Rating: 
Summary: More than meets the eye...
Review: I had not yet received my copy of the book when I read the first few reviews posted. My only response after reading the book now is, what did you expect? I read the promotional material, and I knew the book was a step back in time, to cover the events of the wedding, so I was not disappointed. Far from it! I think the writing was up to the usual high standard - intimate, genuine, and thought-provoking in its own gentle way. Perhaps it's because I was a bride myself a few months ago, but the details of the events (especially the personal thoughts of others, like Dooley and Esther Bolick) made it more special and real. Jan Karon reminded us that a wedding is not just an event between two people - it affects the community. I don't know how much of the groundwork for this book was laid at an earlier time, but I think Ms. Karon did a beautiful job of capturing the personality of the characters at that time in their lives. Father Tim hadn't been through the lesson in the cave, and his thoughts and fears reflect this. Not an easy task, but well done here. Overall, I was very pleased with this book. It made me smile, and even laugh out loud several times, and the bottom line is that I felt like I had spent some time in Mitford. One last parting thought to those who were upset that this book didn't pick up where "A New Song" left off: isn't it possible that this book was needed to fill in some gaps so that you will understand events in the book to come?
Rating:
Summary: I'd rather be in Mitford...
Review: ...which is why I went right out and bought "A Common Life: The Wedding Story". It matters little to me the length of the book or the size of the margins. It's a visit to Mitford, renewing acquaintances and visiting old friends. The confusion regarding the subject matter and length is a bit of a puzzle to me. First of all, the subtitle of the book is THE WEDDING STORY - that seems pretty clear, and Jan Karon told us it would be a novella, which is exactly what it is. Of course, I would have loved for it to be longer but I felt that way about all of the books. With a writer like Karon and books like the Mitford series, nothing is ever long enough. So I joyfully accept this lovely book for just what it is...a glimpse at the wedding of Fr. Tim and Cynthia. I especially loved the fact that she shared some of the thoughts of the characters we've grown to love: Dooley's apprehension regarding the marrage, Hope Winchester's thoughts on her "...once-ardent crush" on Fr. Tim, Absolom Greer's enduring love for Miss Sadie, and dear Uncle Billy's method of staying awake during the ceremony - deciding whether or not to have mustard on his ham! Thank you Jan Karon for this small, yet delightful return to Mitford. Please take us there again soon and let us see what transpires next with these wonderful characters you've created.
Rating:
Summary: The perfect "fix" while we wait for the next in the series.
Review: I think the bad reviews on this site are based on disappointment -- and a misunderstanding of what this book is. This is not a continuation of the Mitford series, but rather a novella (that means it's short!) about the engagement and marriage of Father Tim and Cynthia. I thought the story was lovely -- I especially appreciated seeing a more vulnerable side to Cynthia... we learn things about her that we didn't know before. I'm sure that Jan Karon is under great pressure from her publisher to write MORE, MORE, MORE Mitford books, and they would like to have one a year from her. Well, she won't do that; she can't do that. So we wait longer between books and receive stories of astonishing depth and quality. This novella reminds us how desperate we are for the next in the series. I have to admit that I think the publisher's price and the packaging are a bit deceiving -- the double-spacing and wide margins feel like an attempt to pull the wool over our eyes. But don't blame Jan Karon -- she is like her character, Cynthia Coppersmith... she agonizes over her deadlines and worries that her work isn't up to her readers' expectations.
Rating: 
Summary: A Little Slice Of Heaven
Review: I was excited to hear that there was another installment of the endearing and addicting Mitford series, but a bit disappointed to learn that it wasn't a new saga, but the untold story of Father Tim and Cynthia Coppersmith's wedding. And then I read it. I devoured the book in less than four hours (a new record for me, even with my propensity for speed-reading!). I loved it! From Father Tim's breathless proposal to his inability to even tell his dog about his marriage plans to Cynthia's doubts and fears to Dooley's misgivings, it held me enthralled, just as the first five books did. My only disappointment was that the book, by necessity, couldn't be as long as its predecessors. Oh, and I would have liked to have seen Edith Mallory's response to the nuptials! Oh well, you can't have everything. Bravo Jan Karon- another job well done!
Rating:
Summary: Can't Wait For More!
Review: I have been waiting anxiously for this book to come out, as I knew there had to be more to the wedding of Fr. Tim & Cynthia -- especially since it wasn't mentioned at all in the earlier books. I loved seeing how Fr. Tim and Cynthia conquered their fears, and how everyone in town seemed to get into the spirit of the wedding. It was great to see more into the lives of the other characters, too -- made them seem even more real than ever before!
Rating:
Summary: New Insights
Review: Jan Karon's new book, A Common Life, is filled with insight into the thoughts and feelings of Father Tim and Cynthia Coppersmith, not to mention half the town of Mitford as they prepare for the Big Day. I enjoyed this glimpse into the heart of Mitford's inhabitants leading up to the nuptials. Father Tim's thankfulness and humility as he contemplates spending the rest of his life with Cynthia is truly beautiful. Thanks, Ms. Karon, for giving us front row seats to a very, very special event!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointment
Review: Still well written but this is really only a chapter that has been lengthen with wide margins, larger type, whole pages for chapter titles, and generally more white space than necessary into a novella. A BIG disappointment! I won't buy the next one sight unseen.
Rating:
Summary: Fun from first word to last
Review: The whole book had the right touch for a community wedding, and Uncle Billy's wedding joke was worth the price of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Jan Karon does not disappoint!
Review: Jan Karon proposed (no pun intended) this book to be something different than the previous "Mitford" books. And different, it is. Jan Karon's style is prevalent, as is the charm of the characters in Mitford, but is an intendedly uni-dimensional story covering events surrounding the wedding. Everything is as Jan Karon promised - no more and no less. Thank you Jan, for creating a marvelous place that millions of people love. I look forward to every word in every book, regardless of margin widths or length! 5 stars, hands down!
Rating:
Summary: I finally got to go to the wedding!
Review: Oh, thank you thank you thank you, Jan Karon! You gave me just what I wanted... the details prior to and including the wedding of our beloved Father Tim and his bride-to-be Cynthia! I, along with many friends, felt so let down when the wedding was just mentioned in passing in "The Light in the Window" and was thrilled to hear of plans for a novella about the wedding. I so enjoyed hearing Father Tim's proposal, and the reaction of all my favorite characters from the series, and especially Dooley's heartfelt albeit jaded thoughts on the subject of marriage. I definitely had to keep the box of tissues nearby for all the tears... happy and sad ones!
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