The Beloved Thrush Green Series

Make a visit to this English village: “What you will find in the novels of Miss Read is an aura of warm happiness.” —The Columbus Dispatch In the quaint English village of Thrush Green, a terrible fire has burned the rectory to the ground. Now, kindly vicar Charles Henstock has been appointed to the neighboring town of Lulling and its combined parishes. But while he enjoys the beautiful Queen Anne house provided for him, and his pleasant new surroundings, going to a new church is never easy: Poor Dr. Henstock has encountered 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 café, and its rivalry with the Two Pheasants becomes more acute. One knows, however, that Miss Read will set everything right in the end. “Affairs at Thrush Green will surely delight all those addicted to Miss Read . . . and may well make converts of those who read her here for the first time.” —The Plain Dealer

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 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.   “Thrush Green is a village somewhere on the road between Lulling and Nod. Nonetheless, there is nothing sleepy about the place. No indeed. In this delicious installment, there are ‘battles’ erupting all over. . . . [Miss Read] has plenty of grist here for the village mill. You can’t get farther away from the front page than this.” —The New York Times

Save the date for some English village fun: “You’ll relish a visit to Thrush Green” (Jan Karon, #1 New York Times–bestselling author).   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 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.   “For the fans, another deep dream of peace—in the doings of that Cotswold English village of Thrush Green, endearingly chronicled as civil neighbors enjoy little pleasures and major satisfactions . . . A bedtime soother of remarkable potency.” —Kirkus Reviews

Two favorite villagers make a life-changing decision. “If you’ve ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you’ll relish a visit to Thrush Green” (Jan Karon, #1 New York Times–bestselling author).   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.   “Once again, Miss Read renders a charming recital of events in Thrush Green, a quaint English village caught in time (most likely teatime).” —Booklist  

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, Nelly, 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

Both the good and the bad find sanctuary in an English village— “You’ll relish a visit to Thrush Green” (Jan Karon, #1 New York Times–bestselling author).   It’s spring again in the village of Thrush Green, and with the changing 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 Piggott—one of Thrush Green’s more malevolent sorts—cannot dim the happiness that inevitably prevails at Thrush Green.   “The more turbulent the real world, the more charming we may find the stability of Miss Read’s tiny fictional world.” —Los Angeles Times   “A charming little world in which to live . . . One learns a good deal about human nature, integrity, and about truth.” —Christian Herald

Tongues are wagging in this charming novel of English village life— “If you’ve ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you’ll relish a visit to Thrush Green” (Jan Karon, #1 New York Times–bestselling author).   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.   “There is a special kind of English writer who writes deceptively simple evocations of English rural life. . . . It is not earth-shattering, but it reveals the fragility of even the most ordinary lives, the courage and stoicism with which people respond to adversity, their generosity in friendship and their gratitude for small pleasures.” —The Washington Post   “Bid a joyful welcome to old friends and new . . . in their beloved . . . Thrush Green, the happy world to which Miss Read introduced us so many years ago.” —Publishers Weekly  

Discover the little English village that neighbors Fairacre, in a novel that’s “enchanting, lovely, gentle, pointed, and charming” (Minneapolis Sunday Tribune). Miss Read's charming chronicles of English small-town life have achieved legendary popularity, providing a welcome return to a gentler time with “wit, humor, and wisdom in equal measure” (The Plain Dealer). Welcome to Thrush Green, the neighboring village to Fairacre, with its blackthorn bushes, thatch-roofed cottages, enchanting landscape, and jumble sales. Readers will enjoy meeting a new cast of characters and also spotting familiar faces as they become immersed in the village’s turn of events over the course of one pivotal day: May Day. All year, the residents of Thrush Green have looked forward to the celebration. Before the day is over, life and love, and perhaps eternity, will touch the immemorial peace of the village. “The more turbulent the real world, the more charming we may find the stability of Miss Read’s tiny fictional world.” —Los Angeles Times

From the author of the Fairacre series: “The more turbulent the real world, the more charming we may find the stability of Miss Read’s tiny fictional world.” —Los Angeles Times Thrush Green is never quite as quiet as it first appears. When a local, long-empty cottage called Tullivers shows signs of occupancy, the village whispers in excitement. Phil, a lovely woman with a young son, has been deserted by her husband and quickly attracts the attention of the villagers—and the interest of several bachelors. Harold Shoosmith gives both advice and practical help in the garden, while Winnie Bailey’s nephew, Richard, offers his assistance with household repairs and takes Phil for a drive to London. When Phil receives some unexpected news, her new freedom brings even more changes to her life—and a new love to Thrush Green.

Old and new friends find a warm welcome in the cozy English village of Thrush Green— “Miss Read’s novels are sheer delight” (Chicago Tribune).   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.   “[A] rambling, gently humorous novel . . . Heartwarming simplicity.” —Publishers Weekly

“If you’ve ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you’ll relish a visit to Thrush Green,” where there’s a spring in the step of villagers young and old (Jan Karon, #1 New York Times–bestselling author).   It is spring in the village of Thrush Green. In neighboring Lulling, Charles Henstock admires the blooming garden of his new vicarage, glad 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.   “Beneath the deceptive simplicity . . . there is arch humor and perceptive character analysis . . . Delightful.” —Publishers Weekly