A Light in the Window (The Mitford Years, Book 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

Jan Karon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 31, 2005

Unable to deny his feelings for his neighbor, Father Tim, the village rector of Mitford, North Carolina, is torn between his personal emotions, the wealthy widow who has been wooing him, and the his cousin Meg, who moves into the rectory uninvited. Read by Jan Karon. Book available.

--This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A Light in the Window is the second installment in this enormously popular series about a small-town rector, Father Tim, and the heartwarming cast of characters surrounding him. This time Father Tim, a lifelong bachelor, finds his heart distracted by his free-spirited neighbor Cynthia, but his stomach and the rectory cash box are distracted by Edith, a wealthy widow who is wooing the rector with love potion casseroles. At every turn, including when a brooding Irish cousin decides to move in, Father Tim must decide whether he will practice what he preaches.

Fans of the series say they long to buy real estate in Mitford, just so they can live next door to these funny and endearing characters and feel the embrace of such a loving community. But what author Jan Karon probably knows, and many readers are starting to figure out, is that the integrity and solid Christian values that these characters possess can be found in just about every neighborhood, and with inspiration like this book, anyone can build their own Mitford community. --Gail Hudson --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

The first two novels in Karon's Mitford series chronicle the everyday eccentricities of a small North Carolina town.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (May 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143035045
• ISBN-13: 978-0143035046
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (79 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,078,067 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jan Karon is the author of the bestselling series of nine Mitford novels featuring Father Timothy Kavanagh, an Episcopal priest, and the fictional village of Mitford. Set in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Karon's Mitford books include At Home in Mitford; A Light in the Window; These High, Green Hills; Out to Canaan; A New Song; A Common Life: The Wedding Story; In This Mountain; Shepherd's Abiding; and Light from Heaven. The Father Tim Novels include "Home to Holly Springs" and last fall's release of "In the Company of Others," set in County Sligo, Ireland. There are over 40 million Mitford and Father Tim novels, childrens books, and CDs in print.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You can go home again . . . to Mitford, December 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Light in the Window (The Mitford Years, Book 2) (Paperback)

This book was every bit as delightful as At Home in Mitford, and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. Jan Karon has created the perfect small town in which we would all like to live, and it is a joy to visit there, even if only for a little while. Esther Cunningham, the mayor of Mitford, says that Mitford always takes care of its own, and I think that is what we all love about the place. It's a place where the community love God and love their neighbors, with all their faults and eccentricities. It is also wonderful to read a about romance between mature adults Father Tim and Cynthia. I applauded Karon's way of communicating Christian values without hitting us over the head with them. I always leave Mitford a little more aware and a little more kindly disposed toward my own neighbors. If only we could create such a community in the real world.

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great trip to Mitford, June 20, 2002

By 

Dianna Johnston "Compulsive Reader" (Joplin, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Light in the Window (The Mitford Years, Book 2) (Paperback)

It had been over a year since I read the first Mitford book, so I figured it was time to take another visit. I will admit I wasn't too excited about reading Mitford #2 because I knew there wouldn't be much action in the story. However, after about 50 pages or so in A Light in the Window, I realized what I was missing. I was finally home once again...

This second installment is chock-full of happenings. We have recent widower, Edith Mallory, setting her eyes (and hands) on Father Tim; a mysterious Irish cousin who comes to stay in the rectory for questionable reasons; and we meet a new character, Buck Leeper, the hardened, unpleasant building supervisor hired to build Mitford's new nursing home. But the most important part of this book is Father Tim's growing feelings toward his neighbor, Cynthia, and his struggle to accept them, be happy, and let nature take its course. And naturally, Cynthia has a word or two to say about that!

I enjoyed A Light in the Window much better than the first one. I found myself reading this novel until the wee hours of the morning because I couldn't get enough of the characters or heartwarming storylines. No action, no plot twists, no shocking endings -- but I simply didn't care. Jan Karon has a way of telling a story that makes all those other page-turning qualities seem unimportant. Mitford is a home away from home, a fictitious account of REAL life, and a place where I will look forward to visiting in the books to come.

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book 2 of a wonderful, heartwarming series, April 30, 2000

By 

Jackie Tortorella - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Light in the Window (The Mitford Years, Book 2) (Paperback)

I have zoomed through the first 4 Mitford books and am now midway through the 5th. The characters grab you and transport you to a town where I think, deep down, we would all like to call home. Father Tim is a "real" person with very human characteristics. Yet his basic goodness will restore your faith in humanity. The theology is not shoved down your throat, but rather is grasped between the lines. All the characters are memorable. Cynthia and Dooley in particular help shape the wonderful story line. The huge dog, Barnabus, who is disciplined only by hearing Bible verse, worms his way into your heart. I am so glad I discovered this series, and I recommend it to absolutely anyone!