas unfold in the Coggs and Minnie Pringle families. Mrs. Pringle, still on Doc Martin’s prescribed diet, remains as cantankerous as ever, and Miss Read finds little comfort in her friend Amy as unsettling rumors swirl about the village school possibly merging with Caxley. Fairacre continues to be a charming and comforting place to visit—I always look forward to the next installment in the series!
January 3, 2025
Golly Moses, I love these books! Miss Read has the jitters as her school seems to be up to be made redundant. The rumors are flying. In a village, the bees know what is happening before the people and they spread the word. Seriously, how else does the word get around so fast? On another front, Mr. Coggs is in jail. Mrs. Coggs has more money than ever, but she gets nabbed for shoplifting. Minnie Pringle has fallen on hard times, so Miss Read has her doing a spot of cleaning (much to her chagrin). What to do? Well, a ramble on the downs with the kiddos seems to take the pressure off, but the problems must still be resolved.
March 3, 2021
Although this was re-read for me I still enjoyed it Miss Read is faced with the possibility of the school closing due to a small enrollment. As a product of a small school that did close I could identify with this situation. We keep up with the affairs of the village people. I really like this series and the books are my go to when I want to visit a quiet English village with a cup of tea in hand.
March 15, 2022
Miss Read simply never disappoints. Like all of her work, "Village Affairs" is both beautifully written and moving as well as sweetly funny (with the occasional razor-sharp acerbic remark). Fairacre seems both so different and distant - a place worlds and ages away - and yet so timeless and easily recognisable. We all know people like the maddening Mrs Pringle or Miss Read's friend Amy.
Listening to Miss Read always guarantees several hours of pure joy and gentle escapism. Most recommended.
Listening to Miss Read always guarantees several hours of pure joy and gentle escapism. Most recommended.
January 3, 2024
Reminisce of Pim but with a school teacher.
The story winds itself like a soft bubbling brook around life in an English village. The characters are painted with authentic color. Although the husbands beating their wife’s is off putting. So only 4 stars. I am not sure of the dates these were written and obviously this goes on in present day but is taken too lightly in my opinion. Otherwise an enjoyable read.
The story winds itself like a soft bubbling brook around life in an English village. The characters are painted with authentic color. Although the husbands beating their wife’s is off putting. So only 4 stars. I am not sure of the dates these were written and obviously this goes on in present day but is taken too lightly in my opinion. Otherwise an enjoyable read.
July 25, 2020
A book about school teacher, Miss Read, and the townspeople of Fairacre is exactly the sort of story to give me a few hours of welcome diversion from bleak news about Covid-19 and other problems facing our world today. There is humor, interesting characters and an appreciation of all that nature brings us to enjoy with the changing of the seasons.
March 13, 2022
I’ve always wanted to check out Miss Read. Started out mid-stream. A very pleasant fantasy world of relatively unchanging small English village. Even in 1977, when it was published, this must have seemed very old fashioned. It was a nice comfortable hot water bottle of a book. I might return, when I want a placid undemanding book.
May 2, 2022
Another highly enjoyable episode of Fairacre life from Miss Read. As ever, the joy comes from how her perfectly sculpted characters react to the events that crop up as the narrative unfolds. Together with the wonderful details of time and place, these novels really are my medicine for the stresses of modern day.
October 8, 2019
A gentle, light, charming and humorous read in which nothing much happens but which also manages to touch on many serious themes, including:
the effect of closing village schools, not only on the children and staff but on the village in general
domestic violence
struggling families, showing how some actually need to be helped and just giving them money isn’t enough
what makes a good home and family. Just because a house looks disorganised, neglected and dirty doesn’t mean it isn’t a loving home
My first Miss Read book but won't be my last.
the effect of closing village schools, not only on the children and staff but on the village in general
domestic violence
struggling families, showing how some actually need to be helped and just giving them money isn’t enough
what makes a good home and family. Just because a house looks disorganised, neglected and dirty doesn’t mean it isn’t a loving home
My first Miss Read book but won't be my last.
June 13, 2020
Found this book in the collection of older books at my in-law's cottage. Perfect light read for a rainy/cold weekend. I was a bit surprised at the casual mentions of domestic abuse and how it was perceived as either inevitable or a matter of course...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews