Two 'Miss Read' stories

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I've been reading a couple of Miss Read books; if you're not familiar with them, they're a series of novels set in the English countryside and focused on the doings of a small set of villages.  A nice element of these novels is that they could so easily slide into sentimentality, but they don't; they are in fact a little on the astringent side.

The Christmas Mouse is a very short novel, featuring a three-generational family of grandmother, widowed mother, and little girls.  On Christmas Eve, a mouse gets into the grandmother's bedroom, pushing her to sleep downstairs, where she is awoken by a runaway boy looking for food.  He is also in need of some sensible talk.  It's a charming little story, and if you're looking for a little dose of literary Christmas, this would be a good choice.



Miss Clare Remembers features one of the recurring characters, a beloved elderly teacher.  As she waits for her friend's visit, she remembers her youth.  It's really a description of English country life in the late Victorian/Edwardian era, and includes enough intelligent background that the reader is well immersed, without any rose-colored glasses.

Comments

  1. TarissaDecember 20, 2017 at 11:09 PM

    Great review! I have some Miss Read books, and hope to read a few this coming year.

    ReplyDelete
  2. JeanDecember 21, 2017 at 9:51 PM

    They are very pleasant to read!

    ReplyDelete
  3. JoyDecember 25, 2017 at 9:03 AM

    These sound lovely for winter reading. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

    ReplyDelete

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