While Fairacre's new commuter lifestyle causes a sharp decline in enrollment at Miss Read's school, Miss Read focuses her attention on the ill health of her old friend, Dolly Clare.

Friends, neighbors, and relatives disturb the tranquility of Joan and Edward Young in their stone house in the English village of Thrush Green.

When Miss Read receives a magnificent diary for Christmas instead of the more customary bath salts, she decides she must make good use of it. In each chapter of her diary, Miss Read recounts a month in her life as headmistress of Fairacre School. With kindly humor, she relates all the difficulties and all the enjoyment of living in a small country community. Her jollity lasts even through staff problems, a village decision to marry her off, and a...

Miss Clare is eager to celebrate the one hundreth anniversary of the Fairacre School where she works, but she soon learns planning the event poses more of a problem than she expected.

Contains two novels set in an English country village at Christmas time.