Miss Read books.

[WheresThatCatGoneNow]

Does anyone enjoy the Miss Read books?

I've been reading (and re-reading) them all since about 1993.

I've managed to buy every single one, and they have pride of place on my bookshelves.

I wonder why Miss Read (the character in the Fairacre series, not the author) never revealed her Christian name?

Even when conversing with Amy, her name was never used.

And when John Jenkins was repeatedly proposing marriage to her, he never once said her name 🤔

Oooh yes! Love Miss Read. My Mum knew her - she was friendly with the headmistress in the school where my Mum worked and lived locally.

Haven't read one for ages, but I always enjoyed them.

Which is your favourite?

Thrush Green or Fairacre?

Mine is definitely Fairacre!

I loved reading these!

It always made me wonder about Isobel Shoosmith's daughter from her first marriage.

Agnes Fogerty received a post card from her holiday in Sri Lanka.

And what was Ella Bembridge's back story?

She's only been living in Thrush Green for ten years in the first book.

Where did she and Dimity come from, and end up living together?

Victoria Wood loved the books, and was going to create something based on the Miss Read books, but sadly died before it could happen.

I'd love to know what she had in mind!7

Oh yes!

And Tibby the cat who changed sex from book to book.

One of my favourite things about Miss Read was that she loved living alone as much as I do. She was single & childfree because she wanted to be, while having a busy work & social life.

There’s a wonderful line in one of the books somewhere about how one can have no cat and perfect carpet, or a cat and tufted carpet, and on the whole she prefers the second.

I loved those books, but haven't read them for years, I don't own them but used the library. My best friend's mother had every single one in hardback, all,long her lovely old dresser with their nice dust jackets.

Used to read these as a child/teen. I can remember going on holiday in Cornwall and there was a shelf of them at the holiday cottage.

My ultimate comfort books! I don’t know how many times I’ve re-read them or listened to them on Audible. She has such a lovely descriptive writing style and the books are nostalgic but not sugar-coated. I think I would have got on very well with Miss Read!

I too have all the books. I started reading them at 11 when one of my Mum’s patients had left a paperback on the ward and gone home. I loved it and the cosy world Miss Read created. They are my go to books when I want to escape from this world.
I enjoy all the characters and I would love to read about what happened to some of her pupils when they grew up. I really envy those that are reading them for the first time.

Possibly the reason I became a primary school teacher as a second career!

My mum loved these books and this thread has encouraged me to give them a go. Thanks OP.

I like to think that Joe Coggs would have taken on Mr Willett’s role as the popular & respected village handyman.

Loved them all some of mine are so old that the glue has gone in the paperbacks read my first one when is was about 12 or 13 70 now and still enjoy them.

I re-read Village School recently. I'd forgotten what a lovely book it is.

I have them all, and recently read every single Thrush Green again - including the last one which wasn’t even written by Miss Read and lacked her subtlety.

Miss Read is a wonderful writer - such apt observations of human nature.

Yes I really didn’t enjoy the last one, even though the writer was her editor she gave it a very different feel and didn’t get the characters like you’d imagine she would.

She made the Thrush Green ladies into a Mean Girls clique! I don’t think Miss Read meant them to be so exclusive . Yes, there were class divisions (the Lovelocks’ “rules” for example - “We know of them but we don’t know them”) but this book made them into a really snobby crew. I always wanted to live in Thrush Green but now I’m afraid I’d be on the periphery being given the bum’s rush by the in-crowd…

That line is from Farther Afield 😺

Thank you!

Woohoo, I've found my tribe! I have been a huge fan of Miss Read for decades, (introduced to her books by my mother and my grandmother).
Miss Read (Dora Saint) was influenced by Jane Austen, which is one of the reasons I love her writing style. She's one of my go-to authors for comfort reading. Her sense of humour is gentle but right on point. Apparently, her Thrush Green series was based on Woodgreen, near Witney, Oxfordshire.
I love both series equally. So many great characters.

I agree with the comments about the final book. It's awful!

I read it just the once, and refuse to put myself through that experience ever again.

It set my teeth on edge from start to finish, which none of the other books have ever done.

Caxley is Newbury.

Dora Saint was very old when she died sadly her sight was deteriorating. She was a genuine cat person there is a lovely book called Tiggy a true story about one of her cats. Loved the way her cat would wander into the classroom in the Fairacre series.

I love these so much. I must reread them, it’s been about a decade since I last did. I’m glad someone else loves the cat and tufted carpet line. I often think of it when looking at my ripped up sofa!