Dora Jessie Saint MBE (17 April 1913 – 7 April 2012), née Shafe, best known by the pen name Miss Read, was an English novelist and, by profession, a schoolmistress. Her pseudonym was derived from her mother's maiden name. Guardian website, Miss Read Obituary, article by Dennis Barker dated 12 April 2012 She is best known for two series of novels set in the English countryside, the Fairacre novels and the Thrush Green novels.
Biography
Dora Jessie Shafe was born on 17 April 1913 in London, the younger of the daughters of Arthur Shafe, an insurance agent, and his wife Grace. For the sake of her mother's health, the family moved to the country when Dora was seven, and she began school in Chelsfield, near Orpington, Kent, Chelsfield History website, Miss Read and later joined her older sister at Bromley county school. When her father became a schoolmaster, Dora followed his example and undertook teacher training at Homerton College, Cambridge.
From 1933 to 1940 she taught in Middlesex, first at Hayes and then at Ealing.
In 1940 she married Douglas Saint; they had one daughter, Jill.
After World War II she worked occasionally as a teacher, and began writing about schools and country topics for several magazines, including Punch and the Times Educational Supplement. She also worked as a scriptwriter for the BBC schools service.
In 1953 a piece of her writing was spotted in the Observer and she was approached by a book publisher to create a book. 70,000 words was a challenge as she had never written more than a thousand.
From 1955 to 1996 Saint wrote a series of novels centered on two fictional villages, Fairacre and Thrush Green. The first Fairacre novel appeared in 1955, the last in 1996. The first Thrush Green novel appeared in 1959. The principal character in the Fairacre books, Miss Read, is an unmarried schoolteacher in a small village school, an acerbic and yet compassionate observer of village life. Saint's novels are wry regional social comedies, laced with gentle humour and subtle social commentary. Saint was also a keen observer of nature and the changing seasons.
Many of the village novels were illustrated by J.S. (John Strickland) Goodall (1908-1996), an artist and picture-book author in his own right. Stella Books website, John S. Goodall, article dated Sep 20, 2016
Saint also wrote two volumes of autobiography, A Fortunate Grandchild (1982) and Time Remembered (1986); the two were issued together in 1995 as Early Days.GoodReads website, Early Days
Saint wrote 28 novels, 2 autobiographies and 14 other books; her books were translated into several languages including Japanese and Russian.AP News website, Author of 'Miss Read' books dies at 98
Saint retired in 1996. In 1998 she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her services to literature. She and her husband lived in Chieveley near Newbury in Berkshire.
Her husband died in 2004. She died on 7 April 2012.
Influences and legacy
One of the writers who influenced Saint was Jane Austen. Saint's work also bears some similarities to the social comedies of manners written in the 1920s and 1930s and to the work of Barbara Pym.
Miss Read's work has in turn influenced a number of writers, including American writer Jan Karon. The musician Enya has a track on her Watermark album named after Saint's book Miss Clare Remembers, and one on her Shepherd Moons album titled No Holly for Miss Quinn. Book Riot website, The Literary Life of Enya, article by Alex Luppens-Dale dated 7 November 2022
Bibliography The Fairacre novels: Village School* – 1955 Village Diary* – 1957 Storm in the Village* – 1958 Miss Clare Remembers – 1962 Over the Gate – 1964 Village Christmas** – 1966 Fairacre Festival – 1968 Emily Davis – 1971 Tyler's Row – 1972 Christmas Mouse** – 1973 Farther Afield – 1974 No Holly for Miss Quinn** – 1976 Village Affairs – 1977 The White Robin – 1979 Village Centenary – 1980 Summer at Fairacre – 1984 Mrs. Pringle – 1989 Changes at Fairacre – 1991 Farewell to Fairacre – 1993 A Peaceful Retirement – 1996 The first three books (marked with *) have been published in a single volume, Chronicles of Fairacre. The three Christmas books marked with ** have been published together.
The Market Square (1966) and The Howards of Caxley (1967) are set in the historical past of Caxley, the nearby market town to Fairacre where Fairacre people go from time to time. Fairacre and Beech Green, a nearby village, are mentioned. The events in these books end before the events of the first Fairacre book start.
Thrush Green books: Thrush Green – 1959 Winter in Thrush Green – 1961 News from Thrush Green – 1970 Battles at Thrush Green – 1975 Return to Thrush Green – 1978 Gossip from Thrush Green – 1981 Affairs at Thrush Green – 1983 At Home in Thrush Green – 1985 School at Thrush Green – 1987 Friends at Thrush Green – 1990 Celebrations at Thrush Green – 1992 Year at Thrush Green – 1995 Christmas at Thrush Green – 2009 written with Jenny Dereham The World of Thrush Green – 1988. This book discusses the real place that inspired Thrush Green and has excerpts from all Thrush Green books published as of 1988.
Children's books: Hobby Horse Cottage – 1958 The Little Red Bus – 1964 The New Bed – 1964 No Hat! – 1964 Plum Pie – 1964 Hob and the Horse Bat – 1965 Cluck, the Little Black Hen – 1965 The Little Peg Doll – 1965 Tiggy – 1971. A non-fiction biography of one of the author's beloved cats. Animal Boy – 1975 The Little Red Bus and Other Rhyming Stories - 1991 Omnibus containing The Little Red Bus, Cluck the Little Black Hen, Plum Pie, The Little Peg Doll, No Hat!, and The New Bed
Autobiography: A Fortunate Grandchild – 1982 Time Remembered – 1986
These two were also published in an omnibus edition titled Early Days.
Other books she wrote:
Fresh from the Country – 1960. The story of a young country girl who has taken a first teaching job in the big city. Tales from a Village School – 1994. Short stories. Miss Read's Country Cooking – 1969. Mrs Griffin Sends Her Love: and other writings - 2013. A selection of journalism, published posthumously. Google Books website, Mrs Griffin Sends Her Love
References
External links
Appearance on Desert Island Discs - 4 July 1977