A Light in the Window (The Mitford Years, Book 2) (Paperback)

by Jan Karon (Author) "Serious thinking and crossing the street, he once said, shouldn't be attempted simultaneously..." (more)
Key Phrases: dearest cynthia, dear cynthia, jam box, Miss Sadie, Buck Leeper, Edith Mallory (more...)

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

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.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Group, Inc (February 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140254544
• ISBN-13: 978-0140254549
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #29,036 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 2 in The Mitford Years Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 48 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 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.

27 of 29 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 (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.

20 of 21 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 (REAL NAME)

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!