Illustration detail by J.S. Goodall showing 3 ladies sat at a table.

The School at Thrush Green by Miss Read

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Sometimes books come along at opportune moments, for no other reason than to speak to you. We are in the process of moving house, which it turns out is one of the most stressful things to do in life and boy were they not kidding! As well as all the practical side; dealing with Solicitors, removal firms and packing up, there is also the emotional side.

We are very blessed to have wonderful neighbours and friends close by, who if I could, would pack into a box and bring them with us. Whilst we are sad to be leaving them behind, we are also happy in the knowledge that we can take them with us. We will see them and there is now somewhere for them to stay. There will be new friends on the horizon. Best of all our families are a lot closer.

If this seems like I'm giving myself a pep talk here, it's because I am. We are so excited to move to a new house and a new area. But no-one tells you how emotional moving actually is.

There is a point to all this. September's book in the #MissReadReadalong is The School at Thrush Green which has a similar theme. If you have missed any of the books in the challenge, I have listed them below.

The Plot

For many years, Dorothy Watson and Agnes Fogerty have taught in the school at Thrush Green, so their imminent retirement provokes rumour and speculation. Who will take Miss Watson's place as Head Teacher?..
There are other issues too. Will Winnie Bailey's eccentric nephew move into the school house? Who is the strange young man lurking outside the Fuschia Bush? And what will become of Miss Fogerty's stray cat?

My Thoughts

This was a tonic for the soul and was the perfect book to read after a few sleepless nights. Miss Read is a calm, quiet voice bringing the stories to life in Thrush Green. As always nature is a beautifully explored theme in this Miss Read. The passing of time reflected back in the countryside.

In this novel, it is Agnes and Dorothy who feature heavily here as they contemplate their move away from the village of Thrush Green. We see Agnes' doubts about leaving the village they love and their friends behind. Agnes is especially concerned about abandoning a stray cat that is timid, yet has adopted her. But just like my own fears, all is resolved. Agnes and Dorothy will remain firm friends with their Thrush Green family and become excited about their move to a new area. As I say, this novel very much spoke to me.

Of course our favourite characters are back - Charles and Dimity, Ella, Dottie, Albert and Nelly. And yet Miss Read has gently introduced new characters to the novels which leaves them feeling fresh. Richard, Winnie's nephew is a right card. Immensely dislikable - but this is all the better for it. This resembles our current road where, at the time of writing, there are 5 houses for sale. Soon our street will have new characters introduced and a new story written.

And so, I look forward to our house move and the next in the series Friends at Thrush Green.