Dora Saint – better known to millions of readers as Miss Read – is one of England’s most beloved authors. Famous for her much-loved novels set in the fictional villages of Fairacre and Thrush Green, Miss Read drew inspiration from the beautiful English countryside and the rural communities where she lived and worked.
This summer, I followed in her footsteps, visiting some of the places that inspired her writing, before sitting down for a very special conversation with her daughter, Jill Saint, in her beautiful Oxfordshire garden.
In this 20-minute documentary, we remember Miss Read – her life, her books, the places she loved, and the enduring appeal of her stories.
If you're a long-time Miss Read reader, I hope this film brings back some happy memories. And if you've never discovered her books before, perhaps it will inspire you to seek out Fairacre and Thrush Green for yourself.
If you’ve enjoyed this film, please consider supporting the channel and future films like this at:
https://ko-fi.com/victoriaconnelly
Thank you so much for watching.
You can find links to buy Miss Read books on my website:
https://victoriaconnelly.com/2026/08/miss-read-books/
Credits:
Written and produced by Victoria Connelly
Director of photography, sound, and editing by Roy Connelly
Music by Aakash Gandhi
With many thanks to Jill Saint
00:00 Intro
00:55 How “Miss Read” was born
01:51 Pseudonym
02:51 The Lucky Hole
04:11 Did she have a first name?
04:50 Village Diary
05:50 Plotting the books
06:31 How Dora Saint wrote
07:10 J S Goodall
08:39 Humour
09:56 Was there a real Fairacre?
10:22 Peasemore
11:07 Gardening
12:15 Nature Walks
12:34 Social History
13:40 Miss Read’s cook book
14:35 Other genres
15:15 A Peaceful Retirement
15:42 Mrs Griffin Sends her Love
17:06 Dora Saint’s favourite authors
18:12 Village life
19:11 Dora Saint’s many roles
19:46 Chieveley
20:36 Was Dora Saint “Miss Read”?
20:50 Legacy
21:49 Outro
22:22 Credits
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