A Fun Read

If you're a Jan Karon fan (of the Mitford series), you must read her latest book Home to Holly Springs.  I was hesitant honestly to read this one, because I thought to myself, "What could she possibly write about for a whole book about Father Tim as a kid?"  Now that I'm done I have one response to that question, "A heck of a lot more than I ever imagined!"  I enjoyed reading this so much, and its 350 pages or so seemed to fly.  The book begins with him returning to his home town of Holly Springs and he's going because he got an unsigned, cryptic postcard with these two words on it, "Come home."  The book chronicles his week-long stay in his home town that he hasn't seen in 38 years, and you get to meet lots of interesting characters, some of whom were living there when he was a child, and others who are new residents.  I've always loved Karon's characters from her Mitford books, and something she is particularly adept at is writing with a dialect.  She amazes me how she can help you get such a feel for a character by clearly writing with such a real and yet readable dialect.  There is quite a build-up to the discovery of who has lured him home with that simple postcard, and the wait becomes well worth it, because the story behind that postcard is amazing.  When he finally meets with the postcard sender, you find yourself becoming as emotionally exhausted by the story that unfolds as Father Tim becomes, but it is fascinating.  My only word of criticism is that this story is almost too perfect. I mean, Karon ties up nearly every possible issue in neat, tidy, amazingly coincidental ways (or God ordained ways--"Godincidences"), and while my husband will be the first to tell you that I love a tidy story, even I became a little overwhelmed with the multitude of these "Godincidences" where he encounters people from crucial points in his past at crucial moments in the present.  Even so, I loved this read.  I mean, who doesn't love a tidily-told story with colorful characters?  She always manages to bring the message of salvation through her stories, and I so appreciate that and admire it.  And of course, there are plenty of marvelous quotes to enjoy sprinkled throughout from Father Tim's favorite authors as well as the favored authors of some of the new characters. My personal favorite quote from this book was found in chapter 29 when he quotes an English preacher, Jeremy Taylor, saying, "Nothing is intolerable that is necessary.  Now God has bound thy trouble upon thee, with a design to try thee, and with purposes to reward and crown thee.  These cords thou canst not break; and therefore like thou down gently, and suffer the hand of God to do what he pleases." ---with purposes to reward and crown thee--that sounds pretty good.  

The front cover reads "The First of the Father Tim Novels" at the bottom, and I'm thrilled that this is only the first, and I'm eager to see what is to come after his return to Holly Springs.