Summer at Fairacre [Hardcover]

Miss Read (Author), John S. Goodall (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 9, 1985

After a long winter of red noses and wet mittens, summer is a welcome time for Miss Read and her downland village friends. SUMMER AT FAIRACRE charmingly recounts this bright, bustling season and the problems and possibilities that unfold against the background 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 the pain in her bad leg flares up. 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.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

To say that for those who like this sort of thing this book is definitely the sort of thing they like is generally understood to be damning with faint praise, but in this case it should be understood as an accolade. Miss Read's loving evocation of life in the Cotswold village of Fairacre tells us that it is possible to go home again, even to a place that does not exist at all, and never did. Fairacre is the English village of our collective unconscious, a thoroughly nostalgic creation. Dora Saint, writing under the nom de plume and in the character of "Miss Read," English schoolteacher, has written 40 books about village and country life. Since the 1950s, Summer at Fairacre and its companion volumes (Village School and Village Centenary) have been reissued many times in England. All three are now being published in the U.S. for the first time in trade paperback. In this particular installment, the central drama such as it is revolves around the bad behavior of Miss Pringle, the crotchety school cleaning lady, who quits in a huff and only returns after much to-ing and fro-ing. Miss Read, a gentle soul with a kindly interest in all around her, is the master of the kind of detail that shows place and character in delicate focus, reporting on the behavior of bees and swallows and Tibby, her cat, and, of course, on her neighbors. For those who miss the Waltons, or who can't get enough of Jan Karon, Fairacre is an excellent place to visit. (May 15)Forecast: Houghton Mifflin is hoping to introduce a whole new generation of readers to Miss Read with these reissues. It may be more of a challenge this time around, but there's no underestimating the power of rural English charm.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

"If you've ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you'll relish a visit to Fairacre." -- Jan Karon

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 241 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin; 1st US edition (December 9, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395380162
• ISBN-13: 978-0395380161
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,898,624 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A nice treat, June 12, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Summer at Fairacre (Paperback)

This particular year in the English village of Fairacre has seen a cold snowy winter. On the first day of spring, the grounds are still filled with snow. Custodial worker Mrs. Pringle is not just her usual sourpuss self. She claims her leg has not flared up as it has on numerous occasions due to the mistakes of the schoolmistress Miss Read. This time Miss Read learns that Mrs. Pringle's niece with the low IQ caused the noticeable limp. However, unlike the many "bad leg" moments in the past, to the schoolmistress' shock, Mrs. Pringle quits.

Everyone looks forward to the warmth of summer. For the school employees including Miss Read and most villagers, the highlight of the summer is the wedding of teacher Miss Briggs. As Spring slowly turns to Summer and the wedding nears, Miss Read's friend Amy begins to act strange and ultimately vanishes. Miss Read wonders if Amy is okay, what else will happen before school starts anew, and who will become the new custodian?

SUMMER AT FAIRACRE is a leisurely cozy look at a small English village. The story line is fun for those readers who want to kick back and follow a relaxing tale filled with friendly charcaters (and one not so friendly individual). Anyone who wants to observe life in a small village during the latter half of the twentieth century, this novel and the entire series provides an unhurried but insightful look.

Harriet Klausner

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love Visiting with Miss Read, January 4, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Summer at Fairacre (Paperback)

I highly recommend Miss Read books to everyone who enjoys reading stories about small towns with characters who have English wit and humor. It is wonderful that these books are being reprinted.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful surprise!, December 27, 2000

By 

Marc "Fundraisingcoach.com" (Waterville, ME, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Summer at Fairacre (Audio Cassette)

My wife took this series out of our local library for a car trip. Prunella Scales (Fawlty Towers) is the reader and does a wonderful job. I've never read Miss Read before but definitely want to now. I feel like I've already visited Fairacre!