[simpleazon-image align=”left” asin=”014025448X” locale=”us” height=”500″ src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YHKFhX3EL.jpg” width=”324″][simpleazon-link asin=”014025448X” locale=”us”]At Home in Mitford (The Mitford Years, Book 1)[/simpleazon-link] by Jan Karon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
As the title suggests, I instantly felt at home in Mitford and was quite content to stay a spell. Delightful characters. Good humor. A dog that likes poetry and responds positively to scripture. Animated descriptions and lively conversations. The town and its residents spring to life in the details. As a reader, I became invested in the lives of the characters, and the town of Mitford is definitely one I’d like to revisit. Honestly, I was a bit surprised to enjoy the read as much as I did. I half expected to be bored by such a seemingly tranquil town and the mild-mannered Father Tim, but I never was. Rich storytelling made all the difference. I found myself quite caught up and felt as though I’d just enjoyed a home-cooked meal with all the fixings when I finished the book. I can see now why the series has enjoyed such popularity for so many years.

Quotes:

“A man needs someone to talk to, someone to entertain his complaints and approve his foolishness” (p. 21).

“A small parish is a fragile ecology” (p. 130).

“She selected another choice piece of information, as one might poke through the caramels to find a chocolate” (p. 160).

“Sometimes you have to gag on fancy before you can appreciate plain” (p. 237).