Up until a few weeks prior to buying this book, I was unfamiliar with the works of Miss Read. Since then I've managed to collect not just this particular volume in the Thrush Green series, but also the ones prior and those that follow, with 2 exceptions, which I shall soon rectify as I would like the entire series. This is definately a prime example of a light read. Miss Read's descriptions of her fictional English village, built within picturesque surroundings (notice her flowing narrative concerning the woodlands and the village inhabitants gardens; she definatley knows her horticulture!), are indeed idealic, setting-wise. And of course, the village is filled with typical but tolerable, lovable, eccentrics. Looking to escape into the English countryside, even for just a chapter or two before bed or on a rainy afternoon, this is the perfect place to start.