June Whitfield reads the poignant tale of the departure from Fairacre School of literature"s best loved schoolteacher, Miss Read. Now that the village school has been saved from closure, Miss Read is looking forward to a few more years of teaching before her retirement. When her health lets her down, however, it seems that the decision is taken out of her hands once more and she reluctantly leaves the school. Amid a flurry of gossip concerning her private life and the attentions of two admirers, Miss Read must also make some other very serious choices.