Product Description

Readers of the nine bestselling Mitford novels have been captivated by Jan Karon’s “gift for illuminating the struggles that creep into everyday lives—along with a vividly imagined world” (People). They learned quickly that “after you’ve spent time in Mitford, you’ll want to come back” (Chicago Tribune). Millions eagerly awaited the publication of each novel, relishing the story of the bookish and bighearted Episcopal priest and the extraordinary fullness of his seemingly ordinary life.

Now, Jan Karon enchants us with the story of the newly retired priest’s spur-of-the-moment adventure. For the first time in decades, Father Tim returns to his birthplace, Holly Springs, Mississippi, in response to a mysterious, unsigned note saying simply: “Come home.” Little does he know how much these two words will change his life. A story of long-buried secrets, forgiveness, and the wonder of discovering new people, places, and depth of feeling, Home to Holly Springs will enthrall new readers and longtime fans alike.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2909 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 368 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Karon's bestselling series of Mitford novels has concluded with 25 million copies sold to date, but to the relief of eager fans, she introduces a new series featuring Father Tim. The beloved Episcopal priest returns to his childhood town of Holly Springs, Miss., where he reconnects with old friends and battles some old demons. The novel is thick with Father Tim's past, as Karon uses flashbacks to shed light on his early adulthood, especially his transition to seminary. In Holly Springs, his penchant for getting near strangers to open up to him—and his earnest, moving reflections on faith, prayer and the risks of love—are reassuringly present. His wife, Cynthia, is on stage far less than he, but when she appears, she is charming and insightful, as usual. Yet the book is far from perfect. Development of the quirky locals in Holly Springs is thin, and the end is a tad abrupt. Most frustratingly, the central drama of the novel falls flat: Father Tim discovers a long-buried family secret, but he doesn't grapple deeply enough with the emotional consequences of his discovery, nor does Karon fully explore the ways in which the secret plunges us into the Southern quagmire of race. Still, Mitford fans will enjoy this newest visit with wise, winsome, lovable Father Tim. (Oct. 30)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
“Far from Mitford and his beloved wife Cynthia, Father Tim Kavanagh enters unfamiliar emotional territory in the town of his birth.

When he receives a letter postmarked Holly Springs, Miss., that contains a cryptic two-word message written in a precise, old-fashioned hand, Father Tim decides to answer its call and return to his birthplace for the first time in 38 years. On the long drive, he faces unanswered questions and half-forgotten memories: What happened to his boyhood chum and blood brother, Tommy? What caused his father's melancholy that bordered on cruelty? What happened to Peggy, the adored black caregiver who disappeared when he was 11? Who is trying to contact him, and why? As Father Tim awaits the letter writer, he is showered by blessings: He finds that his hometown has been beautifully restored, and he makes peace with an old flame. When the summons comes, it brings both joy and betrayal. He is reunited with his beloved Peggy, only to learn a terrible secret: She was carrying his father's child when she disappeared. When Peggy reveals that Henry, her son and Tim's half-brother, has leukemia and can only survive with a transfusion from a compatible sibling, Tim has to struggle to reach the decision he knows is right. In this setting away from home, we see Father Tim in a new light as he wrestles with his past and explores the origins of his religious convictions. The saga veers into magical theater as Karon (Cynthia Coppersmith's Violet Comes to Stay, 2006, etc.) ties up every loose end in Tim's past. But readers who miss Mitford's colorful eccentrics will be satisfied by Holly Springs's ample supply of quirky characters.

Karon's deft interweaving of past and present infuses the Mitford saga with new energy.”
—Kirkus Reviews

About the Author
Jan Karon is the author of the bestselling series of Mitford novels.

Customer Reviews

Gentle loving warmth and faith abounding.
Jan Karon's Mitford and now, Father Tim books are a balm and a blessing in this madness which is life in the 21st Century. Like previous adventures with aging and increasing wise Father Tim, the plot here unfolds with simple, yet marvelously complicated events and the usual and expected joys, tears and miracles. There's a whole new bunch of odd and oddly real characters as Tim returns to his boyhood and the intricate and byzantine relationships of an extraordinary family. Karon's prose is crushed green velvet, sprinkled with the white chocolate chips of sassy humor, always gently applied with reverence and always, always leavened with love. Mixed metaphors aside, the writing here compares favorably well with such gracious classics of inspirational fiction as the works of Elizabeth Goudge, Grace Hill, and Faith Baldwin, but resonates and reverberates with the contemporary works of Philip Gulley, Clyde Edgerton, Carolyn Chute, Rosamunde Pilcher, and Maeve Binchy. Reading to soothe the soul; and not just for Christians.

A Complete Bore!
I won't go into everything I disliked about the audiobook. Most of it is already stated in the other one and two-star reviews. I just wanted to reiterate how boring this audiobook was. I had trouble staying awake listening to it, something I consider rare. There were a few more interesting parts of the book, but they seemed to come all at once and left the rest to dwell on minutae. The reader did a nice job, although his voice seemed much too young for a 70 year old man. I haven't read the Mitford series, but had planned on reading them eventually. After listening to this audiobook I had started to rethink that idea. I'm glad to read (in other reviews) that the Mitford series is nothing like this book.

A Fantastic Book !!!!
This book was great. I have to admit that I had a fear that I'd be disappointed after reading the entire Mitford series but I was not disappointed at all. It was different from the Mitford series but still a pleasure to read. Sure, we didn't have the Mitford regulars in the story, but in a way it was nice. After all, how long can you keep Mitford going? I hated to see this story end and I anxiously await the next book.