Info: Copyright 2007: New York: Viking / Penguin
Rating (on a scale of 1-4 stars): ✮✮✮ 1/2
Where Acquired: Audio library check out.
What it's about: Retired Episcopal priest Father Timothy Kavanagh receives a mysterious note in the mail containing two words "Come home." But wait. Home was Mitford. Home was all his friends and former parishioners. Father Tim knew what he must do--and he didn't like it. Author Jan Karon returns Father Tim to his roots in Holly Springs, Mississippi. There he encounters all the joys, sorrows, and surprises of coming home.
Favorite Quotes:
From Chapter 1:
"I'm about to puke up my gizzard," said Tommy. "Every time I look down, it hits me."
"Don't look down. Keep your eyes straight ahead."
"Ain't nothin' to see straight ahead."
"It's puke or look straight ahead--take your pick."
Tommy puked.
"Good," he [young Timothy] said, "Let's go."
From Chapter 2: RE: Barnabas, "Is that a dog, or a coal car jumped off the track?"
From Chapter 13 - "He liked being in a place where everything from forgetfulness to homicide might be blamed on the heat."
What I liked:
- I always enjoy a book that has laugh out loud moments laden with southern humor to which I can relate.
- Though this was set outside of Mitford, the Mitford vibe was not lost, plus several recurring characters were included. Also, the newly introduced characters could have fit right in with the Mitford crowd.
- Many mysterious plot holes from the other novels were solved in this story.
What I didn’t like:
- This is the first Jan Karon novel I remember having so much strong language in it. I felt that the use of so much pejorative language was unnecessary for the enjoyment of the book.
Takeaway:
Honestly, I thought I wasn't going to like this book. I'd read the second Father Tim novel, In the Company of Others, several years ago and found it very dull. (Yes, I know I read them out of order. It happens.) I expected the same from this first departure from Mitford, however, I was blissfully mistaken. I suppose my own situation helped me take a shine to this novel. I've just recently moved across the country from the only home I've ever known. I'm not sure how long it will be before I will visit home. I wonder how much will change? Though it won't be as dramatic or as extended as Father Tim's absence, I wonder about what joyous secrets I'll find when I return.
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