Continuing with our Top Ten Series featuring my favorite authors:
#3: Jan Karon
I might be the only man on the planet to admit this, but I love Jan Karon's Mitford Series. An author friend turned me on to the series in 1998 and I've since read all nine books. The series opens with At Home in Mitford. Here's an overview of the book from Amazon.com:
Father Tim, a cherished small-town rector, is the steadfast soldier in this beloved slice of life story set in an American village where the grass is still green, the pickets are still white, and the air still smells sweet. The rector's forthright secretary, Emma Garret, worries about her employer, as she sees past his Christian cheerfulness into his aching loneliness. Slowly but surely, the empty places in Father Tim's heart do get filled. First with a gangly stray dog, later with a seemingly stray boy, and finally with the realization that he is stumbling into love with his independent and Christian-wise next-door neighbor. Much more than a gentle love story, this is a homespun tale about a town of endearing characters-- including a mysterious jewel thief--who are as quirky and popular as those of Mayberry, R.F.D.
The other books in the series include: A Light in the Window, These High Green Hills, Out to Canaan, A New Song, A Common Life, Shepherds Abiding, In This Mountain, and Light from Heaven. They continue the heartwarming tales of Father Tim as he seeks to live out his faith in very practical ways.
I've already written at length about why I love this series so much. You can read these posts if you'd like to know more:
I can so identify with Father Tim. No, I'm not in my 60's. I'm not Episcopalian. I'm certainly not a priest, but yet I identify with him. Early in the series, he's a busy guy, content with his work, his dog, his books, his naps, and the single life that he's grown so accustomed to. He never ruled out marriage, but it didn't seem to be in his future, so he just lived his life. That's me.
And I love Mitford (the little town that Karon created). It's full of characters who are different in so many delightful ways. They are quirky, funny, peculiar, nosey, and yes, even sometimes selfish. But they are also reminiscent of so many other small towns. They look out for one another. They pray for one another. They take the time to talk to one another. Life is slower in Mitford. Slower in a good way.
If this series interests you, Amazon.com has the first six books in the series in a box-set (trade paperbacks) for $46.03 right now and you get free shipping. Pick it up and savor every page. I plan to reread the series at some point. In fact, just writing this post makes me want to do it sooner rather than later.
