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Summary: A STORY OF HOPE BEAUTIFULLY READ
Review: Gifted performer John McDonough presents a warm, sympathetic reading of Jan Karon's eighth novel in the Mitford series. These popular books have brought Father Tim into the hearts of millions - "Shepherds Abiding" will garner even more devoted fans. According to Ms. Karon her latest endeavor "doesn't tie up any serious threads or answer any of the Big Questions remaining in the series." It is, nonetheless, a touching reminder of what is important in life. Father Tim, by his own description, has been a thinker rather than a doer for all of his life. For him, even during a pleasant boyhood in Mississippi, he's not had an interest in working with this hands. That may change. To his surprise he finds a nativity scene that is much the worse for wear. The twenty figures, including animals, are all in sad condition. Would it be possible, he wonders, for him to restore the figures to their original wholeness and luster? What, he also wonders, would his wife Cynthia think of all this? Listeners will respond to this oasis of hope and tranquility during our too-busy holiday season. - Gail Cooke
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I am terribly disappointed by Shepherds Abiding. Maybe my expectations were too high. I was expecting a novel in the series and got another like The Common Life. But even more so, the writing was not at all up to Ms Karon's standards. There were throwaway references to the usual cast of characters. The description of a big event in the lives of two of the minor characters had no life to it, and Percy and Velma's retirement seemed flat. There was no verve to this book, and I'm surprised at Ms Karon. I wish I hadn't bougtht the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Not enough substance
Review: I am truly a fan of Jan Karon but this book was a disappointment to me. Too much of the same thing. Too much of Father Tim's diabetes (we all know he has it) and not enough about the young people. I want to know what Dooley is doing and also Lace and somehow the other child needs to be found. But I had a feeling this was written just to fill up pages. I reread all the Mitford Series every January and saved this one till last and found it shallow compared to the previous books.
Hopefully the next one will tie up the loose ends of what is happening to all.
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Summary: Best Book Yet By J.K.!!!!
Review: I don't know how Jan Karon keeps topping her last book, but she does. Her characters are incredibly real. Many of her characters are like old, familiar friends...Buy the book!!! It's better than you imagine. If you're like me, you'll also enjoy Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices. I have also reviewed that book on Amazon.
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Summary: Mitford "Lite"
Review: I eagerly anticipated the release of this book, looking forward to a lengthy return to Mitford and it's lovable characters. Instead I received an unsatisfying hour and a half of Mitford "lite", a book barely more meaty than an outline. The margins are obviously widened and the spiritual messages, always portrayed by Jan Karon with such "right to the heart" flair, are barely set to motion before spinning out into another quick direction.
I would skip this one if I had it to do over. There's no engaging plot, and other than a moment here and there of familiar nostalgia for the town of my dreams, I was largely disappointed.
I hope Ms. Karon's heart is back in the next book.
Rating: 
Summary: Charming, and "meatier" than I had expected
Review: I had feared that this latest addition to the Mitford series would be another lightweight story like "A Common Life" (which I enjoyed, but which was really little more than a lengthy short story about Father Tim's & Cythia's wedding.)Although this book isn't the eagerly-awaited next full-length novel in the series, it is more than just a one-note Christmas story like "Esther's Gift." Several of the secondary characters like Hope Winchester and Lew Boyd have their stories fleshed out and carried forward quite a bit. There are also some other subplots involving beloved characters like the Moseleys and Uncle Billy, so that the primary story of Father Tim and his nativity set isn't the only thing going on. All in all, although I'm still anxiously awaiting the next "real" novel in the series, this was a pleasant surprise and worth the price (especially at the discounted rate!)
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Summary: You'll enjoy it, but also try....
Review: I had only read the first of Ms. Karon's Mitford books, and I liked it very much. I snatched this one up next because I love a Christmas story. Though it did not have the depth of activity and character as the first book, it was a pleasant read. It was while searching for something to read between Van Reid's Moosepath League novels that I decided to try Jan Karon, and I'm glad I did. I will go back, now, and read her others. But if you're looking for the best recent Christmas book, try Van Reid's "Daniel Plainway." More than one reviewer made mention of Dickens' "Christmas Carol" when discussing "Daniel Plainway" and with good reason. It takes place in Maine in 1897 and has all the generosity and magic that we look for in a great Christmas novel. But don't overlook "Shepherd's Abiding." If the subject matter interests you or you're a Karon fan, I think you'll enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: Lacks the depth of the earlier Mitford books
Review: I have been a Jan Karon fan since I read "At Home in Mitford" and I have read each one of the books that she has written since. Her gentle humor and all-too-human characters have been a delight to me over the years. However, this book somehow misses the mark and it neither interests me nor tugs at my heart as the other Mitford books have done. In this installment, Father Tim is re-doing a manger scene for Cynthia for Christmas. Working with his hands is quite foreign to him so this is truly an effort of love. The characters from the other books reappear here, but they are not fleshed out enough for a reader to be involved with them and the rapid movement from character to character is quite distracting. Hopefully, any future Mitford books will return to the charming qualities which make these books so special.
Rating: 
Summary: Not her best book...
Review: I have loved all of Jan Karon's previous books. Have read some twice even. I looked forward to meeting my favorite characters again. I am not sure how to describe this very short book. I always have told my kids the teacher will notice huge fonts and generous double spacing. We have noticed Jan! Also, I never did get a feel for the story even though it started out in a familiar way, then boom! on to the next story. Please for the new readers, do not start with this book. It will not make any sense to you. Read the series from the start. Buy the series even, but borrow this from the library.
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Summary: Jan Karon has done it again
Review: I have read all the books and have listened to the tapes narrated by John McDonough and have been completely captivated. Although I thoroughly enjoyed reading the books, I enjoyed the audiocassettes read by Mr. Mc Donough even more than the books. He gives Father Tim and all the other characters in the book a life of their own. I have recommended this series to anyone who would like to have a good clean look at life in a small town. I even bought a set for my elderly mother-in-law and she got a real kick out of listening. I wait in utter anticipation for the next book. I have just completed Shepherds Abiding. It did not disappoint me in the least.
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