News From Thrush Green and Battles at Thrush Green by Miss Read

I read both these books from The Miss Read Thrush Green series in quick succession, so thought I would review them here together.

Its lovely reading this series of books so closely, it has enabled me to really get to know the characters and also stops me forgetting what has happened in the previous book!

In News From Thrush Green, we are introduced to some new characters.  A house which has stood empty on the green for many months is suddenly lived in again and this time by a young woman called Phil and her young son, and seemingly without a man!  As you might imagine the other residents of Thrush Green are intrigued to know who she is and why she is there and it is not long before the curious neighbours begin to try and get to know her whilst chattering amongst themselves about her!

Harold Shoesmith is one of the first visitors offering assistance with Phil’s wild garden and a friendship develops.  Other friendships are developed too with Phil.  Winnie Bailey takes her under her wing and shows her love and care when she needs it most.  Albert Piggott realises married life isn’t all its cracked up to be and finds himself struck down with illness.  However the real story belongs to Phil, and her various potential suitors including a rather irritating nephew of Winnie and the Doctor’s who has his sights set on her.

Unsurprisingly from title, Battles at Thrush Green features a number of clashes of personality and beleifs.  The Rector has a new plan for the scruffy church yard which throws some of the residents of Thrush Green into uproar and the Rector sees a split in his loyal band of PCC members.  The eccentric Dotty Harmer is her self in dispute as she is faced with charges of dangerous driving having taken to the wheel after many years.

Despite the title being ‘Battles at Thrush Green’ I particular enjoyed the love and care shown in so many of the relationships.  Harold and The Rector have a lovely supportive friendship, one which is not often seen between men in novels.  Harold genuinely cares for The Rector and feels cross on his behalf when he feels he is being unfairly treated.

Just as Winnie had supported Phil through her loss in the previous novel, Phil shows tenderness towards Winnie when she is faced with the inevitable loss of her husband.

The loss of Winnie’s husband is dealt with tenderly and with such gentleness that I have to confess to a little tear.  Miss Read clearly understands loss and bereavement

She paused by the fire, sniffing the scent of woodsmoke, and another indefinable smell which she could not place for a moment, but which disturbed her strangely.  Suddenly she realised what it was the mingled smell of the eau-de-cologne which Donald always used after shaving, and the faint smell of tobacco.  She looked across at the pipe rack where six much-loved stalwarts stood – the cherry wood, the one with the amber stem, the silver banded beauty, and all the others he had loved so well.  The room shimmered through the tears which welled in Winnie’s eyes.  She had been undone, in one swift moment, by the agonising poignancy of small familiar things”

As always nature and the country side is given lots of attention and Miss Read is always at her best when describing the landscape, wildlife and the weather.  The pictures she paints with words of Thrush Green in the snow are always some of my favourite passages.

“Thrush Green awoke to a white world.  The Cotswold stone walls were covered in snow four or five inches deep.  The gateposts wore white tam-o-shanters, and Nathaniel Patten held out his snow-covered book and gazed upon his birth place from under a crown of snow”

Another two hugely enjoyable novels from the Thrush Green series, one I am so pleased to have found.

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