Mrs. Pringle of Fairacre — Miss Read

There's no pleasing Mrs. Pringle -- and everyone in Fairacre knows it. “Miss Read's novels are sheer delight” (Chicago Tribune).
 
Miss Read is certain of one thing -- she won't be forced to hire grumpy Mrs. Pringle to straighten up her house. Mrs. Pringle of Fairacre chronicles the life of the beloved but curmudgeonly school cleaner through the stories of her fellow villagers. Readers will delight in the quirks of this favorite character, from the “flare-ups” of her bad leg to her possessive fondness for the school's two coal stoves. Her neighbors also remember Maud Pringle's little-known benevolence, like the time she knitted mittens for poor Joe Coggs. The downland village of Fairacre bustles with familiar characters, who all have stories to share about the town's (and readers') favorite grouch.
 
“Miss Read is a master of characterization and description . . . Mrs. Pringle is a book to savor to the very end.” -- Broward Sun-Sentinel
 
“A soothing oasis of tidy living for the frazzled reader weary of an untidy world.” -- Kirkus Reviews