Fresh from the Country (1955) by Miss Read

👩🏻‍🏫 Miss Read is the pen name of Dora Jessie Saint MBE, an English writer and schoolmistress who was famous for her novel series such as the Fairacre and the Thrush Green. She also wrote some children novels, as well as a couple of standalone novels like this one: Fresh from the Country.

👩🏻‍🏫 Anna Lacey is a "fresh from the country" young teacher who's starting her career in a London suburb primary school. The story is about her challenges and struggles. Not only the kind of new teachers would face in their early stage of educational career, like dealing with unrelenting pupils, facing "difficult" parents, or even "rum" characters of her colleagues. Those are minor challenges, as little by little Anna gets the hang of the teaching business. The real struggle for her is the contrast of city life with her countryside origin.

👩🏻‍🏫 Anna experiences a culture shock. Being used to simple life with simple country folks, she's having hard time to adapt with the boasting or greedy people around her. Not mentioning their obsession in money and achievement. Poor Anna is always distressed near the end of term, and can only return to herself after a few days breathing the pure and calm air in the country.

👩🏻‍🏫 Overall, it's a refreshing read that calm you down after work rush, and it makes me want to read the countryside series. This charming and at time funny book was first published in 1955, and re-printed by Furrowed Middlebrow (the imprint of Dean Street Press) in 2020.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2