As Miss Read faces ill health and considers far-reaching decisions of her own, she is caught up in the concerns of her neighbors. She must cope with the death of Henry Mawne's wife and his subsequent loneliness, and with the attentions of a good-looking newcomer to Beech Green, who appears to be in equal need of a wife. At school she endures, as usual, the relentless harrying of Mrs. Pringle, the cleaner, while, more important, she worries about some of her new pupils and their difficulties at home. Caretaker Bob Willet and his wife continue to give practical help to anyone in need, and Miss Read has the support of Amy, a long-time college friend who does her best to provide Miss Read with a husband. In this warm and humorous drama set in the beauty of the English downland, Miss Read delightfully captures once again the quarrels, friendship, and gossip that are the stuff of village life. Through the changing seasons of the country year, the problems of Miss Read and her fellow residents of Fairacre are gradually resolved in this very special farewell visit to Fairacre.
