Heartwarming, as always, but perhaps a bit too trite

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	• Home to Holly Springs (Father Tim, Book 1) Jan Karon Viking Adult, 2007 - 368 pages average customer review:based on 139 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

We're On Our Way Back Home

Father Tim has left Mitford and all he loves. He's gone back to his hometown of Holly Springs, Mississippi to rediscover his roots. The reader is taken on a journey where Father Tim tries to reconnect with his past and find out more about his parents and those he used to love. Flashbacks help to flesh out the whole story about the man readers have grown to love. Along the way, he makes a shocking discovery that will change his life forever.

I got started reading the Jan Karon books about three and a half years ago thanks to my boyfriend's mother. I had considered reading them for a while before that but I had just never gotten around to it. Also, other women I had worked with in my church library said I was too young to read the books. But my BF's mom told me I would really like them. So I broke down and read the first Mitford book. And I loved it. Since at this point all the books were out I proceeded to read all 9 books in 3 months. When I finished the last book, I was delighted to hear that there would be a new series with Father Tim and I was eagerly awaiting the release of it. The book is a bit slow in the beginning. Since this novel is focusing almost entirely on Father Tim, there is little mention of all the Mitford characters we've grown to love. And that is a little difficult at first because you miss hearing about all the familiar names and going ons in Mitford. Luckily Father Tim does have frequent calls with Cynthia so we still get to hear from her and he brings along Barnabas as well, so there is a familiar doggy face with us. The story is interesting because we get to learn more about a man that we thought we knew everything about. I liked the flashbacks as we learn more about Father Tim's childhood, his relationship with his parents, and what it was like for him growing up in the south. There was a bit of confusion for me because there were two characters named Peggy. I could not figure out for a couple of chapters which one was which. There is also some mild cursing in this book so be prepared for some peppery language sprinkled throughout. There is a shocking revelation at the end, one that I found very surprising. It will be interesting to see how this will be played out in future books especially with interaction from the Mitford crew. If you are a Mitford fan, then I would definitely recommend picking up this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking very forward to when the next book comes out.

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Christmas purchase

My Mother in Law has been reading these series and this one is the next in line. Christmas present. I read the information. Looks like something I would enjoy also. Asked Mom if she woul let me read them after she gets finished. I was informed I need to read the whole series so now I have a project!

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Heartwarming, as always, but perhaps a bit too trite

I've read and re-read all the Mitford series multiple times. The characters feel like family, so I've been eagerly anticipating the new Father Tim series.

I got this as a Christmas present and just finished reading it in the last 24 hours. While there was much in this novel I loved, I have to say I agree with some of the reviewers who felt the various plot lines all tied up just a little too neatly to be believable, and that detracted from my enjoyment of the book.

I'm a Christian and a strong believer in prayer and miracles, and have always appreciated Karon's depiction of God's work answering prayer in her other books. And most of this book is no exception. But there are just a few places where the plot, the miracles and happy ending feels forced. I think the book would have greater depth if Karon had allowed there to be more struggle or tension, or let some of the plotlines carry over into a subsequent novel. There's also a shallowness of characterization here that wasn't evident in the Mitford series. Karon delves into deep emotional and spiritual struggles with some of the characters before we hardly even know their names, whereas in Mitford, we had a chance to get to "know" them more before some of their deeper struggles became a focus of the plot. The combination of somewhat shallow characterization with sections delving into their inner struggles is an odd one. We learn too much about some of the characters before we're ready to put such revelations in context.

I still enjoyed this a lot and will buy more in the series. But it wasn't up to Karon's previous standard. Hopefully she'll hit her stride in subsequent novels in the series.

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Holly Springs Book 1

Welcome back to Father Tim. I look forward to the next book and hope Jan Karon's ability to create this series continues. The colloquial quotes used transports the reader to the Mississippi small town of Father Tim's youth. This is feel good book which brings up memories of one's own home town and the friends and relations we have not been in contact with over the years.

No, it's not Mitford, but

I think Holly Springs could be as much fun as Mitford.

When an author switches to something a little different it upsets readers who don't want anything to change. I think Jan Karon probably felt she had said everything she had to say about Mitford and needs a new town. Holly Springs seems like a great choice. We should give it a chance.

Yes, I found conversations and who was saying what hard to follow. Yes, there are way too many far-fetched coincidences in this book. And yes, it was hard to keep track of all the new characters. I wondered about having two Peggy's but I think she had talked about the Peggys in other books and didn't feel she could change names. The Peggys are very different and I wasn't confused.

I'm happy that Jan Karon is branching-out. I can see all kinds of great things ahead for Father Tim, Holly Springs, and the whole batch of interesting new characters. I've never found Father Tim's wife, Cynthia, that interesting and didn't mind that she didn't occupy much space in this book.

Despite its shortcomings, I enjoyed the book. I was expecting another entertaining book by Jan Karon and that's what I got. I think you will too if you don't expect Mitford when you read it. You still get lovable Father Tim and Barnabus--plus loads of interesting people. That's enough for me.

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reviews: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, page 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

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