Fresh from the Country
by Miss Read
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'I'm looking for two really trustworthy rabbits and six sensible clear-speaking frogs!' Young Anna Lacey has spent most of her life on a farm in Essex. But her first teaching position carries her to an unattractive, newly constructed suburb where she has to adjust to cramped lodgings, a skinflint landlady, overcrowded classrooms, and eccentric colleagues ('a rum lot'). She must also adapt some of her idealistic theories of teaching to the realities of her energetic, exuberant pupils. Fans of show more Miss Read's much-loved Thrush Green and Fairacre novels will be delighted with this tale of a young woman's first year of teaching, and perhaps also surprised by its sharp, funny portrayals of the foibles of human nature. Anna experiences some disappointments and uncertainties, but her practicality, determination and sense of humour see her through. This new edition of Fresh from the Country features an introduction by Jill Saint, the author's daughter. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Fresh From The Country tells the story of Anna, a young woman brought up in the English countryside. She has completed her teacher’s training and is now tackling her first position in Elmhill, a new suburb just outside of London. It is the early 1950’s and England is experiencing a baby boom and families are moving into the cities looking for work. Her school is new and she is eager to begin her teaching life.
Miss Read is a favorite author of mine. I call her books “comfort reads”. She effortlessly writes about everyday life and things, and although a little dated, she draws one in with her wonderful descriptions and sly humor. Anna’s life is laid out for us, the interesting and eccentric characters she meets and becomes show more involved with from her skinflint landlady to her formidable headmistress to the adorable, funny and sometimes mischievous children in her classroom.
I loved this book and for a short time I was carried away to a different time and place and got to experience a kinder, gentler way of life. show less
Miss Read is a favorite author of mine. I call her books “comfort reads”. She effortlessly writes about everyday life and things, and although a little dated, she draws one in with her wonderful descriptions and sly humor. Anna’s life is laid out for us, the interesting and eccentric characters she meets and becomes show more involved with from her skinflint landlady to her formidable headmistress to the adorable, funny and sometimes mischievous children in her classroom.
I loved this book and for a short time I was carried away to a different time and place and got to experience a kinder, gentler way of life. show less
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Author Information
87+ Works 12,670 Members
Miss Read, 1913 - 2012 Miss Read was born on April 17, 1913 as Dora Jessie Shafe. She worked as a teacher and started writing after World War II for Punch and other journals and as a scriptwriter for the BBC. She wrote her novels under the name Read, which was her mother's maiden name. She is best known for her novels of English rural life and show more used her own memories of living and teaching in a small English village in her novels. She wrote more than forty novels; many were set in the British countryside -- Fairacre and Thrush Green novels. Read finished her writing career in 1996 with A Peaceful Retirement. In 1998, she was awarded an MBE for her services to literature. She died on April 7, 2012. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Furrowed Middlebrow (46)
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1955-12
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 248
- Popularity
- 130,414
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.63)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 16
- ASINs
- 10
