Product Description

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, everyone enjoys treats of the festive season. And when it snows as the carol singers make their way round the cottages on the green, it seems 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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2225 in Books
• Published on: 2009-10-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

Review
"A light-hearted gentle read set in the English countryside, with vibrant characters and an old-fashioned outlook." (THEBOOKBAG.CO.UK )

About the Author
Miss Read was a teacher by profession who started writing after the Second World War. In additional to her novels, she has written on educational and country matters, and worked as a script-writer for the BBC. She lives in Berkshire, and was made an MBE for her services to literature.

Customer Reviews

Oh dear..... not quite as it seems from the cover
I have read and enjoyed every one of Miss Read's books, so was absolutely delighted to see there was 'a brand new Miss Read novel' about to be published even though she was officially retired.
As soon as I saw that the book had actually been written by her editor, Jenny Dereham, I felt distinctly short changed! The book isn't terrible, and it's nice to read a bit more about her well-known characters, but the whole narrative and characterisation lacks the 'bite' that Miss Read has always employed with great success.
If I had known that Miss Read had, according to the acknowledgement 'discussed the initial idea, developed the storyline, then left [Jenny Dereham] to put it into words', I might have had second thoughts.
I honestly think this should be made clear by the publishers on the book cover.

Disappointment at Thrush Green
This was a book I looked forward to with a passion. Couldn't wait to read it. It arrived. Disappointment. Cloying, not astringent/cerbic in the old Miss Read way. Snobbish, patronising, too much re-iteration. I felt that this cashed in on Miss Read's good name but the ghost writer/editor really was not up to it. Shame that the series has been spoiled in this way. Would not recommend buying, not sure I'd even borrow it from the library.

Very enjoyable
It was so nice to get this book, a lovely surprise and unexpected. It's like catching up with old friends and I much enjoyed meeting the Thrush Green characters again. Miss Read was happy with this book and so am I.