June 30 Book Report: All Thrush Green, All the Time

I ended the month of May by reading Thrush Green, the first book in Miss Read’s series about an imaginary Cotswold neighborhood.  The stories feature the towns and residents of Thrush Green, Lulling, and Nidden.  They are about the pleasures and challenges of everyday life and are full of both humor and wisdom about the human condition.  I first read the books in 2006 and every few years I return to the series to pick up a few of the books.  In June, while my house was in upheaval and I was visiting colleges with JT, it seemed like a very good idea to once again spend some time with these very familiar friends.

There are twelve books in the series and I’ve spent the month of June making my way through them, enjoying the familiar comforts of these old friends and the luxury of time enough to read every book in the collection.  They remind me to smile and laugh, to admire the seasons, to live in the here-and-now, and to appreciate the comforts of the most simple pleasures in life.  From loved ones and cups of tea to a well-polished window and a bloom in my garden, these books remind me of all my blessings.  Thrush Green is the world and people at their best, a most welcome place to spend my time.