Book Review: The Fairacre Festival

The Fairacre Festival

written by Miss Read
104 pages
originally published in 1968

I'd been wanting to try a Miss Read book for a long time and was so pleased to find this one at the used book store. I was even more pleased once I sat down and got to read this little treasure.

The storyline: Miss Read is a schoolteacher in the small village of Fairacre, Scotland. The story is told from her point of view: the likeable characters (and the unlikeable ones too!)... for example, the plump and irritable Mrs. Pringle, the Vicar, the polite Major Gunning, and skeptic Mrs. Mawne, along with others, like Miss Read's students. Altogether they make quite an amusing bunch, that is for sure! Then add to the mix the horrific storm... the destruction that follows... and that tree... and I'm sure you'll have a fun time reading The Fairacre Festival!

"...a mighty wind arose and smote the countryside around Fairacre. The violence of that wild night took almost all by surprise. Only the exceptionally weatherwise, such as Mr. Willet, had any inkling of the devastation which lay in store..."

The Fairacre Festival, page 1

My personal thoughts: It's a quaint Scottish story, and I loved it. I enjoyed meeting the villagers and learning their intricate personalities through Miss Read's eyes. It has that old-time, vintage appeal to it, seeing how it was written in the 60's. I'm certainly looking forward to getting more of Miss Read's books!

"Whatever's got into him?" asked Basil Bradley, bewildered.

"Scotch blood," said Mr. Mawne cryptically. "Scotland for ever! I mean Scotland for aye!"

The Fairacre Festival, page 62

Random tidbit: Miss Read is the author of this series (actually, it's her pen name). It is also the name of the fictional character in the story. Just thought I should clear that in case of confusion. Also, this book is actually #7 in the Fairacre series, but I had no trouble stepping into the middle of it. I hope to be able to find more of these books one day!