Fairacre
2 primary works • 13 total works
Book 1
The very first Miss Read novel - set in 1950s England, perfect nostalgia for fans of CALL THE MIDWIFE or Gervase Phinn.
'An affectionate, humorous and gently charming chronicle ... sometimes funny, sometimes touching, always appealing' New York Times
Fairacre is a village of cottages, a church and the school - and at the heart of the school, its headmistress, Miss Read.
Through her discerning eye, we meet the villagers of Fairacre and see their trials and tribulations, from the irascible school cleaner Mrs Pringle, to the young schoolchildren with their scraped knees, hopeful faces and inevitable mischief.
Miss Read takes us through the school year, beginning with the Christmas term when the bitterly cold weather challenges the school's ancient heating system, right through to the hot summer day when school is over for another year.
VILLAGE SCHOOL is an intriguing glimpse into a forgotten world and has become a true classic.
Book 2
The second Fairacre novel, from the bestselling author of VILLAGE SCHOOL.
In her first book VILLAGE SCHOOL, Miss Read drew a picture of the small but detailed world of a typical primary school in a remote country area, a world peopled by the children themselves, Miss Clare the venerable infants teacher, glum Mrs Pringle the cleaner, the vicar and other inhabitants of Fairacre. In VILLAGE DIARY, Miss Read describes the people of Fairacre with the same exactitude, sense of comedy and sharp observation.
In addition to those characters familiar to readers of VILLAGE SCHOOL there are newcomers, including dictatorial Amy, an old college friend, Mr Mawne, whom the village sees as a possible husband for the unwilling Miss Read; and the earnest new infants teacher. Overshadowing everything, there is the mammoth country pageant over which Fairacre is so sharply and painfully divided...
A row of cottages comes up for sale in Fairacre - although with less than desirable tenants at either end, who could possibly want to buy it?
Miss Read heard about the sale of Tyler's Row from the always well-informed Mrs Pringle - and before long, Fairacre was alive with rumours. Why were the present owners selling? Was it true that a football pools winner was about to buy it? Had Tyler's Row been condemned - or was it to be restored?
All rumours are soon laid to rest when Peter and Diana Hale arrive in Fairacre to view Tyler's Row, with plans to knock the middle two cottages into one and create their own rural haven.
But the Hales soon discover that Fairacre is no utopia, but a normal English village with all the usual troubles...
The village school is a hundred years old and headmistress Miss Read is fully occupied planning the festivities.
VILLAGE CENTENARY welcomes us back to Fairacre just in time for the one hundredth anniversary of the village school. Such a centenary should be celebrated, and all of Fairacre is quick to offer suggestions - from a tea party to a pageant.
Deciding how best to stage the grand occasion, however, is only one of Miss Read's problems. The ancient skylight in the school is leaking, and Mr Willet, the school caretaker, fears that replacing it will be a difficult job. The new teacher, Miss Briggs, fresh from college and full of idealistic theories, proves a thorn in Miss Read's side. The vicar has decided to keep bees. And Mrs Pringle is her usual dour self.
But the seasons continue to change, and the centenary year unfolds with its hopes and fears, its memories and forecasts, its friendships and feuds. VILLAGE CENTENARY marks yet another delightful year in the company of our favourite Fairacre friends.
Miss Read's future as headmistress hangs in the balance as the village school is threatened with closure.
'People in Fairacre simply won't stand for their children being uprooted, and carted away in buses like so many - er, so many--'
'Animals?' prompted Mr Roberts helpfully.
'No, no, not animals,' said Mrs Mawne testily. 'Animals don't go in buses! What I mean is, we won't have it. We'll never let Fairacre school close.'
She looked round the table. Her face was red, her eyes bright.
'Agreed?'
The village of Fairacre is buzzing with rumours of the imminent closure of its two-class school. As fears grow amid mounting conjecture, headmistress Miss Read's future hangs in the balance. And trouble is never far away as village life is further disrupted by tangled matrimonial affairs and a police investigation. The community must rally together to face this new threat...
Another delightful Fairacre novel from the bestselling author Miss Read
'No matter how devoted, dedicated, conscientious and altogether noble a teacher is, I feel pretty sure that each and everyone feels the same sense of freedom and relief from her chains when the end of term arrives...'
So it is for Miss Read - but on the very first day of the long summer holiday she falls and breaks her arm. Instantly, all her plans for the holidays are in tatters.
But Miss Read's friend, Amy, comes up with an idea: and so it is that the two of them leave Fairacre for the island of Crete. The change of scene provides a welcome break for both women, giving Miss Read the opportunity to recuperate, and for them both to discuss the merits of single and married life. And when Miss Read returns, refreshed, to Fairacre, she is ready to tackle the problems which await her...
Another entertaining slice of Fairacre life from the bestselling author of VILLAGE SCHOOL.
'The story of the village goes back a long, long time, and it still goes on. I have listened to my neighbours' accounts of tales long ago, and with what unfailing curiosity I observe the happenings of today!'
From an unusual weight-loss recipe found in an old notebook - and used with alarming consequences - to the queen of copycats who drives her neighbour mad with anger, OVER THE GATE is a hugely entertaining collection of tales from Fairacre, past and present.
Miss Read, the schoolmistress, continues to attract odd stories and village folklore, and retells them with her characteristic compassion and humour.
After a long winter, summer is a welcome time for Miss Read and her village friends.
SUMMER AT FAIRACRE charmingly recounts this bright, bustling season and the problems and possibilities that unfold against the backdrop of roses, skylarks and bees.
Joseph Coggs finds a temporary home in the schoolhouse while his mother is in the hospital. Miss Read's friend Amy mysteriously disappears. Perhaps most difficult of all, Mrs Pringle, the grumpy school cleaner, is unable to work because of her 'bad leg'.
Still, the sounds of children playing and the fragrance of summertime flowers fill the air, as Miss Read shepherds her students and friends through the warm season.
