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Summary: A Peaceful Place
Review: The book, At Home in Mitford, by Jan Karon, is about an old and tired preacher that is holding on to more than he is capable of. The town of Mitford is located in between tall mountains that not only separate the people from the rest of the world physically, but also segregates them from the world's problems. This type of book allows people to relax and dream while reading.
Tim, the Episcopalian preacher, boldly faces all of his problems without regret. Throughout the book he was confronted with difficult problems, such as an enormous dog, a young boy, diabetes, and much more. Plenty of opportunities also come up that he more than happily deals with. This shows that Mitford is rich with surprises and never-ending peace. Tim is stubbornly motivated to go on preaching without rest or any help from others. This type of characteristic especially made him too tired to enjoy living life normally. As Tim helps to improve the life of others based on faith and trust, he finds that everything is becoming more and more difficult for himself. He soon meets a special woman that just moved in next door who helps sooth all of his difficulties.
Tim continually strives to preach wonderful sermons that lead his own flock of people, while he himself is struggling with his own faith. Throughout the book, every character stays simple and kind to one another. In the end, all of his friends realize how much he has done for them and they arrange for Tim to go and relax on a two month vacation. As a result, anyone that reads this book will be touched by the love and kindness every character shows.
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Summary: A believable and uplifting novel
Review: This book a very enjoyable book to read! It was unique enough to be entertaining but still credible enough to keep you wondering. The book had many twists that kept you pondering what would happen next and also left you waiting for just the right amount of time. This Christian book makes reading pleasurable and helps us to realize how lucky we really are. It helps to understand some of the miracles that occur everyday and emphasizes the power of prayer. While reading this book I was able to relax and not have to be befuddled by the complexity of some of the mystery thrillers that I could have otherwise been reading. Not to say that mystery thrillers aren't good, I just think this is a good read if you're looking for a nice, rainy day novel. Jan Karon does a wonderful job at letting the reader get to know the character in a way that isn't blunt. The characters in this book are very diverse and the problems that they face are tackled in a manner that is a little more realistic. Seeing life through the view of a rector gives a positive and hopeful view on some not so joyful situations. I'm hoping that all of you will give this book a try and, who knows, you might just fall in love with the small town of Mitford like many other readers!
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Summary: A warm and fuzzy feeling, but not literature.
Review: I'm a native of the area on which Mitford is based, and I can say that Jan Karon does no justice to the area. This novel was full of simple character types -- all from a white, middle-class background -- who don't resemble anyone I've ever met in my life. If you're looking for an escape from the real world, this may be it, but I'd recommend being white and fairly well-off (the only minority characters are stereotypical black "mammies"), otherwise you're in for a long-winded trip through hell.
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Summary: at home in mitford
Review: I really enjoyed father tim and his small town full of interesting chatacters. I did not enjoy the writing style used. I wished many times that there were less characters that we got to know a little bit more. I also did not care for the way the book jumped from scene to scene sometimes leaving me dazzed and confused whom we were talking about.
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Summary: Best series ever!
Review: I started this book wondering what was going to happen, expecting something different. When I finally just let myself get caught up in the story, it was like I belonged in Mitford. There isn't any great action, but you don't need it. When you read this book, you get so wrapped up in it, it's almost as if you were there. If you want to just relax and be a part of something good and wholesome, this is the series for you.
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Summary: Warm & Cozy Read
Review: If you like warm & cozy reads that are character driven, then At Home in Mitford is for you. The imagery that Jan Karon paints is picture perfect, with streets named Lilac Lane & Old Church Road, and the local diner, The Grill, where the townfolk gather and catch up on the latest goings on.Mitford is the ideal of small town, southern life. It is here that Father Tim lives & breathes, where he is the pastor of a small parish. For the past 12 years, without a vacation or break, Father Tim has nourished his congregation while neglecting himself. Little does he realize how a new neighbor, a little boy, and a faithful dog will come into town and change his life. Mitford has a cast of wonderful, colorful characters and the pace is just right for the simplicity and loveliness of Mitford. This is not a book if you're looking for action, but if you like warm and cozy reads, this book is a must. I can't wait to read the rest of the series~
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Summary: Too Vanilla for Me
Review: I thought this was going to be one of the best books I had ever read but it wasn't so. The story goes on and on repeating itself in just different situations. As one of the other critics stated, I "baled out" before the book ended. I did make it to page 414 out of shear determination but I finally lost the battle. I am going to try the next book in the series to see if it is better than the first.
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Summary: Good, but a little dull
Review: This was my first book to read by Jan Karon. I was excited about beginning it, but once I started, I wasn't that excited anymore. I struggled through most of the book, trying to force myself to read it. I, personally, enjoy books with a climax, which this one does not have. There are a few high and low points, but that is about it. I will read the rest of the books I have at home and then decide if I want to read the next one.
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Summary: Audio Edition Not Up to Snuff
Review: As a late-in-coming fan to the MITFORD series, I met the audio book with leaps of joy... after all, hearing the words in the author's own voice is a rare treat! Unfortunately, the abridgement that is so necessary to keep the listening time and cost manageable makes it almost painful for a true fan to hear... you are excruciatingly aware of each and every edited scene, and every cut rankles more and more. Jan Karon is a joy to hear, and the book remains among my favorites, but for my grandmother's Christmas present, I'm looking elsewhere. At least one other audio book producer has all of the MITFORD novels unabridged, and while they're decidedly more costly, it's worth it. Listening to an abridgement of a work like AT HOME IN MITFORD is like drinking flat ginger ale... or like eating at the Grill when Percy ain't cooking!
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Summary: Nothing else quite like this in American literature
Review: If you combine Barbara Pym and E F Benson, throw in a little Garrison Keillor, and then transplant the result down to the American South, you might just get an inkling of what Jan Karon has done in creating the town of Mitford, North Carolina. I haven't encountered anything quite like this town, or anyone quite like its various residents, in all my previous travels in the worlds of literature - but having discovered Mitford and her townsfolk I'm extremely reluctant to leave. Each one of these people is a completely unique character - and boy, do I mean character. There's Father Tim (his last name is Kavanagh, but you won't know that from this book - I only know it from reading the back cover of another book in the series), the rector of the local Episcopalian church. He's the moral and spiritual center of Mitford, as well as one of its leading citizens. He's also been "adopted" by a humongous dog which he names Barnabas. How the dog (or should I say small horse?) meets up with Father Tim is just the starting point of this wonderful book. There's a twelve-year-old boy named Dooley who captures Father Tim's heart, who looks and sounds like he just wandered in from the outskirts of Mayberry. And then there's the good rector's new next-door neighbor, a gorgeous and intelligent dream named Cynthia, who captures his heart in quite a different way. It's rather obvious what road this relationship will be going down, but the resolution won't be appearing in this book (apologies for the spoiler). These are the three main characters in "At Home in Mitford", but there are dozens more that you will undoubtedly adopt into your own literary family.
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