Thrush Green

Miss Read's charming chronicles of small-town life have achieved an almost legendary popularity worldwide by offering a welcome return to a gentler time and "wit, humor, and wisdom in equal measure." This volume introduces Thrush Green, the neighboring village to Fairacre: its blackthorn bushes, thatch-roofed cottages, enchanting landscape, and jumble sales. Readers will delight in a new cast of characters and also welcome familiar faces as they become immersed in the village's turn of events on one pivotal day-May Day.

In the follow-up to Thrush Green, the arrival of a stranger in the village stirs ripples of speculation and interest.

Tullivers, the former home of old Admiral Trigg and his sister Lucy, had stood empty for many months. Then, one bright April day, two newcomers move in -- an attractive young woman and her son -- and the villagers begin to show their interest and attention, especially several bachelors.

A new season brings changes-and hope-to the little English village of Thrush Green, from the beloved author of the Fairacre series. Nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds, Thrush Green is normally a peaceful place. But as autumn turns to winter, feelings are running high in the village. Miss Fogerty, a respected teacher at the village school for over thirty years, is troubled by the methods of the new young teacher. Dotty Harmer takes up driving, much to the concern of others, and it isn't long before she is involved in an accident and a threatening court case. And when the good rector innocently suggests that the neglected churchyard should be tidied up, Thrush Green is outraged. It seems wherever you look, there are difficulties and changes, but as spring arrives, there is renewed hope that all will end well.

It's spring again in the village of Thrush Green, and with the change of the seasons comes change in the lives of many villagers. The Young family's tranquility is disrupted by the sudden arrival of Joan's father, while Molly and Ben Curdle consider putting an end to their wandering days in order to finally settle down. Even the reappearance of Sexton Albert Piggot-one of Thrush Green's more malevolent sorts-cannot dim the happiness that inevitably prevails at Thrush Green.

Tongues are wagging in this charming novel of English village life. Gossip from Thrush Green returns readers to the delightful English village, neighbor to Fairacre, for a golden summer. But this sleepy, pristine setting conceals a flurry of activity amongst the villagers. Rumor has it that Mr. Venables is considering retirement just as the village's teacher is about to make an important decision. Molly Curdle prepares for a new baby. The kindly vicar, Charles Henstock, works on his sermon-quite unaware of the disaster that will overtake him. However, there is never any doubt that all will end well in this very English village.

In Affairs at Thrush Green, Miss Read continues the fortunes of the Thrush Green families whom we last met in Gossip from Thrush Green. Here we follow the kindly vicar, Charles Henstock, to the neighboring Lulling, after his home was burned to the ground at the end of the earlier novel. Going to a new church is never easy, even in the best of times; indeed, poor Dr. Henstock encounters some very redoubtable females in Lulling. A full-scale power struggle erupts over the question of kneeling cushions for the Lady Chapel, and other difficulties revolve around the crotchety old sexton Albert Piggott. Meanwhile, a mysterious stranger arrives at the Fuschia Bush cafe, and its rivalry with the Two Pheasants becomes more acute. One knows, however, that Miss Read will make all come right in the end.

It is spring in the village of Thrush Green. In neighboring Lulling, Charles Henstock admires the blooming garden of his new vicarage, glad that the squabbles with his parishioners in Affairs at Thrush Green are settled. And yet the good vicar wistfully recalls his former home-the ugly, old rectory of Thrush Green, which burned to the ground. Now, from the rectory's ruins, the villagers are building eight retirement homes for the older folks most in need. But how to choose who will live there? How will they get on together? And how will they accommodate the dogs, cats, and birds that must come along? The spring has brought a new crop of dilemmas, but Dr. Henstock and the villagers are determined to make the old people feel at home in Thrush Green. In the end, harmony is restored to this tiny fictional world. With wit and grace, Miss Read has charmed numerous critics and won the loyalty of readers who will happily find themselves once more At Home in Thrush Green.

Two favorite villagers make a life-changing decision. The School at Thrush Green returns readers to the heart of the Cotswolds just as beloved primary school teachers Dorothy Watson and Agnes Fogerty announce their retirement and make plans to leave Thrush Green and buy a new home at Barton-on-Sea. The village people are aflutter with the news, musing about the teachers' replacements, the fate of the schoolhouse, and an appropriate farewell gift. Further drama unfolds as Dorothy takes up driving and Agnes finds a new friend in a stray cat. As summer turns to fall, the changing seasons reflect the changing face of Thrush Green, where old and new friends settle down and find happiness.

There had been general dismay when Miss Watson and Miss Fogerty retired to Barton-on-Sea after many years of devoted service teaching the children of Thrush Green, so their visit to see old friends in the village brings great pleasure. The new headmaster, Alan Lester, is cautiously accepted, but rumor is rife about his wife's health. Meanwhile, farmer Percy Hodge is also the subject of local speculation: Is his strange behavior the result of an infatuation with the young Doreen Lilly? As for affairs at the Lovelocks' house, it is increasingly apparent that Bertha Lovelock is now in her dotage, and a new and most unfortunate habit is the cause of considerable embarrassment to the good people of Lulling. All these matters and more are faced by our old friends against the familiar background and changing seasons of the Cotswolds.

Save the date for some English village fun. In the Cotswolds village of Thrush Green, celebrations are underway. A statue of Nathaniel Patten has graced the green for years, but little is known of the village's most distinguished son until an unexpected letter arrives. When the correspondence shows that one hundred years have passed since the opening of Patten's mission school in Africa, coinciding with the centenary of Thrush Green's own village school, the townsfolk decide to combine the festivities for a very special occasion. As with all village events, the plans for the celebration are beset with anxieties, but when the long-anticipated day arrives, the village finds reason to rejoice.

A year in the life of your favorite English villagers from Thrush Green. "Miss Read's novels are sheer delight" (Chicago Tribune). Circling the seasons at Thrush Green, Miss Read returns to the Cotswold village already beloved by her readers. The snows of January yield to snowdrops and then daffodils. As the spring unfolds, so do the dramas of village life. Dotty Harmer serves up an herbal brew to her neighbor Albert Piggott, who has a soft spot for her despite his crusty façade. Architect Edward Young overhears a rumor that the old people's home he designed may be a bit cramped, and an American stranger arrives in search of family connections. At the Fuchsia Bush restaurant, Albert's wife, Nellie, finds herself in charge when the owner falls ill, and soon she receives two surprising gifts with implications for her past and her future. By year's end, these stories are satisfyingly intertwined, capturing a bygone era with the charm and humor that give Miss Read her enduring appeal. "The more turbulent the real world, the more charming we may find the stability of Miss Read's tiny fictional world." -Los Angeles Times