Rent: At Home in Mitford (The Mitford Years, Book 1)

I'm giving this one five stars even though I did not personally care for it. Why? Because the author has rendered a magnificently-written, coherent story (albeit, a pretty unreal one) which achieves a high enough level of literary excellence that I'm compelled to call it "American Christian Literature". I believe that the writing is equivalent in quality to that of some past great American authors, say James Thurber, Lloyd C. Douglas, etc.

Some people are simply tired of reading filth and trash (not me -- I LIKE filth and trash in terms of seedy characters, furtive activities and lewd language, except I'm not a fan of pornographic writing nor do I like stories where anything bad happens to kids). If you are a person who's had enough of smutty dynamics and you'd like, for a change, to read a story of fiction that is targeted for adults and yet does not contain foul language or deviant characters, then "At Home in Mitford" might just be for you.

Of the various dillemmas which arise for "Father Tim," I can definitely state that I'd personally solve them all in 30 seconds without a second thought, although not in the thoughtful, concerned, sensitive way that he does *.* These are NOT monumental problems that we're talking about here... they are (from the reader's view) humorous little enigmas for the most part, but clearly important to the lives of the potentially affected characters in the book. The level of melodrama in this book definitely did not make my heart pound but that's what comes of my having worked in law enforcement for over 25 years -- I've seen it all and have pretty much gotten numb to the worst of it.

So, this is a nice, charming, warm, little story which I think many life-long Christians will find some relief in. The moral lessons do not really interfere with the story and, in fact, provide more of a "covert undertone". And the good news is that this one is but the first entry of a series. Some might compare this author's literary posture with that of C.S. Lewis -- I think that Karon's work here is far superior to anything that Lewis ever published -- that's just my opinion and perhaps Lewis fans would not agree.

In summary, for me, this book was as boring as a box of Quaker Oats. BUT, my tastes in fiction are hardly in line with those of regular, normal people (I loved "Fight Club"!) and I must, to be fair, award credit where I feel it is due. This work is nicely presented and I would highly recommend it for appropriate readers... those Christians (or other spiritually-oriented people) whom are seeking some really light escapism.

I was looking very forward to reading this book and desperately wanted to like it. I threw in the towel three quarters of the way through. I respect Karon's goal and believe it was sincere, but the novel fell extremely short in many ways. Mitford is a picturesque town filled with people that ALL get along. There are no disagreements among them. Every thing is sweet, too sweet, right down to the dialogue between the characters. They speak too perfectly. Everything seems to work itself out in an almost perfect way. I understand that this is a Christian based novel, however as many Christians know that prayers aren't always answered in the way we expect or want them to be. Answers to prayers don't always come wrapped up and neatly tied with a bow. One of the deciding factors for me to give up reading this book involved Barnabas the big black dog that bounded unexpectly into Father Tim's life. Father Tim finally takes to him and adopts him. Some time later, the dog is snatched into a car (appeared to be the possible owner, may not have been- didn't read any further to find out). Everyone in the town begins to contribute to a reward fund. Okay fine. Father Tim adopts the dog, never trying to locate the dogs possible owner. Even when the reward money is being collected no one mentions this. This town of hypocrites is collecting reward money for a dog that doesn't actually belong to the "church" rector. Nobody ever gives a thought that there could be a little kid crying his eyes out because his dog ran away. I'm sorry if I gave some of the story away, but in all honesty, consider it a favor. This book is just a poorly written adult fairy tale. I give it one star that is on the brink of burning out! If you must read it, save your money and borrow it because if you make it through, you're not reading again.

Wonderful book. Best fiction I have read in many years. Light, friendly reading about a town you would love to be from.

Jan Karon is one of my favorite authors and this first book is one of her best. One of the reasons it's so enjoyable is that she covers the whole spectrum of Mitford as she introduces you to her characters and their town. Karon is a master at characterization, plot and setting--no wonder her books can't miss! She sprinkles them liberally with humor, as she brings in some serious subjects, but is never heavy-handed. Her books are a joy to read and to re-read, which certainly cannot be said of every author.

I finally dwelved into the Mitford Series, beginning with the first book in the series, At Home in Mitford, by Jan Karon. The book features Father Tim, the local recor, and the many colorful characters that make up the denizens of the fictional town of Mitford. Karon paints vivid picture of this peaceful town and the rolling hills that surround it. This is a feel good book, that has a meandering pace, and a great heart. Father Tim often quotes verses from the Bible and will pray for strenght and guidance. There is the old cliche about how somethings are like crawling into a warm comfortable bed, well this book is like crawling in a warm, comforatable bed, with a fire going ini a stone fireplace, and the sound of a steady rain outside. A delight!