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Fairacre #17
Mrs. Pringle of Fairacre
Through the eyes of many Fairacre friends, we trace Mrs. Pringle’s life and her stormy standing as the redoubtable cleaner of the town’s school. However maddening she is, life at Fairacre would be poorer without her.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
About the author
Miss Read
169 books551 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 92 reviews
May 20, 2026
This one (almost) makes you like Mrs. Pringle. Or at least understand her a little better.
November 19, 2016
A visit to the Cotswolds is always a gentle bit of joy, even when the main character is morose, maudlin, and miserable. Mrs. Pringle is a retrospective of earlier Fairacre books, a rewriting of the source material.
I anticipated a cliche--when we discover Mrs. Pringle's back story we'll come to love the curmudgeon; she transforms into a ray of sunshine. Happily, I was wrong.
This is a book for people who like to read the word jollification; for folks who like to read about vicars and jumble sales; for patient readers who enjoy vignettes of daily life without a sizzling plot.
It occurred to me as I read, that Miss Read books are particularly suited for followers of Charlotte Mason (an English educator). Not for precepts, but for the atmosphere. Nature walks where the kids collect empty shells, rook feathers, and catkins.
I'll end with a quote:
He had that knack of making any woman feel that she was the only person in the world that interested him. He had a way of gazing intently into one's face, and although I was pretty sure that it was because he was short-sighted and too vain to wear spectacles, the result was still very pleasant.
I anticipated a cliche--when we discover Mrs. Pringle's back story we'll come to love the curmudgeon; she transforms into a ray of sunshine. Happily, I was wrong.
This is a book for people who like to read the word jollification; for folks who like to read about vicars and jumble sales; for patient readers who enjoy vignettes of daily life without a sizzling plot.
It occurred to me as I read, that Miss Read books are particularly suited for followers of Charlotte Mason (an English educator). Not for precepts, but for the atmosphere. Nature walks where the kids collect empty shells, rook feathers, and catkins.
I'll end with a quote:
He had that knack of making any woman feel that she was the only person in the world that interested him. He had a way of gazing intently into one's face, and although I was pretty sure that it was because he was short-sighted and too vain to wear spectacles, the result was still very pleasant.
September 28, 2021
Thank goodness for Miss Read & thank goodness for audible! I’m in a real reading slump just now but - as always- this was a comfort & a joy to listen to.
August 18, 2022
As a middle schooler, into my high school years, I'd find my mom reading Miss Read, and one day I'd had a rough time at school. Mom tossed me one. She nodded and said, here's a gentle read for you. You'll laugh. And. . .I did. It reminded me of the old people in my family that talked gently in their own conversations no matter the action in the room, house or park. It always calmed us down, and as cousins we'd flop, belly down on the spread quilts as the shadows grew long. Listening to the aunties, and the clinks and harrumphing growls, low and bassy, from the horseshoe men. We'd slide into a lovely place, limbs in a tangle. That's what Miss Read books remind me of, and the kind of places she sends me.
Mrs. Pringle is a challenge to that gentle community, but not really - she's its best fan and fiercest defender. I know this book pulled bits of her from others, but for the first time in many decades reading of her again, I was pleased for the smush and a lot of her flavor on the page.
I wish I had books like that of some of my relatives. Ones where you get a big taste, and then can put it back on the shelf until you are ready again for that piquancy found nowhere else in this world.
Mrs. Pringle is a challenge to that gentle community, but not really - she's its best fan and fiercest defender. I know this book pulled bits of her from others, but for the first time in many decades reading of her again, I was pleased for the smush and a lot of her flavor on the page.
I wish I had books like that of some of my relatives. Ones where you get a big taste, and then can put it back on the shelf until you are ready again for that piquancy found nowhere else in this world.
August 18, 2023
Phew finished in time for the #followustofairacre live stream today! This seemed like a good number of stories we’ve already read before in earlier books. I always love a visit to Fairacre though.
June 7, 2012
I have always been a true fan of the Fairacre novels; I found I enjoyed them even more than Miss Read's beloved Thrush Green novels. Mrs. Pringle, however, is the literary equivalent of a television clip show: One-half to two-thirds of the material in this book has already appeared in greater detail and written in a more interesting fashion in previous Fairacre novels.
It's marginally worth reading for a few of the new tales about Mrs. Pringle, particularly a few about Mrs. Pringle's miscreant girlhood. But, if you decide to skip this one, you can pick up in the next book without having missed anything.
It's marginally worth reading for a few of the new tales about Mrs. Pringle, particularly a few about Mrs. Pringle's miscreant girlhood. But, if you decide to skip this one, you can pick up in the next book without having missed anything.
February 6, 2021
My love, my breath of fresh air, when mostly needed!
We all agreed that the weather was unseasonably mild - and quoted: 'a green Christmas makes a full churchyard' - but what a blessing there was no snow! (Who, apart from Bing Crosby, we said, wanted a white Christmas?)
He was a friendly soul, and the vicar soon became grateful to him for his ease with figures and his willingness to straighten out some church accounts which had become sadly entangled by our highly literate, but completely innumerate, vicar. - ME!!!!!
'My mum at Springbourne has 'em Friday afternoons. She does the ironing from the Manor then. She irons lovely.'
'Lovelily,' I corrected automatically, ever the teacher. It did not sound right.
'Beautifully,' I amended hastily.
'That's right. Lovely,' agreed Minnie. I let it pass. - Do I remember someone????
We all agreed that the weather was unseasonably mild - and quoted: 'a green Christmas makes a full churchyard' - but what a blessing there was no snow! (Who, apart from Bing Crosby, we said, wanted a white Christmas?)
He was a friendly soul, and the vicar soon became grateful to him for his ease with figures and his willingness to straighten out some church accounts which had become sadly entangled by our highly literate, but completely innumerate, vicar. - ME!!!!!
'My mum at Springbourne has 'em Friday afternoons. She does the ironing from the Manor then. She irons lovely.'
'Lovelily,' I corrected automatically, ever the teacher. It did not sound right.
'Beautifully,' I amended hastily.
'That's right. Lovely,' agreed Minnie. I let it pass. - Do I remember someone????
April 7, 2010
This was less successful than most of the other books for me because it was a rehash of all the Mrs. Pringle stories told in the earlier books. I would probably have liked it better if I were not doing an intensive start to finish read of the series. But I am.
May 18, 2019
Well, as pointed out by others, this book is the equivalent of a TV series "clips show" — lots of recycled content from other books, not stitched together particularly well. Fairacre is Fairacre, though, and it's always nice to visit the village, even when faced with the dreaded Mrs Pringle.
August 19, 2019
Some of the Mrs. Pringle stories are repeats from other Fairacre books, but I enjoyed the snippets about her childhood and young adulthood.
I especially liked the last story about a very cold, snowy spell in Fairacre. No reason other than the fact it is August and we’re going into the third week of an extended heatwave with triple-digit and near-triple-digit temps. A bit of shivering in frigid winds and slipping on the ice sounds quite refreshing at the moment!
A visit to Fairacre or Thrush Green is always worth at least 4 stars!
I especially liked the last story about a very cold, snowy spell in Fairacre. No reason other than the fact it is August and we’re going into the third week of an extended heatwave with triple-digit and near-triple-digit temps. A bit of shivering in frigid winds and slipping on the ice sounds quite refreshing at the moment!
A visit to Fairacre or Thrush Green is always worth at least 4 stars!
December 14, 2017
This book gives and gives to the reader without asking much in return. Definitely not a thrilling, plotty story, but I was kept interested by the perceptive sketches of true-to-life characters and goings-on in a small town.
I listened to this on audio each night this week. As I cozied up under the blankets, I felt like I was overhearing perhaps a grandmother and auntie chatting together of bygone days until sleep overtook me. Charming.
I listened to this on audio each night this week. As I cozied up under the blankets, I felt like I was overhearing perhaps a grandmother and auntie chatting together of bygone days until sleep overtook me. Charming.
November 16, 2018
A little below my expectations. A lot of it comprised of stuff shared in the earlier Fairacre books. It was more like brushing up whatever I had read of Miss Pringle, so far. If you wish to, you can certainly go ahead and skip this one. You really won’t miss on anything substantial.
February 29, 2016
Great audio book to listen to while painting a fence.
May 18, 2025
While flipping through some book recommendations I ran across an author by the name of Miss Read(obviously a pseudonym) and a series of novels about a quaint village in the Cotswolds after the end of WWII. Thinking these might appeal to my mother who just turned ninety I looked and found a used copy of Fairacre #17. This novel is narrated by a spinster schoolteacher, Miss Read, in a small village school and is about a unique character, Mrs. Pringle, who is the school cleaner and a cranky, opinionated, curmudgeonly woman known by the entire village. This is a simple character-driven novel filled with humor and observations of village life. It was a quick novel that will definitely appeal to my Mama.
August 16, 2023
Reading a book about my least favorite Miss Read character was about as enjoyable as I thought it would be.
May 29, 2023
Delightful!
This Fairacre novel centers on the indomitable Mrs. Pringle and a jolly good laugh it is! Miss Read is a master of subtle humor and the everyday life in the English village of Fairacre is something we can all relate to- even in these modern times.
This Fairacre novel centers on the indomitable Mrs. Pringle and a jolly good laugh it is! Miss Read is a master of subtle humor and the everyday life in the English village of Fairacre is something we can all relate to- even in these modern times.
May 17, 2012
Miss Read's books about Thrush Green and Fairacre don't particularly have plots to follow--it's more the ebb and flow of village life in the Cotswolds in the 1950s and 60s. This book is primarily narrated by Miss Read, the head teacher of the two-teacher village school at Fairacre, and gives lip service to the title by relating various stories of the doughty and disagreeable Mrs. Pringle, the school cleaner whose bad leg only acts up when she takes umbrage at something (so has a permanent limp). Many other stories about life in Fairacre creep through, however, in the gentle flow of your grandmother telling you about her early days. While Mrs. Pringle is the local grouch and sometimes hearing about her is unpleasant, still, these books make good bedtime reading.
December 11, 2021
Five things about Mrs Pringle by Miss Read 3/5⭐️s
1. There were some delightful scenes in this book.
2. It felt a lot like watching episodes of Vicar of Dibley.
3. The language in this book is shockingly outdated at times. Slurs fly from the mouth of this sweet narrator and her contemporaries with ignorant bliss. It’s disconcerting and resulted in a 3 instead of 4 star rating.
5. I’d read another Miss Read but with a greater understanding of how very dated the language is and a sigh of relief that much of the descriptive language used to identify people in the setting of this book is no longer normalized.
1. There were some delightful scenes in this book.
2. It felt a lot like watching episodes of Vicar of Dibley.
3. The language in this book is shockingly outdated at times. Slurs fly from the mouth of this sweet narrator and her contemporaries with ignorant bliss. It’s disconcerting and resulted in a 3 instead of 4 star rating.
5. I’d read another Miss Read but with a greater understanding of how very dated the language is and a sigh of relief that much of the descriptive language used to identify people in the setting of this book is no longer normalized.
May 10, 2022
I always enjoy reading my new Fairacre book each month as I read through the series by Miss Read. Mrs. Pringle centers around tales of Miss Read's little battles with Mrs. Pringle through the years along with stories she's heard from other villagers. I enjoyed having all the tales brought together in one story, but most of the interactions have been taken from other books. Hence the docking of one star. I would have loved for all the anecdotes to have been new material. Anyway, it was a cozy, quick read and I always enjoy our curmudgeonly Mrs. Pringle.
April 18, 2015
I very much enjoyed this book. It was the first I have read by author Miss Read (Dora Saint), so I had not encountered the tales of Mrs. Pringle that I have heard appeared in some previous Fairacre or Thrush Green stories. Nevertheless, this is a charming spinning-out of anecdotes about Mrs. Pringle and other Cotswold village characters.
July 11, 2020
Not one of Miss Read’s better novels. The plot is very thin, which is pity.
May 17, 2023
After reading A Few Green Leaves by Barbara Pym, I found myself with the sudden urge to read more of the Fairacre series. Luckily, I had a long weekend and I managed to make my way to the library after many months and borrow another book in the Fairacre series.
Mrs. Pringle of Fairacre focuses on the famously grumpy Mrs. Pringle – she who loves the stoves at the school, keeps things spotlessly clean, and is a terror to everyone in Fairacre. In this book, Miss Read takes us back to the past, where she meets Mrs. Pringle for the first time, how she got used to the lady, and shows us a little of the hidden depths that Mrs. Pringle holds.
This is a book for fans who already love Fairacre and know its inhabitants. While it’s nice to see more of Mrs. Pringle, I was probably more excited to see Bob Willet, Dolly Clare, Minnie, and even Mr. Mawne in this book. Pretty much all the characters who have appeared in earlier books come back and it was like having a small reunion with all of them.
As usual, Miss Read manages to keep things light, even though she does include mentions of poverty and alcohol abuse by certain characters. One thing that struck me was the mention of the Women’s Institute – after reading Jambusters, I know how formidable the WI is and I immediately grasped its importance in village life. In a way, I felt my return to Fairacre was enhanced after reading some nonfiction on Britain during the war and after the war and though I would say Jambusters is more relevant that Perfect Wives in Ideal Homes, even Miss Read’s musings of spinsterhood reminded me of how hard it could be to toil as a housewife and of the great societal expectations Miss Read was struggling against by staying single.
If you’re looking for something comforting to read, and if you haven’t already tried the Fairacre series, please give it a shot! I find these books to be great comfort books – it’s something that’s easy to pick up and I’ve never tired of visiting Fairacre. I really should get to Miss Reads other books one day.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
Mrs. Pringle of Fairacre focuses on the famously grumpy Mrs. Pringle – she who loves the stoves at the school, keeps things spotlessly clean, and is a terror to everyone in Fairacre. In this book, Miss Read takes us back to the past, where she meets Mrs. Pringle for the first time, how she got used to the lady, and shows us a little of the hidden depths that Mrs. Pringle holds.
This is a book for fans who already love Fairacre and know its inhabitants. While it’s nice to see more of Mrs. Pringle, I was probably more excited to see Bob Willet, Dolly Clare, Minnie, and even Mr. Mawne in this book. Pretty much all the characters who have appeared in earlier books come back and it was like having a small reunion with all of them.
As usual, Miss Read manages to keep things light, even though she does include mentions of poverty and alcohol abuse by certain characters. One thing that struck me was the mention of the Women’s Institute – after reading Jambusters, I know how formidable the WI is and I immediately grasped its importance in village life. In a way, I felt my return to Fairacre was enhanced after reading some nonfiction on Britain during the war and after the war and though I would say Jambusters is more relevant that Perfect Wives in Ideal Homes, even Miss Read’s musings of spinsterhood reminded me of how hard it could be to toil as a housewife and of the great societal expectations Miss Read was struggling against by staying single.
If you’re looking for something comforting to read, and if you haven’t already tried the Fairacre series, please give it a shot! I find these books to be great comfort books – it’s something that’s easy to pick up and I’ve never tired of visiting Fairacre. I really should get to Miss Reads other books one day.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
April 26, 2022
A pleasant, light novel about life in a very small English village.
Mrs. Pringle is the focus of this story, a difficult, but hardworking cleaning lady that maintains the village school. Miss Read, the narrator, reflects on her first meeting as the somewhat nervous new schoolteacher, and gives the reader a picture of how the book will progress ...
"Mrs Pringle, bucket at her feet and floor cloth in the other, stood before us. She was short and stout. Her expression was dour. She made no attempt to smile, offer a hand, or make any other gesture of welcome as the vicar introduced us."
I enjoyed this story that was full of anecdotes, various characters and their quirks, and interesting comings and goings. Despite her qualms, Miss Read decides to allow Mrs Pringle to continue cleaning her home on Wednesdays, and often has to bite her tongue.
"She started on the bedrooms and I was unfortunate enough to encounter her on the first occasion.
'I've been droring (running?) my finger along the top of this pelmet,' she told me, from her vantage post on a bedroom chair, 'and you could write your name in the dust, that you could. When Mrs. Hope was here, she had a feather broom in constant use! Tops of doors, picture rails, curtain tops, she done 'em all regular. Everything smelt as sweet as a nut.'
'It doesn't smell,' I protested.
'You gets used to it,' she retorted.
A fun entertaining read!
Mrs. Pringle is the focus of this story, a difficult, but hardworking cleaning lady that maintains the village school. Miss Read, the narrator, reflects on her first meeting as the somewhat nervous new schoolteacher, and gives the reader a picture of how the book will progress ...
"Mrs Pringle, bucket at her feet and floor cloth in the other, stood before us. She was short and stout. Her expression was dour. She made no attempt to smile, offer a hand, or make any other gesture of welcome as the vicar introduced us."
I enjoyed this story that was full of anecdotes, various characters and their quirks, and interesting comings and goings. Despite her qualms, Miss Read decides to allow Mrs Pringle to continue cleaning her home on Wednesdays, and often has to bite her tongue.
"She started on the bedrooms and I was unfortunate enough to encounter her on the first occasion.
'I've been droring (running?) my finger along the top of this pelmet,' she told me, from her vantage post on a bedroom chair, 'and you could write your name in the dust, that you could. When Mrs. Hope was here, she had a feather broom in constant use! Tops of doors, picture rails, curtain tops, she done 'em all regular. Everything smelt as sweet as a nut.'
'It doesn't smell,' I protested.
'You gets used to it,' she retorted.
A fun entertaining read!
August 16, 2020
Newly hired teacher Miss Read is being shown around Fairacre School by the vicar when she first encounters the intrepid Mrs. Pringle. Their lives intersect almost daily since Mrs. Pringle cleans the school and mans the stoves that keep them warm. She is a force to be reckoned with. The villagers know this as they take turns telling stories of their personal experiences with the woman who grew up nearby and now lives among them. This book also describes the changing seasons, long-lasting friendships and joys of teaching at a one room school. A pleasant escape between two covers recommended for readers of Jan Karon's Mitford books.
October 29, 2022
You can't go wrong with a Miss Read book - her characters are vividly drawn, so you’ll feel you know them personally - warts & all. Told through anecdotes by Miss Read and other villagers, you’ll learn about Mrs. Pringle, the dour school cleaner’s life. Mrs. Pringle’s work ethic, her temper flare ups when Miss Read wants to use the school stoves to heat the classroom on cold days, her belief in old fashioned cures - eg. ‘eating a fried mouse for whooping cough’, ‘slapping yourself with stinging nettles to cure chilblains’, etc… As you can, see Fairacre wouldn’t be the same without Mrs. Pringle’s indomitable presence.
July 29, 2026
I have yet to read a "Miss Read" book that hasn't earned four stars. I realize that it is not the particular book so much as it is the style of writing and characterization. I love the setting...the characters...the way the plot unfolds, it is simply a "slice of life". I will say that this book is a bit repetitive, in that Mrs. Pringle is a principal character throughout the Fairacre series. Some of the stories in this book are a sort of "rehash" of the same story in a different book...with perhaps a bit more background. I still don't fault Miss Read as I view each book as a "visit" to the charming village of Fairacre.
October 30, 2017
The whole centers around Mrs. Pringle, my least favorite character. It goes back in time to when Miss Read first met Mrs. Pringle and how things developed thereafter. Miss Read also meets Mr. Willet and Miss Claire for the first time.
Arthus Coggs is also introduced as the 'drunk, lazy, stupid thief' that he is. She learns about Minnie Pringle who cannot read or write. Mrs. Pringle ends up in the hospital and later gets in an actual physical fight with Mrs. Fowler, a woman even more annoying that herself.
We then get to see a lot of the backstory of the major characters in the series.
Arthus Coggs is also introduced as the 'drunk, lazy, stupid thief' that he is. She learns about Minnie Pringle who cannot read or write. Mrs. Pringle ends up in the hospital and later gets in an actual physical fight with Mrs. Fowler, a woman even more annoying that herself.
We then get to see a lot of the backstory of the major characters in the series.
December 31, 2018
A lovely pleasant book of a country teacher. Miss Read tells us of her dealings with Mrs. Pringle. If you needed your home or school to sparkle Mrs. Pringle was the lady you wanted. She made everything spic and span. The lady had a unique way of not appreciating others work. She was the first to let you know if she disapproved. Miss Read tries her best to avoid Mrs. Pringle and her sarcastic tongue.
Miss Read throughout the story lets us know about Mrs. Pringle's background. This is a relaxing read about a woman in Fairacre who represents people that you may know in your own life. People in a small village are not really much different from people in the big city. That is how Miss Marple solved many of the crimes she observed.
Miss Read throughout the story lets us know about Mrs. Pringle's background. This is a relaxing read about a woman in Fairacre who represents people that you may know in your own life. People in a small village are not really much different from people in the big city. That is how Miss Marple solved many of the crimes she observed.
September 8, 2023
I love the world that Miss Read created in Fairacre, but this book is not my favorite. I have been reading it off and on for a couple months, which is excessive considering how short it is. Many of the stories are recycled and the character of Mrs. Pringle does not have much of a story arc, despite being the main character. Regardless, I look forward to continuing the series because hope springs eternal, as they say!
The true rating is more like a 2.5.
The true rating is more like a 2.5.
February 27, 2019
One of Miss Read's best books - I love that she devoted an entire novel to the life story of the redoubtable Mrs. Pringle, who was always a fixture (though a somewhat one-dimensional one) in her Fairacre books. This novel gives the reader so much more on Mrs. Pringle and what makes her tick - it's a great story and a must-read for Miss Read fans.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews