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Summary: Favorite book of avid reader
Review: This is one of my all time favorite books and I read a lot. I enjoy anything from Grisham to Nora Roberts, and I just can't say enough about this book. I can't wait to get the others in the series. I was reading this on an airplane and I found myself laughing out loud. Very spiritual book! Made me do some soul searching. Read it!!
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Summary: I wish I could give it more stars, but...
Review: If I gave this book four or five stars, I'd be lying to you. So many people love the Mitford series. A friend told me I really should read Jan Karon's books. As a Christian, I appreciate the strong faith of many of the characters in "At Home in Mitford." So, I truly wanted to love this book. But I can only say I liked it. As one reviewer put it, everything is "nice." There is no tension. Even as people encounter problems, you can read on quietly feeling that everything will be okay. Karon is not going to shake you up.Don't get me wrong. This isn't a terrible book. The characters are well-developed. The ending picks up a little as Karon describes someone's illness very well (I don't want to give too much away here). I enjoyed the book enough that I will probably borrow at least one other Mitford book from the library. But any book-lover with a limited budget will understand me when I say that this is a book to borrow, not buy. By the way, if you want to read truly excellent books about people in small towns, try John Hassler's novels.
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Summary: all those lovely dishes!
Review: Hi, Jan Karon, I'm a reader from Hamburg, Germany, and I just loved your books! There is only one question open: When can we expect the cookbook to go with all the mouthwatering dishes the people of Mitford cook up for their friends? I'd dearly love to have the recipe for "Company Stew" and "Rector's Meatloaf" and all the menu suggestions that Avis makes. The books are full of warmth and smiles, they show us a world that we all long for, where people care for eachother and COOK for eachother. So: let's see that cookbook soon!
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Summary: A Bookaholic Pastor who became a Mitford Fan
Review: I am a bookaholic. I read constantly and live among stacks of books to read, both at the office and at home. So, many of my church members bring me books constantly they want me to read. I decline politely, telling them I've got too many right now that I want to read, but can't get to. Then one member insisted this book was about me, a pastor with a big dog, who was single, than married, etc. I was intrigued. Then she gift-wrapped this volume and put it in my in-basket. With amusement I leafed through it, with honestly no real intent to do more than this. Then, I was struck my a chapter heading "The Greatest Sermon Ever Preached." I was hooked. The rest is history. I love this book and series. It does remind me of my ministry. This series is wonderfully written. Such wholesome stuff. Entertaining to the max, and hard to put down. Everyone in my congregation is reading and loving it also.
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Summary: The Small Town With A Big Heart
Review: At Home in Mitford has been a wonderful add to my collection It has mystery, suspence, emotion, and even a little bit of romance. Father Tim, the rector of a small church goes through a bit of a mid-life crisis. He discovers his lovely neighbor, a single writer, Cynthia Coppersmith. A large, hairy faithful dog, that becomes his best friend And a young boy, Dooley Barlow, who first asks if he can "take a dump." Faced without a home Dooley comes to live with him, bringing a truckload of responsability. Other than that, several other characters are having crisis' of their own. From the outside, one may thing this to be a boaring book about boaring people in a boaring town, but their lives are a boaring as ours! They meet new people, hold lunchons, and get married, not to mention have to burn a table for firewood. Above all, this is a clean christian book with something for every adult. It's a refreshing way to sooth the stress in one's life. But, if you're seeking a thriller, stay far away!
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Summary: Pure escapism at it's best!
Review: Call me crazy, but I'd LOVE to live in Mitford--a place where nothing happens but your occasional dog-napping, jewel-thievering, and finding strangers in your attic. Sound boring? Oh, but what a nice, calming change of pace that would be! Jan Karon has written a terrific, wholesome story about a small village in North Carolina where wonderful and sometimes strange things happen. Written through the eyes of the Episcopalian priest, Father Tim shows us a refreshingly old-fashioned life where goodness and kindheartedness prevails. You get to meet many lively and eccentric characters who quickly become your friends and who make life in Mitford such a pleasure and a privilege. At Home in Mitford is the perfect diversion from the hustle and bustle of our busy lives. A calm, relaxing novel full of charm and sassy wit that "celebrates ordinary people leading ordinary lives." Though not for everyone, especially for those who need lots of action in their reading, this novel goes down like a cool glass of lemonade on a hot summer day. Enjoy!
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Summary: Quiet, sweet, nice
Review: How do you criticize a book that is sweet and nice with a very slow and quiet pace? Is it right to say anything bad about it? Probably not. Yet I don't think I will read another Mitford book. There was nothing really wrong with the book, yet I have no desire to go back to Mitford. It was a nice town, full of nice people, who were nice to each other in a very nice way. Even the 'mystery' was nice with a nice solution. The book had a nice group of characters who lived in a nice town, where nothing really bad happened. There was no tension or excitement to the book, because you just knew every problem would have a nice solution. There was a very strong Christian faith theme running throughout the book, that could be a bit off putting to those of another faith, but over all it was a nice book. If you are looking for nice, this is a book you will love.
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Summary: Americana at its best
Review: This book was a pleasure to read. It is well-written and easy to read. The characters are not fully developed but they don't need to be. This is a slice of life book about a country pastor and the folks in his town. This story demonstrates the faith in a higher power felt by most Americans. The beauty of this book is the way it is subtly inspiring and faith promoting while delivering a great story that keeps the reader coming back.
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Summary: The simple joys of Mitford
Review: I apparently have stumbled onto the town of Mitford late. But my delight is complete with each page unfolding the lives of the people in Mitford. Father Tim is the town's priest. Through his life we meet all the character's of the town and grow to love all of them. Mitford is the town who takes care of their own, where the town cafe has all the news, gardens flourish, and the church is the town's social center. The pace is relaxing, sweet, and full. Father Tim is struggling in his own faith but yet leads his flock with unerring strength and grace. While he frets over his human foibles, he is stretched by new relationships, first a dog, who only responds when scripture is quoted to him, then a boy, who is struggling to find love and acceptance, and finally in the neighbor who lives next door. Father Tim and Cynthia's relationship grows in fits and spurts together. Reading this book was like going on a vacation. I became relaxed and refreshed chapter by chapter. I can't wait to read on about Mitford while sipping my cup of tea.
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Summary: MITFORD IS A NICE PLACE TO LIVE, BUT WOULD YOU WANT TO VISIT
Review: There's not much plot and very little character development of the multitude of quirky characters that populate this hamlet. Yet, for some unfathomable reason the reader is pulled into the homespun, humorous happenings of Father Tim and the parishioners of his Episcopal Church. From next-door neighbor Cynthia who asks him to "go steady" to Homeless Hobbes who has known the glamour of Madison Avenue, you will find yourself inexplicably drawn into the everyday meanderings of this town. Maybe everyone secretly wants to live the laid-back life in a town where the biggest news is a dog-napping, where a criminal in the attic becomes a favorite son, and where schizophrenics are coddled not institutionalized. There is something safe and secure in a book where prayer is the key to solving all problems and favorite Bible verses roll off every character's tongue. If a few sugar-coated hours appeal to you, read this book. But if your tastes lean to the darker aspects of human nature, you need to look elsewhere.
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