Three uplifting Christmas tales--"No Holly for Miss Quinn, Village Christmas," and "The Christmas Mouse"--are offered here in one enchanting volume. The English village of Fairacre is a vision of holiday joy, but celebrations of the season do not always go as expected.
"Village School" introduces cheerful schoolmistress Miss Read and her lovable group of children, who are just as likely to lose themselves as their mittens. 18 line drawings.
A brand new Miss Read novel, set in the Cotswold village of Thrush Green at Christmas. The villagers of Thrush Green celebrate Christmas traditionally, in a way that has hardly changed over the generations. Children eagerly hang up their stockings, families go to church together and everyone enjoys the treats of the festive season. And when it snows as the carol singers make their way round the cottages on the green, it looks as if Christmas will be perfect this year. But not everything is as peaceful as it seems. Phyllida and Frank have their work cut out for them when they agree to take on the Nativity play - made all the more difficult by an outbreak of chicken pox. The indomitable Ella has lived in Thrush Green for as long as anyone can remember, but lately she has been behaving strangely. Then there are the dreadful Burwells, newcomers to Thrush Green, who cause something of a stir with their 'home improvements'. For Nelly, owner of The Fuchsia Bush tea shop, Christmas is an especially busy time, with people dropping in for much-needed refreshment, weary from all their Christmas shopping. But then she receives an unexpected letter.
Two Christmas novels from Miss Read - the perfect festive treat! CHRISTMAS AT FAIRACRE From an unexpected visitor on Christmas Eve in 'The Christmas Mouse' to an unwelcome change of plan in 'No Holly for Miss Quinn', Miss Read recounts some of the traditional Christmas events where often, despite the most careful planning, things do not always go as expected. In his charming collection of Christmas stories Miss Read describes the season's events with great tenderness and nostalgia. A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS From the poignant story of 'The White Robin' and the intriguing tale of 'The Fairacre Ghost' to the rural festivities recounted in 'Tales from a Village School', Miss Read's wry wit and light touch is the perfect antidote to long winter evenings.
Miss Read circles the seasons of village life in the English countryside. "This magical blend of nostalgia and country life has wooed her readers for an astonishing forty years".--Times Educational Supplement. Miss Read's books have sold more than 3 million copies. 21 line drawings.
Set in Caxley, the quiet country town neighboring the village of Fairacre, The Caxley Chronicles follow two intertwined families, the Howards and the Norths, through the tumultuous first half of the twentieth century. The first Caxley tale, The Market Square, introduces the deep-rooted camaraderie of Septimus Howard and Bender North, whose friendship survives misunderstandings, the tragedy of war, and the bitterness of loss. The story of their families continues through the generations. The second tale, The Howards of Caxley, tells of Edward Howard, grandson to them both. Edward flies for the Royal Air Force Reserve as England prepares for another war -- and Caxley braces itself for overwhelming changes.