I thought I could justifiably sneak in a final Christmas book review before we officially moved from Christmas to New Year. If you are anxious to hang onto the comforts of a traditional country Christmas, or are already thinking about those books to add to your christmas reading list for next year then this might just be the book for you.
Christmas at Thrush Green is the last in a series of novels by Miss Read about the fictitious village of Thrush Green. I had never read any of this series before this novel, but it made no difference to my enjoyment of it. It works perfectly as a stand alone novel.
We meet the inhabitants of Thrush Green in the weeks before Christmas and follow them as they prepare for the village nativity, carry out their christmas shopping and prepare for a village Christmas. The characters are mostly kind and generous, caring for one another and going the extra mile to support each other in times of trouble.
I accept that the village life portrayed here is idealised and in many ways unrecognisable to most of us today and yet. It is a life where neighbours know each other and care for each other. It is a life where indpendent businesses thrive and the teashop and the church are at the heart of village life. I suspect that many of us reading and enjoying these novels enjoy them because of the escapism into a world that we imagine, or at least home just might still exist.
So if like me you enjoy stories of village life, that move at a gentle pace, with a hefty dose of nostalgia and Christmas sentiment then I highly recommend Christmas at Thrush Green. This novel is as comforting as a mug of hot chocolate and a mince pie.
