At Home in Mitford

Title: At Home in Mitford
Author: Jan Karon
Genre: Fiction

This post is dedicated to my good friend Sue W. More than several years ago she encouraged me to read this series. I’m so glad I finally picked up this first book and enjoyed every chapter.

At Home in Mitford is the first of 8 books about the quiet village of Mitford. The main character is Father Tim and he is the pastor of the Lords Chapel. The beginning of the book finds Father Tim tired and longing for more out of life. Diagnosed with diabetes, he realizes that diet and exercise improve the physical aspect of his being, but he still feels like he is missing something.

Enter in Barnabas, a dog the size of a house; an 11 year old named Dooley with no parents, Emma the secretary with no change but always offers her 2 cents worth, and Puny the housekeeper sent by the church vectory to make Father Tim’s life easier. A host of other colorful characters keep the story line flowing nice and easy.

I sincerely enjoyed reading about the gentle town of Mitford. I was also surprised to find the spiritual depth in the story. I’m not to familiar with books published by Penguin, but was very pleased with what I found. There is no violence, no swearing and nothing inappropriate. Personally, I thought use of the word “poop” was a bit overdone. But then again, I’m the parent of a pre-schooler and get tired of hearing it anyway. Parts of the book were quite comical and although it was not faced pace by any means, I still was drawn to the story line. I look forward to the reading the rest of the series.

Well done Jan Karon and thank you Sue for directing me to such fine work.