Encounters at Thrush Green: News from Thrush Green/The School at Thrush Green

by Miss Read

For many years, Dorthy Watson and Agnes Fogarty have taught at the village school but now, as seen in the first book in this omnibus, their retirement is fast approaching. In the seond book, the new head settles in and the much-loved characters of Thrush Green gossip and chatter.

512 pages, Paperback

First published August 27, 1998

About the author

Dora 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.

Reviews

[Diane Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully old-fashioned book set in an English Village in the 1950's. It was a pleasure to go back in time to when neighbors helped neighbors, idiosyncrasies and differences of opinion were tolerated, and doctors made house calls. There were problems of course, but they were resolved simply and humanely. Fortunately there are more books in this series, so I can keep up with my new friends.

[Sonia Gomes · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Thrush Green series was highly recommended to me by a person on the forum Glyphs, which still exists but in a much toned down version. I thought the forum a bit snooty but ......Sadly the book was hardly what I had expected.
The Thrush series is much like Miss Marple, or the Inspector Morse on TV without the crimes, so no zing. However, the garden descriptions are truly spectacular, the flowers and those garden parties and fetes, the story lukewarm. Just a genteel slice of England.
I think that we in the Orient love a bit of passion!

[Aarathi Burki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply loved the way this book progresses, it’s so light, calm and simple on your mind that it made me feel more relaxed after reading a lot of mystery and crime novels
Mind you there is not much of a story in it and most of the characters are old and retired folks but it was a welcome change after reading all those serious books to read something which moved at a slow pace and had a laid back attitude

Would highly recommend this book to anyone in need of a light read but at the same time has a good feel about it