Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good, A Mitford Novel by Jan Karon

About the Book:

After five hectic years of retirement from Lord’s Chapel, Father Tim Kavanagh returns with his wife, Cynthia, from a so-called pleasure trip to the land of his Irish ancestors.

 While glad to be at home in Mitford, something is definitely missing: a pulpit. But when he’s offered one, he decides he doesn’t want it. Maybe he’s lost his passion.

 His adopted son, Dooley, wrestles with his own passion—for the beautiful and gifted Lace Turner, and his vision to become a successful country vet. Dooley’s brother, Sammy, still enraged by his mother’s abandonment, destroys one of Father Tim’s prized possessions. And Hope Murphy, owner of Happy Endings bookstore, struggles with the potential loss of her unborn child and her hard-won business.
           
All this as Wanda’s Feel Good Café opens, a romance catches fire through an Internet word game, their former mayor hatches a reelection campaign to throw the bums out, and the weekly Muse poses a probing inquiry: Does Mitford still take care of its own?
           
Millions of fans will applaud the chance to spend time, once more, in the often comic and utterly human presence of Jan Karon’s characters. Indeed, they have never been more sympathetic, bighearted, and engaging.

My Thoughts:

Welcome home to Mitford if you've loved the novels!  If not, then Welcome to Mitford--you need to start from the beginning, but you can do that after you read "Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good".

Who am I to be offering a review of Jan Karon's works?  I'm just a fan who takes literature seriously, and insists on quality in what I read.  Jan's books have both a serious take on books and authors as well as top notch quality.

If you've read my post in the countdown to today's release date, you've learned a lot about Jan's journey to Mitford and her beloved Father Timothy Kavanagh.  If you missed those, there's still time to enter each giveaway for a chance at winning a free copy.

So, what did I learn from my time in "Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good"?  Lots of things, such as everybody deserves to be loved.  Also, in marriage it is so vital to keep love alive, even if it means writing each other love letters (make it a challenge to out do each other--Like Tim and Cynthia did!)

I learned that it isn't enough to simply ask, "What can I do to help" or say "If you need anything, just call."  No, we have to put feet to our words and let our hands be helpful, or our words are empty.  The beauty of it all is, as we help others, we in return are helped by God.

I also learned that prayer truly does matter, and faith in Christ can be scary and murky for those who haven't yet believed.  I'm beginning to open my days in good morning prayers, pray often for people who ask or who just need prayer.  And to close my days with a prayer of thankfulness to God for all He accomplished in me, through me, and in spite of me.

Oh...one last thing...I MISS UNCLE BILLY!  There.  I've said it.

Here's to hoping for another trip back to Mitford.  I've also missed Mitford, and this was a refreshing tale about people I've grown to love, even though they are fictional...because they seem real to me. 

My thanks to my generous friends at Putnam Adult for my complimentary copy and trusting me to provide an honest review.

So here it is, in all honesty:  GET THEE TO MITFORD!  YOU MISS IT, EVEN IF YOU DON'T KNOW IT YET!  Sorry for the yelling, but it is a vitally important message:-)

Happy Reading!





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