Rating: 
Summary: Shortchanged
Review: Shepherds Abiding is a short story masquerading as a full-length
novel. Jan Karon seems to have already said all she has to say in her previous Mitford books, and is now just trying to satisfy her publisher by filling a niche in the Christmas market.
Rating: 
Summary: A TREAT!!
Review: As a Jan Karon fan, I was delighted by this bonus of a book since I had heard there was to be just one more book in the series. It is longer than the previous Christmas books and shorter than some of the earlier books in the series. There illustrations on the insides of the covers are lovely.
The book does assume that you know most of the characters from previous books, but it is a heart-warming story with a surprising addition to Father Tiom's usual activites. Certainly, we would be challenged & improved by trying such a complicated project in later life.
A great story to read with holiday music in the background after a chaleenging day of Christmas chores. It is a great way to center on the real message of Christmas.
Rating: 
Summary: Inspirational
Review: This was a wonderful book. I have loved all of the Mitford books and this one, although it was short, was a great addition to the series. I liked how it dealt more with characters other than Father Tim and Cynthia. Her books always "revisit" the characters from past books and that helps to jog your memory. It's an inspirational holiday story. I can't wait for the next book to come out! If you have enjoyed the Mitford series, you will certainly enjoy this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Another Disappointment from Jan Karon
Review: I love Mitford and have read all of the Karon books, but this is another of the short stories that have been sold as novels. This was a sweet story, but I hate being ripped off. One nice thing about Shepherds Abiding is that it's size matches the earlier Mitford books on my shelf.
Rating:
Summary: Better than I expected
Review: I read the reviews while waiting for this book to arrive. I was disappointed in what I read. When I got the book, I devoured it. I know it was short like A Common Life, but what a sweet thing for Timothy to do.. I am a Mitford addict, so I simply loved it!
Rating:
Summary: A good not great one...
Review: I love the sense of peace and hope that I always feel after reading these books. This one fell a little short for me, not the depth I would like to have seen. I do have to tell you about another book that I just read that left me feeling the hope and peace I was hoping to feel with Shepherds Abiding. Shade of the Maple by Kirk Martin he is a new author and I hope he writes many more...
Rating:
Summary: Charming, and "meatier" than I had expected
Review: I had feared that this latest addition to the Mitford series would be another lightweight story like "A Common Life" (which I enjoyed, but which was really little more than a lengthy short story about Father Tim's & Cythia's wedding.)Although this book isn't the eagerly-awaited next full-length novel in the series, it is more than just a one-note Christmas story like "Esther's Gift." Several of the secondary characters like Hope Winchester and Lew Boyd have their stories fleshed out and carried forward quite a bit. There are also some other subplots involving beloved characters like the Moseleys and Uncle Billy, so that the primary story of Father Tim and his nativity set isn't the only thing going on. All in all, although I'm still anxiously awaiting the next "real" novel in the series, this was a pleasant surprise and worth the price (especially at the discounted rate!)
Rating: 
Summary: Mitford - Lite
Review: I would characterize this book as "Mitford Lite" - just does not stand up to the high standards we have come to expect in the Mitford books. Previous reviewers hit the nail on the head when they expressed dismay at the flimsy plot line....a story of Father Tim re-finishing a manger scene just couldn't quite hold my attention, and the sub plots weren't very compelling either. I'm chalking this up to the author and her publisher giving us a "snack" to keep us sated until the next, and last, Mitford book comes out in 2005 . I'll still read the final book, but hopefully Ms. Karon will complete this series by giving her readers the rich and descriptive writing for which she is deservedly famous.
Rating:
Summary: A visit with a favorite set of characters and fictional town
Review: There is no way to compare this latest Karon trip to Mitford to her earlier series. Although of a rather nice size, this is strictly a visit with the beloved retired rector and his wife and the aging community that is so familiar to Mitford fans. I did not expect this volume to end up making a startling set of plot outcomes, and it didn't, but I found the whole read comforting. It was good to go back home to Mitford and follow the seasonal advance on Christmas with surprise presents being prepared for giving. I am glad that I bought this volume: a relaxing, restful, reassuring interval in other reading. I recommend it to those devoted to Karon's wonderful characters. You will certainly laugh and smile and rejoice in the down-to-earth experiences with all the good folk in Karon's fictional town. This book is Karon's Christmas card to her fans. So lovely and happily received!
Rating:
Summary: Mitford "Lite"
Review: I eagerly anticipated the release of this book, looking forward to a lengthy return to Mitford and it's lovable characters. Instead I received an unsatisfying hour and a half of Mitford "lite", a book barely more meaty than an outline. The margins are obviously widened and the spiritual messages, always portrayed by Jan Karon with such "right to the heart" flair, are barely set to motion before spinning out into another quick direction.
I would skip this one if I had it to do over. There's no engaging plot, and other than a moment here and there of familiar nostalgia for the town of my dreams, I was largely disappointed.
I hope Ms. Karon's heart is back in the next book.
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