Rating: 
Summary: Pity the cynicism of others and embrace this book!
Review: What an absolutely delightful book for those who are willing to embrace a little hope and wish-fulfillment. Yes, it's a very optimist look at life; but, hey, it's fiction and that gives the author (and us readers) permission to wallow in whatever state of mind we'd like. Unfortunately, it seems that a very small percentage of the reviewers are living in a world of negativity to such a degree, that they can't allow themselves to enjoy some rapturous joy in their literature. I can't wait to return to Mitford!
Rating: 
Summary: A quiet type of book...
Review: My mother recommended this book to me, as I am constantly sending her books via Amazon.com! For me, it is much slower paced than many of the books I usually read. It began so slowly, I put it aside for awhile, but after reading all the enthusiastic reviews, came back to it. Mitford is truly one of the quiet towns that many of us dream about retiring in, where everyone knows everyone else. As my parents both hail from that exact type of Southern town and are very active in their church and social lives even today, I can see why Mom enjoyed the books so much. I'm looking forward to see what happens next in the lives of Father Tim, Dooley, Cynthia, and of course Barnabas! This book is perfect for evenings before bed or whenever you need to be assured of goodness in today's world.
Rating:
Summary: A caveat...
Review: This book is an incredibly well written prose tone poem. I admire the craftmanship... I admire the beauty of the subject... but I have rarely been so bored in my life. I'm going to finish the book though. I think it probably is good for me. But... there are no gladiators, no high speed chases, no Andu'uvian death rays, no smashing planets, no knights at war, no.... well you get the picture. I don't know how to rate it. I want to give it a "zero stars" and I want to give it a "five stars".... I do honestly think that many people would enjoy this book. It's restful. There is much love portrayed here. But... there are no gladiators.
Rating:
Summary: I'm Ready to Move to Mitford!
Review: What a wonderful book! I am writing this after I have read the entire series and am waiting with baited breath for the next book. I love the way Jan Karon tells a story bringing in all the quirky characters of a small town and making the reader feel a part of the scene. From the time Father Tim meets the stray dog, Barnabas (who, as fate would have it only responds when Father Tim quotes scripture to him) to the scenes at different settings around town, I loved this book and this series like I've loved no other. My mother, in her 80s, has read them and then passed them on to a friend of hers (whose husband, now deceased, was a pastor in the town of Blowing Rock, NC, the town where the author lives and which was an inspiration for the town of Mitford). These are stories to be savored and read again and again. Very highly recommended!
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Summary: At home in Mitford
Review: A charming, eloquent, heartwarming and funny story. I love this story.
Rating:
Summary: At Home in Mitford - By Jan Karon
Review: The book gets right down to LIFE.. it is easy reading, and I found myself saying "I will read just one more chapter..."! (could not seem to find a good place to stop.) Was also so nice to read about LIFE ... Life the way it is.. or at least may I say, the way it used to be... I I loved it.. I have now gone on to the next book "A Light in the Window". Seems the next book is ever bit as good as book number 1...Thank you...
Rating:
Summary: Love Grows Here!
Review: A masterfully crafted array of characters are blended to create the small-town America that our society longs for. In an age when guns and violence in the schools is commonplace, Mitford is a reassuring place that we can all visit to regain some of the innocence that we once had. Jan Karon wonderfully captures an audience in her small town, without the aid of violence, sex, or any other heinous crimes. This is not to say that there isn't suspense or drama lurking at every page turn, however. All fiction writers would do well to adopt Jan Karon's view of life in America. Enjoy!
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Summary: A terrific edition to any library
Review: I want to commend Ms. Karon for her wonderful books. Like so many others I have read and collected many series, but the At Home In Mitford series surpasses them all. The writing is so captivating that you find yourself wrapped up in the story without even realizing it. I know that I personally found myself longing for a more peaceful, simpler, small town existence. I began to long for a place where the people "take care of their own". I have recommended this series to everyone who will stay still long enough to listen. It is just excellent.
Rating:
Summary: Jan Karon introduces readers to her mountain village!
Review: At Home in Mitford is a gentle escape from the stress of modern life. Set in the mountains of North Carolina, Mitford is a town, seemingly lost in another age, asleep while the rest of the world marches on. I read this book at bedtime and it was a wonderful way to fall asleep. Father Tim is an Episcapol priest, who at 60, has never been married. His life is predicatable, a little boring, but fairly enjoyable. He is loved by his parish because of his folksy approach to fulfilling his role as their priest. He is a familiar, gentle old shoe to the entire community, and he radiates with pleasure from the town's eccentric and predictable daily life. This is a town buzzing with quaint goings-on that bring fuzzy warmth to an open reader. I read some of the complaints about this book, such as there is no plot and the characters aren't developed. It's true, the plot is simplistic and most of the characters the reader only meets on the surface. But we only need to glimpse these characters as Father Tim does. They are interesting and amusing, but they don't all offer the challenges and interruptions of Father Tim's life, and they don't need to do so. There is Barnabas, the dog, Dooley, the neglected and "lost" kid from the poor, unapproachable ghetto-village up the mountain, and Cynthia, the novelist-new neighbor to fulfill the story's need for character development. And of course, there is Father Tim. This story is not one to receive literary prizes, but it does deliver, in a big way, to the need for a place where everyone helps one another, where the worst thing that happens doesn't spill blood, and life is predictable and reassuring and treasured and it's safe to go jogging at night.
Rating:
Summary: Comfy Get-Away to Mitford
Review: Reading "At Home in Mitford" was like taking a little vacation for me. Off to the quaint town of Mitford, falling in love with it and it's residents, and deciding to keep going back year-after-year, to see how every one is still doing.
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