Home to Holly Springs, Father Tim Series #1

Wonderful news, Mitford fans! Father Tim, the beloved retired Episcopal priest, is back---and in response to a mysterious summons, he's taking a trip down "memory lane" to his hometown of Holly Springs, Mississippi. His journey is filled with colorful characters, heartfelt insights, and plenty of laughs---but will the destination yield surprising secrets, too? 368 pages, hardcover from Viking.

Readers of the nine bestselling Mitford novels have been captivated by Jan Karon’s “gift for illuminating the struggles that creep into everyday lives—along with a vividly imagined world” (People). They learned quickly that “after you’ve spent time in Mitford, you’ll want to come back” (Chicago Tribune). Millions eagerly awaited the publication of each novel, relishing the story of the bookish and bighearted Episcopal priest and the extraordinary fullness of his seemingly ordinary life.

Now, Jan Karon enchants us with the story of the newly retired priest’s spur-of-the-moment adventure. For the first time in decades, Father Tim returns to his birthplace, Holly Springs, Mississippi, in response to a mysterious, unsigned note saying simply: “Come home.” Little does he know how much these two words will change his life. A story of long-buried secrets, forgiveness, and the wonder of discovering new people, places, and depth of feeling, Home to Holly Springs will enthrall new readers and longtime fans alike.

Jan Karon is the author of the bestselling series of Mitford novels.

Karon's bestselling series of Mitford novels has concluded with 25 million copies sold to date, but to the relief of eager fans, she introduces a new series featuring Father Tim. The beloved Episcopal priest returns to his childhood town of Holly Springs, Miss., where he reconnects with old friends and battles some old demons. The novel is thick with Father Tim's past, as Karon uses flashbacks to shed light on his early adulthood, especially his transition to seminary. In Holly Springs, his penchant for getting near strangers to open up to him—and his earnest, moving reflections on faith, prayer and the risks of love—are reassuringly present. His wife, Cynthia, is on stage far less than he, but when she appears, she is charming and insightful, as usual. Yet the book is far from perfect. Development of the quirky locals in Holly Springs is thin, and the end is a tad abrupt. Most frustratingly, the central drama of the novel falls flat: Father Tim discovers a long-buried family secret, but he doesn't grapple deeply enough with the emotional consequences of his discovery, nor does Karon fully explore the ways in which the secret plunges us into the Southern quagmire of race. Still, Mitford fans will enjoy this newest visit with wise, winsome, lovable Father Tim. (Oct. 30) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

“Far from Mitford and his beloved wife Cynthia, Father Tim Kavanagh enters unfamiliar emotional territory in the town of his birth.

When he receives a letter postmarked Holly Springs, Miss., that contains a cryptic two-word message written in a precise, old-fashioned hand, Father Tim decides to answer its call and return to his birthplace for the first time in 38 years. On the long drive, he faces unanswered questions and half-forgotten memories: What happened to his boyhood chum and blood brother, Tommy? What caused his father’s melancholy that bordered on cruelty? What happened to Peggy, the adored black caregiver who disappeared when he was 11? Who is trying to contact him, and why? As Father Tim awaits the letter writer, he is showered by blessings: He finds that his hometown has been beautifully restored, and he makes peace with an old flame. When the summons comes, it brings both joy and betrayal. He is reunited with his beloved Peggy, only to learn a terrible secret: She was carrying his father’s child when she disappeared. When Peggy reveals that Henry, her son and Tim’s half-brother, has leukemia and can only survive with a transfusion from a compatible sibling, Tim has to struggle to reach the decision he knows is right. In this setting away from home, we see Father Tim in a new light as he wrestles with his past and explores the origins of his religious convictions. The saga veers into magical theater as Karon (Cynthia Coppersmith’s Violet Comes to Stay, 2006, etc.) ties up every loose end in Tim’s past. But readers who miss Mitford’s colorful eccentrics will be satisfied by Holly Springs’s ample supply of quirky characters.

Karon’s deft interweaving of past and present infuses the Mitford saga with new energy.”
—Kirkus Reviews

Average Rating:

8 of 24 Reviews Showing:(View All Reviews)

Reviewed by Diana Drawbaugh (Versailles, KY), March 23, 2009

I have just finished "re-reading" Home to Holly Springs by listening to it on CD. I love this book because it shows Fr Tim as a real person with a real history, just like all of us. I love that Ms. Karon lets him be real - warts and all! Can't wait for #2!!!

Reviewed by Gayle S. (Denham Springs, La.), April 11, 2008

Excellent read!! Another Jan Karon marvel. Having read the entire Mitford series, I was delighted to see that another series (Father Tim) had begun. Can't wait for #2 in this series.

Reviewed by Judith Todd (Leverett, MA), April 02, 2008

I am really enjoying this book. I've read all the Mitford Series books and this is a great book that introduces us to Father Tim's childhood.

Reviewed by Cammi Ellis (Nampa, ID), March 25, 2008

I go back to Mitford every now and again and love seeing what I missed each time before. I was a little shy of what going Home to Holly Springs would be like but I love Fr. Tim, so with every turn and twist of his visit there, I was on the roller coaster with him! Each time he found a new friend, a "brother," a "sister" or received and gave forgiveness, my spirit said "Yesssssss!" right along with his! It was hard to put it down and today I read the whole last half of the book non-stop! Jan Karon rounds up all the loose ends and unanswered questions and ties them in a lovely bow!

Reviewed by Etta Faye Hudson (Columbus, IN), March 17, 2008

Enjoyed the book Home To Holly Springs- I have read the Mitford Series then on to the Book Home to Holly Springs-this is a great series and would recommend to any one.

Reviewed by Elisabeth Ditmer (Elkhart, IN), February 25, 2008

I was so pleased to see that the Mitford story was to continue and started reading as soon as I received the copy. As the old characters began appearing, it was like greeting old friends. Then I was caught up abruptly with some language that surprised me. I didn't realize "ass hole" is approved Christian language. After the third one, I closed the book and returned it. How disappointing!

Reviewed by Sharon Prince (Port Saint Lucie, FL), February 21, 2008

This book is wonderful, a mystery around ever corner. But sooner or later the mysteries are solved. It was great to find out about Father Tim's past. I also appeciate the scripture references and prayers, etc. Reading books about Father Tim helps me to see how I, as a Christian, should try to live my everyday life. Thank you Lord and Ms. Karon for the blessings of your Father Tim books. Please keep writing them.

Reviewed by Mary Sutton (Langhorne, PA), February 07, 2008

It was so slow getting into it. After I got used to it going back and forth from the present to the past, I enjoyed getting to know more about Father Tim's past. It took time too getting to know the new characters that played an important part in his life. I felt at the end of the story I understood Father Tim more just as he came to understand things from his past better.

View all 24 Reviews

Write a review of Home to Holly Springs, Father Tim Series #1

• Books
• Books >> Fiction
• Books >> Fiction >> Contemporary
• Books >> Fiction >> Contemporary >> General Contemporary
• Fiction
• Fiction >> Contemporary
• Fiction >> Contemporary >> General Contemporary
• Start A New Christianbook.com Search

I'm the author/artist and I want to review Home to Holly Springs, Father Tim Series #1.