Farewell to Fairacre FROM THE PUBLISHER
As Miss Read faces ill health and considers far-reaching decisions of her own, she is caught up in the concerns of her neighbors. She must cope with the death of Henry Mawne's wife and his subsequent loneliness, and with the attentions of a good-looking newcomer to Beech Green, who appears to be in equal need of a wife. At school she endures, as usual, the relentless harrying of Mrs. Pringle, the cleaner, while, more important, she worries about some of her new pupils and their difficulties at home. Caretaker Bob Willet and his wife continue to give practical help to anyone in need, and Miss Read has the support of Amy, a long-time college friend who does her best to provide Miss Read with a husband. In this warm and humorous drama set in the beauty of the English downland, Miss Read delightfully captures once again the quarrels, friendship, and gossip that are the stuff of village life. Through the changing seasons of the country year, the problems of Miss Read and her fellow residents of Fairacre are gradually resolved in this very special farewell visit to Fairacre.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
In the latest-and possibly final-installment of the chronicles of the English village of Fairacre and its tiny school, the pseudonymous author and narrator Miss Read (Changes at Fairacre) begins the academic year anticipating few surprises. Two relatively minor but frightening strokes, however, force the stalwart headmistress to consider, and eventually opt for, early retirement. In the course of her final, lovingly described year at Fairacre school, Miss Read carries on her amiable feud with the school's grouchy cleaner, fends off marriage proposals from a handsome newcomer to town, keeps a watchful eye on the courtship of a newly widowed friend and continues her involvement in the pleasing minutiae of village life. Though Miss Read acknowledges the existence of the contemporary world, the village and its school remain resolutely old-fashioned: ``More worldly children need videos and computers, but in Fairacre, we still enjoy pencils and paper, I am glad to say.'' Sensible, well read and acutely observant, the delightfully prim Miss Read continues to be very good company indeed. Line drawings. (Sept.)
Library Journal
In the finale to a series that began with Village School (1955), Miss Read's long teaching career in Fairacre is brought to a satisfactory close. This quintessential ``gentle read'' chronicles Miss Read's decision to retire as schoolmistress after a series of small strokes. Readers are also brought up-to-date on the lives of other inhabitants of the village who have appeared in scores of previous books: Mrs. Pringle, Miss Read's bullying cleaning lady; the newly widowed Henry Mawne; the Willet family; and her old friends Amy, Vicar Gerald Partridge and his wife, the Umbleditches, and the Annetts. Miss Read must also decide whether to resist the attentions of a handsome newcomer with a romantic interest in her. As soothing and warm as a cup of Earl Grey tea, this book will delight fans and newcomers to the series alike.-Nancy Pearl, Washington Ctr. for the Book, Seattle
AudioFile - Susan G. Baird
Many readers cannot do justice to Miss Read�s enchanting books; happily S�an Phillips is the exception. Her presentation fits all the Fairacre characters perfectly. The village has its share of types, from the vicar, to the ungrammatical school children, to grumpy Mrs. Pringle. Each character is fittingly presented, and many become recognizable. Miss Read excels at description and dialogue, which the narrator aptly handles. The title suggests pathos, which Phillips handles with sparkle, rather than tears. Anyone who enjoys reading about people and their foibles will fall in love with Miss Read. S.G.B. �AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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