Rating: 
Summary: refreshing retreat
Review: A friend at work had raved about this book and lent it to me to read. I must say that I was skeptical at first, but after reading it I realized that it was everything she said it was and more. The story is about an Episcopal preacher, Father Tim, and other residents in Mitford, a fictional small town in North Carolina. Having gone to college in a small North Carolina town, this book was like coming home again. The characters are so well-developed, I felt as if I knew them personally. Father Tim is a sixty-year-old preacher who has never been married. He is befriended by Barnabus, a dog "as big as a sofa" who comes out of nowhere and jumps up on Father Tim knocking him down. The only way to control the dog is to quote scripture.
Later in the book, he also takes in an 11-year-old boy, Dooley. The boy's grandfather has become sick and is very poor. The boy has been living with the grandfather because his mother is a drunk who can't raise the child. Dooley is a likelable character, but one who gives Father Tim a test in patience.
Cynthia moves in next door. She is an author from New York who writes children's books about her cat, Violet. Soon Father Tim and Cynthia realize that they have deeper feelings for each other, although they don't want to admit it.
This book really gives a feel for living in a small southern town. Karon has evoked a sympathy for the characters that makes you want to keep reading and finding out more about them. I can't wait to read the next book, Light in the Window, and see what happens with Father Tim and Cynthia!
Rating:
Summary: I'm hooked!
Review: My boss has been begging me to begin read these books, but I, due to the large stacks of books already decorating my nightstand, refused until she literally put At Home In Mitford on my desk with a (demand?) to read it. So, I shoved my other books aside and began. And, I'm hooked. Jan Karon writes in very careful, thoughtful style. There are no page-turning plots, just the everyday happenstance of big people in a little town. Mitford is not a perfect place, but it is a place that I wouldn't mind living. The goal of fiction is offer an escape by inviting a reader into a larger-than-life, idealistic, or fanatical world. Karon ushers helps us escape, but brings us to a world of everyday ups and downs and personalities and problems. She gives us a glimpse of people real thoughts and desires. I thoroughly enjoy these books. The writing is so profound, so rich. The characters so lifelike and flawed. The plots so slow, yet moving, subtle, yet lifelike. Many thanks to my persistent boss for shoving me into the wonderful world of Mitford. I now feel a kinships with Father Tim, Cynthia, Dooley, and the rest of the hilarious cast.
Rating:
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!!
Rating: 
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.
Rating:
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!
Rating:
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.
Rating: 
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!
Rating:
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!
Rating:
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.
Rating:
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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