Rating: 
Summary: What a pleasure!
Review: What a pleasure this and all of Karon's books are! Pure delight with their Mayberryesque type settings. True, they have more than a little "Christian" attitude thrown in, but it's all part of the theme. The characters in this book are so likeable. Yes, this is not the real world, but who wants that all the time. It's a great escape from things like the rampant commercialism and decay we all live with. Just give me a good book that I can fall into any day and I'll be happy. If you liked "Fried Green Tomatoes" or "Bark of the Dogwood" you'll probably like this book as well, though those two have more than a little "real life" in them. All-in-all these books are great reads and shouldn't be missed. All of Karon's books are great.
Rating: 
Summary: Not exactly art
Review: The popularity of the Mitford series only shows how far our taste and expectations have fallen. If bestsellers like the Left Behind series are the benchmark, yeah, I guess this stuff is genius. If, however, you think the likes of Jane Austen, Flannery O'Connor, George Eliot, Tolkien, Conrad, Sayers, or any of the great storytellers set the artistic benchmarks, with perhaps Agatha Christie or James Michener as standards for quick, popular reads--you'll be amazed that these lightweight books are so gushed over. It's a laugh-tracked sitcom set down as a novel, about as sustaining as a tiny watercress sandwich at coffee hour. Whoever said Karon was the contemporary Flannery O'Connor never read Flannery O'Connor. You might as well shove poor ol Tiny Tim into the ring with the Terminator as compare the two. Just because a book is "Christian" doesn't mean we Christians have to pretend it's better than it is. And as Christians, we ought to get out and read a little more before employing superlative adjectives.
Rating: 
Summary: Charming escapism...if that's what you like.
Review: Well, I've about Mitford for years from my friends, and I finally got to sit down and read the first one. If I were to rate this book against all literature, I would give it 3 stars at best. Everything is too crafted, manipulated and unreal. People will argue that it's full of the "real world": people get sick, people die, people are lonely, there is theft, there are mean people, there are homeless people, there are drugs. Yes, but the story is never really concerned with delving into the realities of these things - instead, each is simply a burden on weary yet loving pastor and so he prays about it. And everything works out to the perfect ending. I think Karon's main purpose is to try to craft a world where things go wrong but you can see God moving and so hope is restored. Scripture, prayer and evangelical "answers" to life fill the pages. And, though not bad, Karon's proposed solutions for the world are like bandaids lightly resting of top. She numbs the mind with pleasure, but she does not stir in the dark depths of each of us and address the realities there. Authors such as Dostoyevski, Tolkien, and Lewis are better at bringing forth a powerful and penetrating hope in the face of the worst evils. Karon's work is trite by comparison. However, understanding that this book is more about escapism than it is about real life, I will say that she does a good job with this. She is a good writer and fairly engaging story teller. She develops a cast of characters that become alive for you - the pastor, the grocer, the grill owner, the vet, the housekeeper, the tough boy, the dog, the doctor. The one really weak character was Emma. The one real criticism I have (on a lighter level) is that the cast of characters is too large - with Karon usually assuming you can keep track of them all. It was like reading a Russian novel, but without the index to refer to. After awhile, I gave up trying to figure out who all the extraneous people were, and this - unfortunately - meant that I was less involved in the story and didn't care as much as the pages went on. I'm sorry that this review sticks out like a sore thumb among the raving reviews. As far as escapist literature goes (and we all have a preference - whether mysteries, horror, romance, whatever), this is a worthy endeadvor.
Rating:
Summary: what a wonderful comforting story!
Review: This is such a wonderful story. I never really thought how busy a clergy man's (or woman's) life is and how much they actually do in their chosen vocation. Father Tim, the rector, in Mitford is the central character. He is just turning sixty at the beginning of the story and has reached a time in his life that he has lost a little of the joy and fulfillment he has always felt before. He is need of a vacation, which he has not taken in years, but which he always finds excuses to not take-he is getting burned out. Enter a huge bad-mannered dog (who is only controlled by hearing scriptures from the bible spoken to him) who has decided to adopt Father Tim, a young untamed boy, a new attractive neighbor, a jewel theft, a sixty year old secret love story, missing food and much more and you have a story that is so wonderful and so human and so enjoyable. I felt the urge to go to my bible and eagerly look up the many stories on Jesus because it made me feel so close to him and loved by him. Don't make the mistake that it is a preachy type story from what I just said but rather a feel good story that makes you want to reach out. The characters are all portrayed as actual everyday people we know ourselves with all their foibles and goodness combined. If you want a book that will leave you with a good contented feeling then this book will fullfill your wishes.
Rating:
Summary: Gentle and charming
Review: This is a simple, charming book which I thought at first was going to be too goody-goody for words but which I found to be nothing of the kind. The central character is an Episcopalian priest and the locals of a small town, around whom the plot evolves-warts and all !Having come from a recent reading diet of crime and mystery thrillers, this dear little book is like a restful holiday for the mind. I would recommend it sincerely to anyone who wants a little gentleness in their lives at the moment.
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Summary: At Home In Mitford
Review: Loved the characters!
Rating:
Summary: I cannot believe just how charmed I was by this story.
Review: I bought the book on a whim at Half Price Books. I saw the work "rector" on the first page and groaned. Very agnostic by nature, I had to push myself to keep going. I am so glad I did. Jan Karon is an incredible writer. She is almost poetic and the imagery is vivid. The characters are charming and funny. Who would have thought that a love story of a 60-something rector and his 50-something neighbor (amidst other aspects of the book) could be so gentle and sweet and intriguing. The jargon of some of the villagers was a tad annoying as was the little boy (that the rector adopts) and his frequent use of the word "poop". However, the idyllic place the book transported me to very night for a week was comforting. The religious angle wasn't overwhelming either. I tend to dismiss spiritual allusions and this book is full of them. But these fit right in. I recommend this book whole-heartedly. It's a welcome break from the frenzy of urban life.
Rating:
Summary: Loved the book!
Review: Appropriate for all ages, easy reading, well written, especially liked the map at the beginning of the book. You won't be disappointed with this wonderful book. You will feel as though you know all the characters personally.
Rating:
Summary: Feel a little better when you're done
Review: In modern times where any bit of 'entertainment' can leave you feeling a bit down, its nice to have something that lets you walk away with a smile. The quality writing and uplifting story with solid values can make you feel grounded as well as full of hope. The world is an amazing place and though this book is fiction, it gives a positive perspective that may help you get a fresh focus. The characters from Mitford always have something going on and Father Tim seems like someone that you could really enjoy knowing.
Rating:
Summary: Welcome to Mitford
Review: Jan Karon vividly brings the citizens of Milford, North Carolina to life in the first installment of her amicable series that understandably achieved massive popularity. While the subplots concerning an international jewel theft and a dognapping vignette both seem extraneous and a tad farfetched, the uplifting novel more than succeeds in paying homage to the proudly quotidian. The three-dimensional characters are all similar to everyday folks whom readers will know. Interestingly, the protagonist is a sixtyish never-married minister--not the typical lead character in current novels. Further deviating from the stipulations of modern day literature, he does not live a double life, engage in a tawdry affair, betray his duties to the church, or spout new age babble under the obnoxious guise of religious inclusion. He is a dedicated Episcopalian and all Christians and non-Christians will admire his commitment to his vocation. What makes the desultory anecdotes referenced above all the more distracting is their complete lack of necessity to the plot. The book's tribute to the mundane is captivating enough without contrived plot twists to build drama. The prose maintains eloquence throughout with its wholesome simplicity and on a few occasions the author's wording reaches rhapsodic heights. Certain sentences are so powerful that they not only conjure up palpable scenes, they nearly pop out of the book and act out the setting for the reader. At one point she describes an unwelcome rain with the hopeful undertone "every drop that fell contained the promise of another leaf, another blossom, another blade of grass." For transitional purposes she writes "early the following morning the leaden skies cleared, the sun came out and the village stirred briskly." The local newspaper is quoted in describing the nascent spring with a poetic paragraph that includes, "she (spring) is shod with ivy and dandelion... unfortunately she is easily distracted and often stops to tarry on a bed of moss." Listening to a parishioner's confidential tale, the minister is described: "he laughed happily; if there was anything more amazing and wonderful than almost anyone's life story, he couldn't think what it was." Many wonderful and amazing life stories populate the pages of this pioneering work. A visit to Lord's Chapel and all its parishioners and neighbors relaxes the weary traveler and leaves one feeling renewed and wanting to come back in one of many sequels.
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