Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

No Holly for Miss Quinn: A Novel
No Holly for Miss Quinn: A Novel
No Holly for Miss Quinn: A Novel
Ebook135 pages1 hour

No Holly for Miss Quinn: A Novel

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook

A mysterious Fairacre villager receives an unexpected Christmas gift in this heartwarming holiday novel from the popular author of the Thrush Green series.
 
Nobody in Fairacre knows much about Miss Quinn, which is a rare state of affairs and much regretted by the villagers. Apart from the fact that she lives in the annex to Mrs. Benson’s house and that she works in Caxley, her past history and the amount of her salary remains a tantalizing mystery.
 
In fact, Miss Quinn is a highly efficient secretary to a Caxley businessman. She runs him, and her own affairs, with terrifying competence. She is completely unsentimental and plans to spend her Christmas exactly as she wants, without fuss or family.
 
But before the great day, her brother rings to say his wife has been rushed to the hospital, and could she come and cope with the children? Secretly dismayed, Miss Quinn sets out to do her duty.
 
She copes as capably with the turmoil of her brother’s household as she does with the office, and the regret for her lost Christmas is mitigated by the children’s joy and the unexpected arrival of an old flame . . .
 
“Miss Read’s novels are sheer delight.” —Chicago Tribune
 
LanguageEnglish
Release dateNov 10, 1976
ISBN9780547745978
No Holly for Miss Quinn: A Novel
Author

Miss Read

Miss Read (1913-2012) was the pseudonym of Mrs. Dora Saint, a former schoolteacher beloved for her novels of English rural life, especially those set in the fictional villages of Thrush Green and Fairacre. The first of these, Village School, was published in 1955, and Miss Read continued to write until her retirement in 1996. In the 1998, she was awarded an MBE, or Member of the Order of the British Empire, for her services to literature. 

Read more from Miss Read

Related to No Holly for Miss Quinn

Titles in the series (15)

View More

Related ebooks

General Fiction For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for No Holly for Miss Quinn

Rating: 4.091836553061224 out of 5 stars
4/5

49 ratings3 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this book, just as much as I did the first time I read it years ago. I am glad to get back into the Miss Read books. In this one, Miss Quinn, a very proper (and somewhat selfish) spinster finds the joys of a full household when she is called upon to help her brother with his children while his wife is hospitalized. The Christmas theme is not overdone, as the story focus is the transformation of Miss Quinn, rather than the holiday, which forms the backdrop to the story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    As entertaining as all Miss Read books. A good Christmas read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An audible story read by Gwen Watford, No Holly For Miss Quinn by Miss Read, tells of Miriam Quinn, a career woman who is so happy to become the tenant of the annex at Holly House in rural Fairfield. Her home now becomes her escape from her busy job, a cozy haven in the country. She is looking forward to the peace and quiet of Christmas and has made plans to spend it in delicious solitude. Unfortunately, although Miriam has thrived in the career world, her personal life has left her feeling safest when avoiding social contact and keeping her own company.Her brother, a country vicar, calls her in some distress. His wife has been admitted to the hospital and he needs help with the running of the vicarage and with his three children. Of course, Miriam, having a strong sense of duty drops everything and rushes to their aid. In doing so, she finds another type of joy at Christmas, one of sharing, being involved in the community and, most of all the warmth of family.I loved listening to this story, especially the small details like the descriptions of the countryside around the little village, and the simple way of life that seems to have disappeared in today’s modern world.

Book preview

No Holly for Miss Quinn - Miss Read

U^ebook_preview_excerpt.htmluZے8ri_z$F=r(niFY붫cP$5 pK? ~ɞ E 9'z1^)CWyٝ;yxb{#Oe\v޵}4MĽ)ӝSlƵ&&S yƆ4p+=8׻|wt~w~j}8%6?lhQomR].o=8M$mo)7lї.NŌ. 83} ߧ8hΌӮsbvk,w}LLrׄv1md/ǧ_]톮 ^ۘ7qBD;MMj/*#\1E|n].yǘ6;_/ѣxu=154:Agnᢷ~l:1^p@dl[l82Pk: }g26fCXran}r>_>y/}GϞ_<}'xOճ'W^7Ͽ>yz|ɭW?lmzzˋǏ<~z뗮dMoZ7I._uv,.Ǹ۷^ͯOQKznx^~o^[l$^:T996'*;⑥uf8S.bkInpŘx6- G]2-.3au,Bv!gQØ2.Xk1Xq (=2S0k0h=bPPOczˣw8 l< sq.Y|IQ 0ͼ_M]uW33~vGŀ'Ń͔lQP{Wbj޹mۆPq9ⶅO贰VkPA,(D-"dXsBu٤@yޥk`˔_L BX=K.'@ؽC1]D=AReˍ+^}hD^ kvŮ7ۈw%3eҸ@cOR<o9xʚBr^8+g@~X|2<;pS"﹋DG\9;wT ((Gx7i:?WW/D}뎎[H]4ѱ^ě@%Vpl(.濸cbL 2bG@iHX+:tl2'F c hׄv_s+d%gNum`J00ӸŢ[I_ &icf۹22~#juP <`9jlza x PH< MCueIP$Y +bNEh|ri;J!B6 {C$C~tyϷyYw$@XF;r$T/¹L?.LOTB2L.@& ,$q!82o0oԨ;d|=uhOF̏[,ڷ(>lhA8K>'6nHҳM9A[^z1fQ':KglD&2M^i58 b[xY[LcgRTz6cJ6P4T9WvH) HR49j hF&zwүU7+V*FDР^Edn?&TECH։kR^pHK,ސ+ ~OU-z ( `ߒ.vj=Gz;EZƒt1BZlꊻ Z@?ӖJViP镅e^RYi-! trNakU/F$IԞt @9W;0Rfth퀮"RDhRtηg H"}9+=.) -B]h^n07 ifCDK<2}pb.YKlX@<Ner[]L+ E"tCռ@ fB$zFW.|G55bM%g$p]U$ں4x$- _O- jA y /}PjE@%7=\qy4ruf  \7cX61_1 y'8@b!A)+|4SMUVd@VXZ!!=%4—x#X ,S {zw̅( k) N-'~}&C|S5 QxiBW)UB--i]3F ^ePIz $c2T%8NW`%._ `w%<05w22!hL[2=87ܠFMů-Uc{"*}LȂR`TfމSC1; B LKRGՃ-|3e08k9j-usSavp]j~,|hJi &:g(ij3e/t/8al:9MU%B!v.9zn͔3X$raya>ikV o4;Z (LA 2N<Ɗ_$QN#]+NV C+ DJ0ZI_(Oz/3R(Sq@ZWXJW&Mޥ!WeQ*epd=Qx gOtPGv@!*5v@dqjJ I6M 8֮pO'0d9nD4nmogDfdEE*Bh֬^[P9@b\2`ϝ> ~Gr@u'\⊈Q;p$agI+]9ڒ߇aΣΙGt2t5t(<Fܚ'ϢC(Mւ I?014~[ZX pJ\cver>1YO%N%RM?x,KscR:(O9^=Mڝ0TF3v.nȪu>.b@gyݯp/w0~5ڹEYp/{.Ssr%9o:nbHt.i$8~>me@ HPo"3QҦJ,rG59M߆H d¬psE{q^MIk/^Q86Y~D3o0RƏ|gV '_Ǫ TfIڡH>l!E+z#[Am/X>~ tѬѣc]mپ(gf+,>.}D a%Y+,vh9v<`Q( Xm/'eĜ%N?2 ?01pJ>5,i}s C x_!
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1