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70th out of 947 books
—
1,422 voters
At Home in Mitford (Mitford Years #1)
by
Jan Karon
Enter the world of Mitford, and you won't want to leave
It's easy to feel at home in Mitford. In these high, green hills, the air is pure, the village is charming, and the people are generally lovable.
Yet, Father Tim, the bachelor rector, wants something more. Enter a dog the size of a sofa who moves in and won't go away. Add an attractive neighbor who begins wearing a path...more
It's easy to feel at home in Mitford. In these high, green hills, the air is pure, the village is charming, and the people are generally lovable.
Yet, Father Tim, the bachelor rector, wants something more. Enter a dog the size of a sofa who moves in and won't go away. Add an attractive neighbor who begins wearing a path...more
Paperback, 413 pages
Published
October 1st 2005
by RiverOak Publishing
(first published 1994)
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I have to break up with this book. While the main character doesn't seem to have a "fatal flaw", the book does. It is too nice. Strolls in the warm sunshine, rosebushes, and hot cups of coffee... Others have called it a 'cozy read.' I just can't take it. To the author Jan Karon I say, "It's not you--it's me."
May 06, 2012
Mike (the Paladin)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
christian-fiction
I've run into the attitude that "this is a woman's book". My question, what makes a book only a woman's book? I like it and while it's not one I keep on on my shelf for re-reading, I can recommend it as a wonderful idealized picture of life where the problems are there but don't destroy, where faith is understood as an actual part of life. It gives us a picture of love with work clothes on and I like this book and many of it's sequels (okay the wedding book was too much for me, maybe it is a wom...more
13 likes · like · see review
The characters in Mitford are mostly lovable, even Homeless Hobbes, and the love stories are a delight to read. One thing I have observed is that except maybe for Dooley, the 11-year old boy left under the care of Father Tim, all the other characters are adults, most are elderly. But one just has to laugh at their childlike personalities. I am reminded of the Anne of Green Gables series while reading this book. I don’t know why. Maybe it is because the characters are easy to fall in love with an...more
This was my first attempt to read a 5 star book from each friend's book list so I hate to give this one star, but it just wasn't my thing. I read about 150 pages, jumped to the very end and put it down. The author jumps from quaint small southern town situation to quaint small southern town situation without delving into the characters. You know what I think my problem is? No one in Mitford has a dark side. Not one person in the whole darn town.
11 likes · like · see review
This is the first in a series of books about Mitford and its residents, often written from the standpoint of Father Tim, Episcopal priest at Lord's Chapel in Mitford.
Mitford is a wonderful small town, and through Father Tim's eyes I got to know his neighbor Cynthia Coppersmith (an author/artist), Dooley Barlowe (an eleven-year-old who came to his house and ended up staying), Puny Bradshaw (the housekeeper who became almost a daughter), Father Tim's secretary Emma (who often tried his patience,...more
Mitford is a wonderful small town, and through Father Tim's eyes I got to know his neighbor Cynthia Coppersmith (an author/artist), Dooley Barlowe (an eleven-year-old who came to his house and ended up staying), Puny Bradshaw (the housekeeper who became almost a daughter), Father Tim's secretary Emma (who often tried his patience,...more
3 likes · like · see review
May 03, 2013
Laura
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Laura by:
Jeannette
This book was kindly sent by my dear friend Jeannette, thank you so much!!
This is a perfect comfort book, describing the life and inhabitants in Mitford, South Carolina.
Page 191:
"Nothing is more wearying," Agatha Christie had said, "than going over things you have written and trying to arrange them in proper sequence or turn them the other way round."
This is a perfect comfort book, describing the life and inhabitants in Mitford, South Carolina.
Page 191:
"Nothing is more wearying," Agatha Christie had said, "than going over things you have written and trying to arrange them in proper sequence or turn them the other way round."
6 likes · like · see review
Thomas Kinkade comes to mind. I need hardly add that this is not a good thing.
7 likes · like · see review
Tatie frowed up.
Oh yes, Mitford is a lovely, sweet, Christian town, where they've kicked all the poor people out into the country so they don't have to look at them. When someone tells Father Tim that there is suffering in town that he can't imagine, Tim's response is "And I don't want to know." And after 12 years of so-called ministry in this burg, he manages not to know about any problem that doesn't absolutely flatten him. A little boy comes to live with him--he's told that the mother is sick...more
Oh yes, Mitford is a lovely, sweet, Christian town, where they've kicked all the poor people out into the country so they don't have to look at them. When someone tells Father Tim that there is suffering in town that he can't imagine, Tim's response is "And I don't want to know." And after 12 years of so-called ministry in this burg, he manages not to know about any problem that doesn't absolutely flatten him. A little boy comes to live with him--he's told that the mother is sick...more
8 likes · like · see review
I loved this book! It was SO delightful - it is nice to sit down with a book that you know will not offend. I am working on finishing up the series - I highly recommend this book.
pg. 141 Psalm 68: "Blessed by the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits."
pg.152 "Whatever your hand finds to do, do ith with all your might!" he quoted cheerfully from Ecclesiastes.
pg. 165 "Do you like the fall of the year?"
The man gave an odd laugh. "Why?"
"One of the things that makes a dead leaf fall to the ground...more
pg. 141 Psalm 68: "Blessed by the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits."
pg.152 "Whatever your hand finds to do, do ith with all your might!" he quoted cheerfully from Ecclesiastes.
pg. 165 "Do you like the fall of the year?"
The man gave an odd laugh. "Why?"
"One of the things that makes a dead leaf fall to the ground...more
I finally finished! It just seems wrong to say that you don't like a Christian book. There's an implication that I feel obligated to dispel. When I began reading this story I thought I liked the simplicity of the characters, their Christian morals and the charm of the small town they lived in. I patiently waited for more depth and purpose and perhaps more twists and turns. There were some turns, but predictable. I prefer stories that I can sink my teeth into with more complex characters...like r...more
4 likes · like · see review
May 18, 2008
Jen
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Men, women, teenagers, anyone really
Recommended to Jen by:
Lori Nettnin
My mom has wanted me to read this book for ages. She was in the hospital right before my wedding and I remember flying home to Florida to see her. This book was on her side table and I read parts of it to her. I remember enjoying it and she told me I should pick it up and read it. Well, I got married right after that and then came two kids to live with us, so I never did get to read it. 'Til now. So far, so good. The author is very descriptive. I love how she has a map at the front of the book,...more
5 likes · like · see review
It's been a long time since I spent whole afternoons reading a book, but At Home in Mitford hooked me so fast that I spent a very happy weekend living there myself. The characters are real, honest, and flawed in the most endearing ways, and I spent most of the book pulling for all of them. I especially loved the main character, Father Tim (and who'd have thought I'd enjoy reading about an Episcopalian preacher?), who has the biggest, most open heart--at least until his neighbor starts to steal i...more
Love, love, love Father Tim and the Mitford series. From the dog to the orange marmalade cake, I want to live in Mitford!
4 likes · like · see review
I never would have been drawn to these books had I not been desperate for a book to read and finding little in the way of selection in a hospital gift store... I was in a period of feeling quite low with yet another medical challenge to face with our son. If you are dealing with a "winter" season or you know someone who is--run, don't walk to the nearest bookstore and buy Karon's books. Authentic characters, heart warming stories and uplifting messages leaving you a better person for having read...more
8 likes · like · see review
I was looking for a little feel good novel. about 50 or 60 pages in, I considered stopping, but figured with "The New York Times Bestseller" banner on the top of the book, it was bound to get better, so I kept reading. Another 50-60 pages in and I felt I was too far in to put it down. however, could't wait until it was done!
I hadn't realized it was a 'Christian novel'....not that there's anything wrong with that. However, the spontaneous bible verses and conversions of (several) hardened crimnal...more
I hadn't realized it was a 'Christian novel'....not that there's anything wrong with that. However, the spontaneous bible verses and conversions of (several) hardened crimnal...more
Yes, I read At Home In Mitford. Did I like it? Well, it's not really fair for me to judge. I'm an action and deep thinker kind of a guy. I don't want to read about small town problems and small town activities, not unless the small down has tumbleweeds blowing past as a band of outlaws rides in with with shotguns and Colt 45s in hand. To be fair, Jan Karon is an excellent writer. There was never a moment I was lost, unless it was because I couldn't remember who some of the characters were---ther...more
I've wanted to try these books for awhile. My sister-in-law left the entire set at my parents so I started them while I was there and finished this one before I left.
Read-alikes include the Lumby series by Gail Fraser (Mitford was first, however).
It interested me that Jan Karon begins the series with a protagonist of 60,and there are seven books. It's also a good Christian novel in that it isn't preachy, it is just an example of how a person of faith will live, think, and work. I appreciate that...more
Read-alikes include the Lumby series by Gail Fraser (Mitford was first, however).
It interested me that Jan Karon begins the series with a protagonist of 60,and there are seven books. It's also a good Christian novel in that it isn't preachy, it is just an example of how a person of faith will live, think, and work. I appreciate that...more
"I've learned not to live on any promises other than God's." p. 233
"Sixteenth chapter of Proverbs... Commit the works to the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established." p. 278
"You'll never know how I loved the orchards then, and the way the apples would fall on the grass and burst open in the sun. Then the bees would come, and the butterflies by the hundreds, and the fragrance that rose from the orchard floor was one of the sweetest thrills of my life." p. 304
"Life was better in those days, Fat...more
"Sixteenth chapter of Proverbs... Commit the works to the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established." p. 278
"You'll never know how I loved the orchards then, and the way the apples would fall on the grass and burst open in the sun. Then the bees would come, and the butterflies by the hundreds, and the fragrance that rose from the orchard floor was one of the sweetest thrills of my life." p. 304
"Life was better in those days, Fat...more
Worthy of a read, but not destined for classic literature. When I first began At Home in Mitford (AHIM), I wasn't getting the book. I kept waiting for the plot to come along and while in the last third of the book a slight plot materialized for a fleeting moment, it then disappeared never to be heard from again. When the book ended, I had to evaluate it. Was it good? Yes. Was it a page turner? Absolutely not. Was I interested in reading the next in the series? Sure.
On the back cover, Karon's wri...more
On the back cover, Karon's wri...more
A pleasant read about the sorts of people I think we all know - decent folks from various backgrounds trying to live good Christian lives. Despite the idealistic pastoral setting, this isn't mere verbiage to accompany a Kincade painting. The problems are just the sort of things you find when you look under the surface - broken homes, distant fathers, divorce, illness, echos of old grudges, and difficult marriages. You walk down mainstreet smelling the roses and chuckling slightly that people wou...more
5 likes · like · see review
In the first,of a series of nine titles, Karon captures the lives of those living in the fictional but seemingly real town of Mitford, North Carolina. Father Tim Kavanagh is the Episcopal priest of a small parish with a very colorful congregation. The story begins with Father Tim being nearly drowned by the drool of the large black dog that would come to be known as Barnabas. He seems like a normal dog until Father Tim nearly at his wits end, trying to get the dog to obey, discovers the only co...more
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The interesting thing about this book and series is that it's so different from all of the other Christian fiction that I've read. Most of the books in that genre seem to be out to evangelize people and are always dragging down the plot with a bunch of "Christianity 101" and everyone's problems getting magically solved when they decide to believe in Christ. That's all fine and dandy if you're an unbeliever who accidentally happened to stumble into Mardel's, but what if you're already certain abo...more
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Father Tim, a cherished small-town rector, is the steadfast soldier in this beloved slice of life story set in an American village where the grass is still green, the pickets are still white, and the air still smells sweet. The rector's forthright secretary, Emma Garret, worries about her employer, as she sees past his Christian cheerfulness into his aching loneliness. Slowly but surely, the empty places in Father Tim's heart do get filled. First with a gangly stray dog, later with a seemingly s...more
I recently reread the Mitford series of books. I like the Mitford books ... Father Tim and his wife Cynthia are thoughtful people and well read (great quotes and literary references abound), but I must admit that things are just a little TOO perfect in Mitford. Every storyline has a tidy ending, and a happy one, and everyone finds God eventually even the most villianous of Mitford residents. That's not a bad thing, I guess, but all of the characters recite the same exact prayer to get there ......more
This was a Book Group selection...plus my sister had recommended it. LOVED this book!! It took me a few chapters to adjust to the slower pace (and to keep the characters straight!!) as I'd just finished a novel that had me in Nazi Germany!! But so glad I stuck with!! The main character is an endearing (rather portly) bachelor Episcopalian minister who lives in the small "Mayberry" type town of Mitford...and is it ever a crack-up!! Sprinkled with quirky townfolk, a refrigerator size dog and a bit...more
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I had read about these books for a long time before reading them, and boy did I waste time waiting. At least I didn't have to wait years between releases and could go from one book to the next without waiting. So heartwarming. I didn't physically read the books, although after listening to the series on CD, I started collecting the hard back versions. Father Tim is the perfect introduction to a real godly man. So human in his frailties, but eager to share his hope with others. These are not prea...more
At Home in Mitford is a strange book, not from a story perspective but in a writing perspective. Jan Karon has a great story to tell us that is both deep, familiar, and fun but does it in a style that takes a good deal of getting used to.
The story begins as if we already know these characters and need no introduction. Father Tim is the door way into this small Appalachian town but there is no introduction to Father Tim. There seems to be an assumption that we should know who Father Tim is and wh...more
The story begins as if we already know these characters and need no introduction. Father Tim is the door way into this small Appalachian town but there is no introduction to Father Tim. There seems to be an assumption that we should know who Father Tim is and wh...more
My grandmother flew through this entire series of books years ago. I had picked up the first book over and over again and just couldn't seem to get lost in it. Well, it is now ten years later and I am finally ready for Mitford! The series is about a cozy little town nestled in the hills of North Carolina, and its main character is an Episcopal priest named Father Tim. The cast of characters that surround Father Tim are well-drawn and completely believable. They are a lively and wholesome bunch w...more
I knew from the synopsis and reviews that this wouldn't be the most action-packed book out there, which was fine. It's nice to read a gentle, calm work of fiction every so often. Even knowing that going in, though, I had a hard time getting into the story until I'd read almost 200 pages. I really liked the characters, but found myself easily distracted while reading. There just wasn't enough going on, and there were so many easy stopping places, even during chapters, that I sometimes had to forc...more
Born Janice Meredith Wilson in 1937, Jan Karon was raised on a farm near Lenoir, North Carolina. Karon knew at a very early age that she wanted to be a writer. She penned her first novel when she was 10 years old, the same year she won a short-story contest organized by the local high school. Karon married as a teenager and had a daughter, Candace.
At 18, Karon began working as a receptionist for...more
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At 18, Karon began working as a receptionist for...more
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“Lord, make me a blessing to someone today”
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38 people liked it
“The firefly only shines when on the wing, So it is with us--when we stop, we darken.”
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Mar 12, 2012 01:20am
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