Out to Canaan (The Mitford Years, Book 4) [Hardcover]

Jan Karon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1997

Father Tim, the Episcopal rector, and his talented and vivacious wife, Cynthia, are pondering the murky uncertainties of retirement. They're also trying to locate the scattered siblings of Dooley Barlowe, the mountain boy they love as their own. A brash new mayoral candidate is calling for aggressive development, and a tough survivor must hunker down for the fight of her life. Worse, the Sweet Stuff Bakery may be closing, and a suspicious real estate agent is trying to turn the beloved house on the hill into a spa. Can change be coming to Mitford? The buzz on Main Street says yes. Change is certainly coming to the tenderest regions of several townspeople's lives. A woman struggles every day to stay on course after years of hard living. A man tries to forgive himself for a tragic mistake. And the town's most eligible bachelor leaves Mitford -- and returns with a stunning surprise.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Mix one part All Creatures Great and Small with two parts Lake Wobegon, sprinkle a little Anne of Green Gables and get: Mitford, the pinnacle of provincial life, where homespun wisdom, guarded tradition, and principled faith are the precepts of good living. Jan Karon, purveyor of so-called "gentle fiction," continues the series that began with At Home in Mitford, in Out to Canaan. The patriarch of the tightly bound community of Mitford, North Carolina, is Father Timothy Kavanaugh, a.k.a. legal counsel, psychologist, foster parent, headhunter, husband, political analyst, and rector of his congregation. He is always there to lend a helping hand, a kind word or bit of advice, which believe it or not, makes for an incredibly busy schedule in this quiet, country town.

Longtime mayor Esther Cunningham, revered for preserving the traditions of the town, finds a formidable foe in Mack Stroupe, a free-spending industrialist who stands for the two most reviled words in Mitford: change and development. If that isn't enough, a suspicious company called "Miami Development" wants to buy Sadie Baxter's home--a Mitford landmark--and turn it into a hoity-toity spa. Father Tim has his hands full again with Dooley, his foster child who is back from prep school for the summer. The good rector continues to doctor Dooley's troubled past by locating his siblings, Poohbaw and Jessie, and finding their alcoholic mother, Pauline, work. The plethora of intricately woven, cozy vignettes makes Out to Canaan a potpie of warm, country reading. --Rebekah Warren --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Library Journal

Though facing retirement, Father Tim Kavanagh hasn't slowed down one bit since his appearance in These High, Green Hills (Viking, 1996). Racing from one good deed to another, Father Timothy takes in stray sick folk, finds an abandoned child, and helps his favorite baker write a winning jingle. A mayoral race pitting the long-time mayor Esther Cunningham against the possibly corrupt Mack Stroupe makes for some colorful sparring. Father Timothy applies his own unique, time-honored method of intuition, prayer, or dietary indulgence to a multitude of problems big and small. His late-in-life marriage to Cynthia continues to be a blessing readers will feel privileged to share. Distinguished by their rare tone of kindness, Karon's Mitford novels create instant warmth and coziness. Out to Canaan continues in this spirit, offering comedy and consolation to all. For most fiction collections.
-?Keddy Ann Outlaw, Harris Cty. P.L., Houston, Tex.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult; First Edition edition (May 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067087485X
• ISBN-13: 978-0670874859
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (109 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #439,204 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

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A story of the heart to the heart!, January 14, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Out to Canaan (The Mitford Years, Book 4) (Hardcover)

Living in a small town myself I could give each character a face in this wonderful series(Mitford Years)by Jan Karon. After reading Home in Mitford, I went to check out A Light in the Window, the second of the series, and found the book missing from the local library. I found out my neighbor had it and begged her to please let me have it while she finished another book she was reading. You can do this in a small town. The Mitford years are the most heartfelt and relaxing books I have ever read. Jan has a way of speaking to your heart and making you feel very much a part of Mitford. Jan please don't stop here, your books are absolutely the best ever. These books have renewed my faith in God and made me value my friends even more.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book 3 of a wonderful, heartwarming series, April 30, 2000

By 

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

This review is from: Out to Canaan (The Mitford Years, Book 4) (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!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A promised land of storytelling, December 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Out to Canaan (The Mitford Years, Book 4) (Paperback)

I enjoyed this one the best of all, over the past three books the development of the characters has evolved, not only in the authors writing but in my mind as well. It is a pleasure to pick up this book and feel, on the very first page, at home. I am just starting the new one and am a little bit melancholy realizing we may have to wait a while for a new one. Anyone who wants to read a great wholesome, very spiritual book will want to read this one. I cried at the end...so, my hat is off to Jan Karon. Keep it up...