Winter in Thrush Green

A cozy interlude in the Cotswold village of Thrush Green, where the inhabitants are as comfortable as can be, newcomers are viewed with suspicion, but quickly fit right in, and even when things go slightly awry, you know they'll come right in the end, with everyone snug at home where the kettle is singing and there's a cat in the corner. I think Thrush Green is a little like Mayberry...life was never this "nice" or simple, but it's a comfort to pretend it might have been.

Winter in Thrush Green by Miss Read (Dora Saint) is the second book in her Thrush Green series. Thrush Green is a small rural village in the Cotswold area of England. Set in the early 1950’s, the books consist of tales from the day-to-day lives of the villagers that dwell here. This particular book takes place over the winter months of 1950-51 and deals with the arrival of a new resident. Also, the villagers decide to honour a past citizen by erecting a statue of him on the green. Over the course of the winter, two separate couples takes steps toward changing their long friendships into matrimony.

Dora Saint was herself a country school teacher who took her pseudonym from her mother’s maiden name. She began to write articles for show more magazines about country life and, in particular, country schools. Her appealing, slightly humorous stories of village life resonated with her readers. Her picturesque descriptions of the countryside and how it changes with the seasons enhance all her stories.

These quiet, charming tales are great comfort reads for me, and this look back to the past is like opening a window onto a different world. I know my 1950’s weren’t as bucolic as these and I suspect Miss Read writes of how she visions perfection, not how it really was. Nevertheless, I know I will be continuing to pick these books up whenever I need a break from the modern world and want to wander back to a simpler time. show less

This is the second volume in the Thrush Green Series, published in 1961. As with all of the series I've read, the plot revolves around the inhabitants of the small village and the relationships among them. The excitement this time is provided by a handsome single man moving to town and the marriage of two lonely but loved long time villagers. Miss Read once again brings us comfort food without the usual guilt.

Another many times re-read (listen). Although it is part of my Christmas reading the story covers the whole of winter with Christmas a very small part of it.

Whenever I finish one of these books, I feel like the grinch . Their smile slowly getting bigger and their heart grew 3 sizes that day.

A mysterious stranger, pilfering and robbery, romance, and illness make up the incidents in this winter.

Another nostalgic trip back to the countryside in 1961.

I've read nearly all the Thrush Green books but never could find book 2. I finally got my hands on it and enjoyed it very much. This one explains how Nellie marries Albert Piggot and how Charles Henstock and Dimity got engaged.