I’m finally back in the Fairacre series, and as usual, I wonder what kept me away for so long (probably the fact that this series is only found at the regional library branches). Over the Gate is about the stories told by various Fairacre residents to Miss Read as she goes about her job as the headmistress of the school.

The stories in Over The Gate could standalone, if not for the fact that Miss Read ties them all together. It’s presented as a series of events, but to be honest, you could probably read this out of chapter and still enjoy the book. The stories range from a tragic tale regarding the local ghost to a humorous story about a recipe for weight loss. There’s even a story about the formidable Mrs Pringle and her Christmas Pudding during the Second World War.

What I appreciated about this book was being able to see most of the residents that have made appearances in previous books. Obviously, you won’t get as many stories of the kids, as the focus is no longer on the school, but even Joseph Coggs gets to tell the story about The Old Man of the Sea that he met. One new-ish character that popped pretty frequently was Mrs Mawne, who I previously only knew as the no-longer estranged wife of Mr. Mawne. It doesn’t seem like she’s very pleasant, but I guess she’s part of Fairacre now! Miss Read’s old friend, Amy, also makes several appearances, as do people like Mr Willet, the Vicar, and the Annetts.

I found that this book was a lot lighter than the second and third books, which dealt more with Fairacre as modern conveniences (and inconveniences) creep up on it. This is probably because most of the book consists of stories that are invariably of the past, but I’m not really complaining. I liked how the previous books balanced the challenges of modernity and teaching in a rural village with the charm of a rural village, but it’s also nice to just have a very cozy book that doesn’t have any dark sides once in a while.

Needless to say, I enjoyed this fifth book in the Fairacre series. I’m really enjoying this trip back into the past that started with Miss Clare Remembers, and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. As always, I think this is a great series for when you want something cozy and comforting to read.