Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(278)
4 star:		(67)
3 star:		(23)
2 star:		(24)
1 star:		(37)

 

 

As a voracious reader, having read hundreds and hundreds of books over the past twenty plus years; I can honestly say the Mitford series has been the best yet! Never has a fictional book touched my heart as these have. As I began reading the series, I found myself making changes in my life brought about by Ms. Karon's writings. Familial relationships, friendships, my faith, and my personal contentment have all been enriched by Father Tim, Barnabas, Dooley, and the residents of Mitford. In her writing, Jan Karon empowers her readers to find peace, happiness, and contentment in their own lives through the lives of her gentle characters.

The series of five books begins with "At Home In Mitford" which introduces the reader to Father Tim, a cherished Episcopalian rector in the town of Mitford. The residents of Mitford will surely come to take up residence in your heart as you read through this heartwarming series of miracles, love, mysteries and everday life which take you into the lives of Mitford's charming, eccentric, and lovable citizens including Father Tim's big black dog, Barnabas, who can be instructed to behave with a mere verse of scripture!

I absolutely loved 'At Home in Mitford'. It is probably the best book I have ever read. As a mother of three small children, I rarely get to read anymore. I was surprised by a friend with a gift of this book. When I started reading - I just couldn't hardly put it down. I looked forward to my quiet reading moments with an unquenchable enthusiasm and finished it in record time (finishing a book is alone a record for me)! The characters were so vivid - I felt I knew each one. One negative reviewer criticized the character "Catherine" when the name is actually "Cynthia" (makes me wonder whether THAT interviewer actually read the book) and she is a character so full of life,so quirky, happy, and fun-loving; she reminds me of my incredible mother. Another one of the few negative reviewers said that it was boring. Well, I don't want to give any of the many interwoven plot lines away so I will just say that a lot of real "action" doesn't happen on the show 'Friends', for instance but you watch it for the characters. It is more 'on par' with "Steel Magnolias" than "Hunt for Red October". Another great asset of this book is it's DIALOGUE. I just laughed throughout the entire book. I would LOVE to meet Jan Karon. And finally, this book was an incredible blessing to my Christian walk. To read a 'picture' of caring people SHOWING their love was so uplifting. I pray that it will bring many blessings to many others. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the Mitford series.

Call me crazy, but I'd LOVE to live in Mitford--a place where nothing happens but your occasional dog-napping, jewel-thievering, and finding strangers in your attic.

Sound boring? Oh, but what a nice, calming change of pace that would be! Jan Karon has written a terrific, wholesome story about a small village in North Carolina where wonderful and sometimes strange things happen. Written through the eyes of the Episcopalian priest, Father Tim shows us a refreshingly old-fashioned life where goodness and kindheartedness prevails. You get to meet many lively and eccentric characters who quickly become your friends and who make life in Mitford such a pleasure and a privilege.

At Home in Mitford is the perfect diversion from the hustle and bustle of our busy lives. A calm, relaxing novel full of charm and sassy wit that "celebrates ordinary people leading ordinary lives." Though not for everyone, especially for those who need lots of action in their reading, this novel goes down like a cool glass of lemonade on a hot summer day. Enjoy!

My neighbor recommended this series to me. I never imagined when I began with At Home in Mitford that I would become attached to the little town. I became upset with myself that I had purchased Book 1 by itself. I found myself wanting to go straight to the next one. I purchased Books 2 and 3 together so I didn't have to wait to go on. I only hate that I have completed the series. I passed the books on to my mother who quickly completed the series and passed it on to her neighbor, then my sister (who I never thought would enjoy this type of writing), who in turn passed it to her mother-in-law. Everyone I know who has read these books has thoroughly enjoyed them. The books brought great comfort to me and created inner peace in a way I never experienced before. I hope that Jan will soon add to the series and I look forward to collecting the Mitford Village when it becomes available.

At Home in Mitford is a gentle escape from the stress of modern life. Set in the mountains of North Carolina, Mitford is a town, seemingly lost in another age, asleep while the rest of the world marches on. I read this book at bedtime and it was a wonderful way to fall asleep. Father Tim is an Episcapol priest, who at 60, has never been married. His life is predicatable, a little boring, but fairly enjoyable. He is loved by his parish because of his folksy approach to fulfilling his role as their priest. He is a familiar, gentle old shoe to the entire community, and he radiates with pleasure from the town's eccentric and predictable daily life. This is a town buzzing with quaint goings-on that bring fuzzy warmth to an open reader. I read some of the complaints about this book, such as there is no plot and the characters aren't developed. It's true, the plot is simplistic and most of the characters the reader only meets on the surface. But we only need to glimpse these characters as Father Tim does. They are interesting and amusing, but they don't all offer the challenges and interruptions of Father Tim's life, and they don't need to do so. There is Barnabas, the dog, Dooley, the neglected and "lost" kid from the poor, unapproachable ghetto-village up the mountain, and Cynthia, the novelist-new neighbor to fulfill the story's need for character development. And of course, there is Father Tim. This story is not one to receive literary prizes, but it does deliver, in a big way, to the need for a place where everyone helps one another, where the worst thing that happens doesn't spill blood, and life is predictable and reassuring and treasured and it's safe to go jogging at night.

When I read the book, I was at a time in my life when I needed a lift from being depressed. This book was the answer. I laughed and cried and was impressed by some of Father Tim's comments. The comments were exactly what I needed to hear. I have shared the books with others and they also have enjoyed them.

What a wonderful book! I am writing this after I have read the entire series and am waiting with baited breath for the next book. I love the way Jan Karon tells a story bringing in all the quirky characters of a small town and making the reader feel a part of the scene. From the time Father Tim meets the stray dog, Barnabas (who, as fate would have it only responds when Father Tim quotes scripture to him) to the scenes at different settings around town, I loved this book and this series like I've loved no other. My mother, in her 80s, has read them and then passed them on to a friend of hers (whose husband, now deceased, was a pastor in the town of Blowing Rock, NC, the town where the author lives and which was an inspiration for the town of Mitford). These are stories to be savored and read again and again. Very highly recommended!

I am a bookaholic. I read constantly and live among stacks of books to read, both at the office and at home. So, many of my church members bring me books constantly they want me to read. I decline politely, telling them I've got too many right now that I want to read, but can't get to.

Then one member insisted this book was about me, a pastor with a big dog, who was single, than married, etc. I was intrigued. Then she gift-wrapped this volume and put it in my in-basket.

With amusement I leafed through it, with honestly no real intent to do more than this. Then, I was struck my a chapter heading "The Greatest Sermon Ever Preached." I was hooked. The rest is history.

I love this book and series. It does remind me of my ministry. This series is wonderfully written. Such wholesome stuff. Entertaining to the max, and hard to put down. Everyone in my congregation is reading and loving it also.

I've been interested in the reviews I've read, being in agreement with them most of the time. Those who complain about a lack of reality, etc., miss the point all together. There is enough so-called reality everywhere we turn. A reality of crudeness, selfishness, and disdain for anything gentle. Hooray for Jan Karon, and her wonderful world of Mitford. I have even missed my favorite TV shows (Law & Order, and CSI), for a few hours of delight in the pages of Mitford. Father Tim and all the rest have won my heart!

After the depressing, cynical realism of much contemporary fiction, I was utterly smitten by At Home in Mitford. It didn't look exciting at first, but the more I read, the more I couldn't stop reading. It is utter delight! Quite like eating popcorn or going for a walk on a crisp spring day! If you want a book with good values, the "milk of human kindness", clean humor, hope and simplicity, read this book. I loved its pace. It ambled. It felt like I was experiencing daily life with ordinary people; but, because Mitford is such a sweet magical place, I never wanted it to end. I was also touched by the way characters made choices that changed their lives, especially Homeless Hobbes and George Gaynor. Awesome! Read this book if you want to remember that life can be charming, simple, meaningful and lovely. If anyone else loved this book and can recommend similar books, please let me know. Thanks!