At Home in Mitford

This book is a bit different from my other recommendations. It’s not a fantasy. What it is is a series of books to make you laugh, cry, think, and most of all, want to go live in the imaginary town of Mitford, North Carolina. This is a small town where the phrase “Mitford takes care of its own” is sometimes hard but always rewarding. Reverend Tim Cavanough is a flawed man with a heart of gold who is in the mid to later stage in life and takes care of his flock of often eccentric, lovable townsfolk with a heart… show more.

I love books that tug at my heart and make me laugh. I also love books that remind me of home. But I think the main reason I love this charming novel is because, even though I’m not a priest, I can so relate to Father Tim. I spent fifteen years as a pastor’s wife in a small town, so following along with Father Tim’s sometimes bumbling attempts to live his life alongside the people of the small community he’s been called to serve really resonated with me. Ministry is so hard and yet so worthwhile.

In 1990, after multiple rejections from publishers, this novel first saw print in installments in a small-town paper. Jan Karon continued to submit it to publishers, and four years later, an acquisitions editor called her. 

Ten years later, that same acquisitions editor called me. Fortunately, I was able to give the right answer when he asked me if I had read his pet project, At Home in Mitford. But that was really my wife’s fault.

She bought the book when it first came out and pestered me to read it. I took one look at the cover and resisted.… show more.

At Home in Mitford does what the title implies, I felt at home while reading. Because I have encountered so many people who claim to be Christians and their actions refute it, reading about a gentle and genuine Episcopalian priest gave me a breath of fresh air.

The day-to-day life of a small town in the mountains of North Carolina reminds me of a time in life when people looked out for each other. The practical application of the Christian faith within the pages of the story kept me from feeling preached at and when I put the book down… show more.

Such a charming, colorful smorgasbord of characters in one tiny North Carolina town that leaves a lasting impression. At Home in Mitford is just that, an open door to a world where everyone is at home, the reader included. First in a series of fourteen, each novel is unique and centers around home and those who inhabit it with all their commonalities and quirks, concluding with Somewhere Safe With Somebody Good, published in 2014. The Mitford Museum is now open in Hudson, North Carolina along with Happy Ending Bookstore, a beloved, must-visit site.