Caxley Chronicles Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Market Square |
1966 |
Buy |
| The Howards of Caxley |
1967 |
Buy |
Fairacre Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Village School |
1955 |
Buy |
| Village Diary |
1957 |
Buy |
| Storm in the Village |
1958 |
Buy |
| Miss Clare Remembers |
1962 |
Buy |
| Over the Gate |
1964 |
Buy |
| Village Christmas |
1966 |
Buy |
| The Fairacre Festival |
1968 |
Buy |
| Emily Davis |
1971 |
Buy |
| Tyler’s Row |
1973 |
Buy |
| The Christmas Mouse |
1973 |
Buy |
| Farther Afield |
1973 |
Buy |
| No Holly for Miss Quinn |
1976 |
Buy |
| Village Affairs |
1977 |
Buy |
| The White Robin |
1979 |
Buy |
| Village Centenary |
1980 |
Buy |
| Summer at Fairacre |
1984 |
Buy |
| Mrs. Pringle of Fairacre |
1989 |
Buy |
| Changes at Fairacre |
1991 |
Buy |
| Farewell to Fairacre |
1993 |
Buy |
| A Peaceful Retirement |
1996 |
Buy |
Fairacre Collections#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Tales from a Village School |
1994 |
Buy |
Non-Fiction#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Miss Read’s Country Cooking, Or, to Cut a Cabbage-Leaf |
1969 |
Buy |
| Fortunate Grandchild |
1982 |
Buy |
| The English Vicarage Garden |
1988 |
Buy |
| Early Days |
1988 |
Buy |
| Mrs. Griffin Sends Her Love and Other Writings |
2013 |
Buy |
Short Story Collections#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Little Red Bus & Other Rhyming |
1991 |
Buy |
| Miss Read’s Christmas Book |
1992 |
Buy |
| A Country Christmas |
2006 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Fresh from the Country |
1955 |
Buy |
| Hobby Horse Cottage |
1958 |
Buy |
| The New Bed |
1964 |
Buy |
| Plum Pie |
1964 |
Buy |
| The Little Peg Doll |
1965 |
Buy |
| Tiggy |
1973 |
Buy |
| Hob and the Horse Bat |
1974 |
Buy |
| Animal Boy |
1975 |
Buy |
Thrush Green Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Thrush Green |
1959 |
Buy |
| Winter in Thrush Green |
1961 |
Buy |
| News From Thrush Green |
1970 |
Buy |
| Return to Thrush Green |
1978 |
Buy |
| Gossip from Thrush Green |
1981 |
Buy |
| Battles at Thrush Green |
1975 |
Buy |
| At Home in Thrush Green |
1986 |
Buy |
| The School at Thrush Green |
1987 |
Buy |
| Affairs at Thrush Green |
1983 |
Buy |
| Celebrations at Thrush Green |
1992 |
Buy |
| The Year at Thrush Green |
1996 |
Buy |
| Friends at Thrush Green |
1991 |
Buy |
| Christmas at Thrush Green |
2009 |
Buy |
Thrush Green Non-Fiction Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Thrush Green |
1959 |
N/A |
| Winter in Thrush Green |
1961 |
N/A |
| News from Thrush Green |
1970 |
N/A |
| Return to Thrush Green |
1978 |
N/A |
| Gossip from Thrush Green |
1981 |
N/A |
| Affairs at Thrush Green |
1983 |
N/A |
| At Home in Thrush Green |
1986 |
N/A |
| The World of Thrush Green |
1988 |
Buy |
| Friends at Thrush Green |
1991 |
N/A |
| The Year at Thrush Green |
1996 |
N/A |
| Christmas at Thrush Green |
2009 |
N/A |
Miss Read was the pen name of Dora Jessie Saint, an English schoolteacher who turned her observations of rural life into one of the most enduring series of village novels in English literature. Her two main series, Fairacre and Thrush Green, together span nearly fifty years of publication and paint a detailed picture of English country life in the second half of the 20th century.
The Fairacre books follow a village schoolmistress and her community through the seasons and decades, while the Thrush Green series does the same for a neighboring Cotswold village. Miss Read wrote with warmth but without sentimentality, capturing the small dramas and quiet pleasures of places where everyone knows everyone else’s business. Her books also include standalone novels, children’s stories, non-fiction about country life, and short story collections. She was appointed a CBE in 1998 for her services to literature.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Miss Read written?
Miss Read has written 63 books across eight series.
What was Miss Read's first book?
Miss Read’s first book is Fresh from the Country, published in 1955.
Who was Miss Read?
Miss Read was the pen name of Dora Jessie Saint (1913-2012), an English teacher and author. She chose the name because it suited the gentle, observational tone of her village stories. She wrote for nearly half a century under this pseudonym, producing over sixty books.