Last day of term. My country childhood -- Sweet and sticky -- The real thing -- Delectable distractions -- Time for dinner -- Lament for the secret places -- Distant afternoons -- Sweet memories -- Return to Arcady -- Children of the trees -- Three ponds -- Silver paper and pieces of string -- Midsummer madness -- Infants long ago -- Trafalgar Day -- Restless young disciples -- Scriptural matters -- Joys on supply -- One afternoon -- Foot it featly -- Love and pea tea -- Distant revelry -- Friday afternoon -- Beyond the road sign -- The village school -- Evil genius -- Feeling poorly -- January -- February -- March -- June -- The first fortnight: January 1963 -- Mrs Griffin sends her love -- Georgie giraffe comes in sixth -- Buying logs -- The peasant's revolt -- Felling the tree -- Easy knowledge -- The lighter side of authorship -- Brief for John Goodall -- Lost to science -- Deadly sins -- Perseverance -- The fabulous coat -- 'Embarrassed reptile' -- The Queen of Hearts -- The last of glory -- Talkiing in trains -- Ringing off gracefully -- From the introduction of Miss Read's country cooking -- The lucky hole -- At the sign of the mermaid -- The birth of Miss Read -- Harvest Festival -- Goldfish and frog-spawn -- Lost property -- Night and day -- Larger than life -- Soft and hard boiled -- Eight-a-side cricket -- Unstable element -- Last day of term.
Summary:
Because of our inability to recognise our climatic shortcomings from the outset, arrangements for outdoor jollities get completely out of hand ... to the sometimes rather odd passions of childhood I collect stones with holes in them Miss Read captures the essence of rural life, and in particular of village schools, as only she can. This collection is interspersed with extracts from her letters and diaries (never before published).
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.