The Fairacre Festival by Miss Read is the 7th book in her Fairacre series which is set in a small English village. It is narrated by the village school teacher and the stories are often centred around the school but in this outing we are mostly reading about the church.

When a storm brings a large tree down upon the roof of the church, the villagers of Fairacre need to come together to raise the necessary funds for repairs. They decide to hold a festival, a week long series of events with the help of a few kind-hearted celebrities and many volunteers. There will be a garden show, afternoon teas, a concert by the schoolchildren and the highlight of the festival, a nightly light and sound show, set in the ancient church that details the history of Fairacre. The funds mount but will it be enough to pay for the repairs needed or must they sell off the church treasure, a silver chalice that is brought out for special services.

A simple story that encapsulates village life and expectations. Miss Read obviously knows of what she writes as the village politics and the local characters feel real as they liven up the story and keep it from becoming too sentimental. ( )

Not the best in the series. ( )

Quite a thin book for Miss Read, this is book 7 of the Fairacre chronicles and I listened on audio. As always, I found something to laugh at - her dry wit is so funny. The crisis in the village is the damage to the church which must be paid for by the parish. While discussing the options to raise the necessary 2000 pounds, the church administrator suggest selling the valuable chalice they use on special occasions, donated during the reign of Queen Anne some 120 years prior. His wife looked at him "with as much disgust as if he'd suggested slaughtering her dachshund and serving it for luncheon". I laughed so hard, I missed the next few lines. ( )

Miss Read is the undisputed master of the heartwarming cozy tale of English village life. This story, of Fairacre denizens throwing a festival to save the Queen Anne chalice in their church, displays Miss Reed's talent in top form. If you don't get the warm fuzzies from this book you are likely either a. a male devotee of Foer-Franzen-Moore-Sedaris and their ilk or b. legally dead. ( )

I read all the Fairacre and Thrush Green books years ago. They are sill a good read for me--just nice, calm books with lovable characters. These recreate life in small villages in England, with insights into characters and their lives and problems. As a teacher, I enjoy reading about the exploits of Miss Read and her young charges. ( )