Another well written story from Jan Karon. I am always caught up in Fr. Tim's life when I read Ms. Karon's stories. As I friend of mine said after reading "The Mitford Series", "I'm dreaming in sentences". The characters of Holly Springs have life in the words of this book. The insights into our emotions and make-up are right on. The conclusions are life changing.

Jan Karon's Mitford and now, Father Tim books are a balm and a blessing in this madness which is life in the 21st Century. Like previous adventures with aging and increasing wise Father Tim, the plot here unfolds with simple, yet marvelously complicated events and the usual and expected joys, tears and miracles. There's a whole new bunch of odd and oddly real characters as Tim returns to his boyhood and the intricate and byzantine relationships of an extraordinary family. Karon's prose is crushed green velvet, sprinkled with the white chocolate chips of sassy humor, always gently applied with reverence and always, always leavened with love. Mixed metaphors aside, the writing here compares favorably well with such gracious classics of inspirational fiction as the works of Elizabeth Goudge, Grace Hill, and Faith Baldwin, but resonates and reverberates with the contemporary works of Philip Gulley, Clyde Edgerton, Carolyn Chute, Rosamunde Pilcher, and Maeve Binchy. Reading to soothe the soul; and not just for Christians.

I won't go into everything I disliked about the audiobook. Most of it is already stated in the other one and two-star reviews. I just wanted to reiterate how boring this audiobook was. I had trouble staying awake listening to it, something I consider rare. There were a few more interesting parts of the book, but they seemed to come all at once and left the rest to dwell on minutae. The reader did a nice job, although his voice seemed much too young for a 70 year old man. I haven't read the Mitford series, but had planned on reading them eventually. After listening to this audiobook I had started to rethink that idea. I'm glad to read (in other reviews) that the Mitford series is nothing like this book.

[I knew I enjoy Jan Karon's books- the Mitford series so wanted to try this one. I bought it for a gift but read it before mailing it I like it very much & believe the family to whom I sent it will enjoy it also. These books may not be the greatest literature in the world but they're so readable without the dirty language so many authors feel they have to use.
[ASIN:0143114395 Home to Holly Springs (Father Tim, Book 1)]]

This book was great. I have to admit that I had a fear that I'd be disappointed after reading the entire Mitford series but I was not disappointed at all. It was different from the Mitford series but still a pleasure to read. Sure, we didn't have the Mitford regulars in the story, but in a way it was nice. After all, how long can you keep Mitford going? I hated to see this story end and I anxiously await the next book.

If you enjoyed the Mitford series, you will certainly enjoy this story of Father Tim's growing up years presented alongside the continuing present-day story from the last of the Mitford series. Jan Karon has once again written a delightful, inspiring story that offers humor and wonderful insight.

I am an avid fan of Jan Karon. IMHO, this is the best novel she has written yet. I was a little afraid to read it after reading a couple of reviews by people who were unhappy she had left Mitford behind. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering what was going to happen next. Wonderful surprises were in store! I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Father Tim's past. I am looking forward to the next books in the series. I will admit that everything fit together too neatly sometimes, but one reason I enjoy Ms. Karon's book is because they are so "happily ever-after." I didn't feel she had abandoned Mitford at all, but introduced us to a new place and neighbors in Holly Springs. If you like Jan Karon's other books, you will love "Home to Holly Springs." If I have time someday, I want to re-read the Mitford series after finishing the Father Tim series, having gained the insight of him and his past.

I am a Mitford Series fan and was looking forward to another book about my favorite characters. I'm disappointed in this book. In our every day world we see and hear constantly about the bad and unseemly things going on and there are plenty of books that take these things for their story line. I don't read those books. I've enjoyed the Mitford books because they tell a good story without all the bad and ugly in the world. Unfortunately, Ms. Karon has taken my favorite character and put him right in the middle of the muck. If this is the direction her future books will take, I will not buy and read them.

To understand and enjoy this book, you must be familiar with Father Tim and the Mitford series. This book is a look at Father Tim's early life as he returns to his hometown in response to a mysterious and anonymous letter. The book spans his three day visit as he meets former beloved friends but is mixed with flashbacks that answers many questions about Father Tim's relationship with his parents. Cynthia and Dooley are minor characters in this book, but do appear near the end. I hated to see the Mitford series come to an end, and found this book to be enjoyable- a continuation of the comfortable writing style of Jan Karon. To me, the characters were not as endearing as the characters in Mitford- it seemed as if they were hurried along so that all questions could be answered and all loose ends tied up in this book. I will look forward to seeing more of the story unfold and hopefully, see more of Cynthia and Dooley in the books to come. As in all of the Father Tim books, there are lessons learned and lovely thoughts in this book.

Although in some ways very different from her Mitford books, I found Home to Holly Springs to be an excellent work with profound depth. As an avid Mitford fan, I was at first afraid that this new novel would be too deeply sad for my taste. However, I found it immensely satisfying by the time I had finished the entire story. I can only say that those who were disappointed in the book should definitely take another look. They're missing a great deal. I believe Jan Karon is one of the finest writers I know in this century, and I am earnestly waiting for the next book in the series (or any other she'd care to write).

Jan Karon's Mitford series, so full of sweetness and simple charm, has been one of my all-time favorite "comfort reads" for many years. As such, I had high hopes for her new "Father Tim" series. What a disappointment! She seems to have decided to get serious, moving away from the predictable, but delightful, formula of the Mitford stories, and attempting to delve deeper into psychological drama; a move out of her comfort (and skill) zone which proved disasterous. The narrative was uneven: dragging one moment, clogged with uninteresting minutae, and in the next, hitting the reader over the head with one momentous revelation after another. Ms. Karon failed to create a sense of place, so key in the Mitford series; the characters were wooden; and worse, the story was woefully lacking in humor; one of the delights of the Mitford books. Finally, her wrap-up, with its flurry of implausable synchronicities, stretched my credulity well past the breaking point. Rather than taking its place with its well-thumbed predecessors on my bookshelf, as I had fully expected, I couldn't get rid of this book fast enough.

I just stayed up late and finished "Home to Holly Springs." I must confess that I checked it out from the library, for the first time NOT buying the latest Karon book as I've done in the past, because I just couldn't believe she could pull off another storyline as well as she's done in the past. But she did...I'll be buying my own copy soon.

The characters are refreshing and easy to relate to, the plot lines didn't seem at all like I've "been there, read that", like so many lengthy series can lapse into. And sure, everything gets tied up neatly by the end (yet not tritely), which is what I wanted and why I read, for an escape from the unsolvable trials of life.

This was an uplifting story about going home and discovering that lifetime hurts can be healed. Amen to that!

After listening to the voice of John McConough as Father Tim for so many of the soothing tales in the Mitford series this was a huge dissapointment! I can hardly keep focused on the story because of the disconnect!

If you have read about Father Tim in the Mitford books, you will love catching up. It was one of those that I had to finish right away.

Just like the Mitford Series this book is relaxing and enjoyable.
It moves in new directions with same tone and style as other Father Tim books. I am anxious for next release.

I really enjoyed this book by Jan Karon. There were a lot of people from his boyhood included. I enjoyed meeting them and finding out about his boyhood years.

Jan Karon is one of my wife's favorite authors and hasn't written a boring book yet.

I love Jan Karon's writing. I have missed reading about Father Tim, Cynthia, Dooley..... Reading about going home to Holly Springs reminded me of going to my Grandparents.

If you did not read the Mitford series I highly recommed it. You can go ahead and read this book then go back and read the Mitford series while waiting for the next book in this series.

So far, I've read every Mitford series book and was sad to hear Jan Karon wasn't going to be writing more. However, when I saw this book at the bookstore I was more than curious and picked it up in a hurry. Right away the story grabbed a hold of me and brought me into a familiar and comfortable place, but with a new twist. For a deep feeler, I really enjoyed all the little nuances she expounded upon while describing the new characters. I think that was probably why the book felt a little slow once I got past the first few chapters. I understood that each feeling that Father Tim had would have to have a back story and that took a little time to develop, especially since we originally "met" Father Tim while he was in his early 60s. Of course I loved the book and felt great after it was all over, however I did come away with a feeling as if much of it was a little too serindipidous. I felt she could have kept some of the meetings and surprises for later books and it wouldn't have distracted at all from this one. If you are a fan of Jan Karon's books, then I think you'll like this one. I know I sure did!

I really don't understand all the negative reviews on this book, unless they are being written by people who have either never had problems with their own life or in their family, or they are those who believe it's not ever healing to get closure.

This book is GREAT. I am in love with all of the Mitford and Father Tim books and this one is no exception. I think Karon handles Father Tim going back very well. It was not boring. It was comical. It was heart-warming. And I think we've got a good idea of the new "Mitford" and all its colorful characters that will become a part of Father Tim and Cynthia's life.

I love Jan Karon's books: her characters, settings and descriptions. She is my favorite author. Reading this book, we all need to remember that it begins a different series, albeit with some of the same characters. It's really not fair to compare it to the Mitford series, which we've had years to come to know and love. This book has a different "flavor," and it may take us a while to get used to the new series. However, I am glad to have the background details of Fr. Tim's life and feel that the story adds depth to this very lovable and believable character. Even though bad things happen in them, I find Karon's books comforting and strengthening to my faith.

Through the years I have enjoyed the Mitford series. Jan Karon gets the reader to care about her characters. Again in this book, I found myself tearing up and at times wanted to reach our and give a supporting hand to Father Tim. Reading this story might make one more reluctant to jump to conclusions about people's motivations and actions, both in the present and in the past. Going home again can be scary, but what mysteries can be solved.

Clearly Ms. Karon has taken a somewhat different direction in her writing of this book. I think some of the negative reviews are a little harsh - it doesn't seem that this was to be a continuation of the Mitford style. It wasn't as "sweet" as the Mitford stories, but then if it was to reveal the sometimes harsh reality of Fr. Tim's early years, that might not be possible. One reviewer was impatient with the details of the FOOD ... as a person who loves to read about, cook (and eat!) food, this is always of interest to me. It was a huge part of the Mitford books. Let's give Jan Karon a chance to flex her writing muscles and see how the follow up books carry out.

I enjoyed this story very much. It is a good sequel to the Mitford Series.

This was the best book that Jan Karon has written. Of all the Father Tim books, this is my favorite. I cried, I laughed and I didn't want it to end. After closing the book I wept. Jan Karon has the ability to make the characters so real as to cause the reader to see, hear and smell the people and places that she describes. It sent me back to the days of my childhood, growing up in Mississippi and experiencing some of the same things that Father Tim experienced. I can only hope this won't be the last Father Tim book. I can't wait for a sequel.

"Home to Holly Springs" could be anyone's story. It evokes memories and emotions that are hidden in the heart. A very good read, thought provoking and more than good writing. Jan Karon does it again! S.R.

This is a fantastic book, I loved getting the answer to some of the people that are mentioned or talked about at great length in the Mitford Series. Maybe it will help someone find the answers that they need to resolve from their own childhood. I know this book is fiction but fiction is life. I am waiting for the next book.

What a wonder to finally get my questions answered. Throughout my reading of the Father Tim series, questions have come to mind about so many things in Father Tim's early life...and this new book answers them all! Such as...why is Matthew so imminently unloving/unloveable? Where did Peggy disappear to...and why? Read the book, and find all the answers.

I was really pleased with the product and shipping! I bought this as a gift for my mother and had it to wrap by the next week. I was impressed with this. Thanks!!

I thought this was a very well written book that dealt with many issues one faces as a person growing up in the south. It is dealt with in a Christian way showing how persons struggle with how their religious faith calls on them to face in a realistic way. I highly recommend it.

Jan Karon has done it once more! Her new book "Home to Holly Springs" starts what promises to be a new exciting series and I can't wait for the next "installment".

Father Tim's journey to his hometown is full of incredible stories of a boy's persepective of his growing up years, as well as discoveries and answers that will change his life. Jan Karon describes the joys, vulnerabilities and sorrows of ordinary people and weaves their lives together in a compelling tapestry. The realities of broken family members and friends, longtime friendships, racism, abuse, reconciliation, hope and faith in a personal, loving God provide a compelling backdrop as Father Tim does indeed "come home."

It was totally wrong to change the narrator for any book with Father Tim as the main character. John McDonough became the soul as well as the voice for this character, and to change narrator was a huge mistake. This Father Tim is not the Father Tim of the Mitford Books...he is a completely different character...I could not get into this book at all.

I have been a huge fan of the Mitford books since the first one came out. I even have the cookbook and bedside reader and read them often! So I bought this book with high hopes and great relief that I didn't have to say goodbye to my old friend so soon after all.

Unfortunately, the way that Karon wrapped up every single solitary thing in Father Tim's past so miraculously and unimaginatively, made me wish that she'd left us with the complex, good, struggling man that we love so dearly from her past books.

In addition, the writing was downright clunky for most of the book. She made really unclear and jolting transitions between past and future, so that I'd find myself going back a paragraph and reading more slowly to see if I had missed some kind of transition. Every time she went from past to future I was pulled out of the story because the transitions were confusing or nonexistent, and she went in and out of the past every other page in some parts.

I think the problem might be poor editing? Had a good third to half of the first half of the book been cut or filled with some real substance instead of tediously written detail, the book would have been a lot better.

And to get back to the miraculous happenings that allowed him to clear up every single thing in his past on one trip, I want to add a disclaimer. I like happy endings. I don't mind stretching my imagination to believe that wonderful and coincidental things happen so that the main character can be happy. But Karon stretched it WAY past the point of believability.

I was really disappointed in this latest from her. I will certainly buy the next one, but perhaps I will wait for the paperback.

I was so excited to get this book but was deeply disappointed with the audiobook version. They used a different narrator and there was hardly any change between characters. I am having to make myself finish it. The changes from past to present are hard to keep up with.I have listened to all her other books and spent hours in a town I would love to call my own. This book has non of those qualities. I would not suggest this book nor present it as a gift.

I felt good reading this book, even as I rolled my eyes at some of the writing. In short, that seems to be the magic of this writer and her series. (I love having a 70 year old priest as a protagonist. Too often in our literature and our country, we relegate anyone over 50 to ageist stereotypes.) Reading this gave me the same feelings I have when watching the Waltons or the Andy Griffith Show...wonderful, wholesome, family sense of safety - and completely unrealistic. The coincidences are too many and too pat. The dialogue is way too preachy - be ready to get hit with the God Stick. (I expect Father Tim's inner monologue to be steeped in faith, but most of the characters he meets seem to be competing for his job!) Based solely on the writing, I found it wanting. It demonstrates just how far a reader will go to suspend disbelief in order to bask in its warm glow.

Although somewhat different from the original Mitford series, Karon again demonstrates her ability to help us really feel we get to begin to know the characters in her story. I would say there was even a stronger message of the redemptive power of the Gospel in this book than some of the others. Learning about the early years of Father Tim, his personal struggles, his experiences, has made him even more "human" - living thru some of the same kinds of struggles many of us face. The surprise ending was definantely that - a real surprise! I look forward to seeing how Karon developes this series.

Although it took longer for me to get into this latest Fr. Tim novel, it was worth the bit of dragging at the beginning. Unlike the Mitford series, this book was not as fraught with witticisms and quirky characters. The attempt was made but fell short, I think. Still, it is definitely worth reading by those who love Fr. Tim. (Not for people who have not read at least two of the Mitford series---I don't think it stands alone). One really needs to know the Mitford story in order to relate to this "back in time" piece. Jan Karon is a master author, and I do hope she continues revisiting Mitford!

Jan Karon has written another wonderful book about Father Tim. Home to Holly Springs is a book that's hard to put down when you start reading it. I hope Jan will have more books like this one for us to read in the future.

I loved this book. It is even better than the Mitford series and I loved those. I loved learning more about Father Tim's early life. I am really looking forward to the next book.

I have listened to all the Father Tim books on audio. This one fell short of the usual as it had a different narrarator, which was a BIG disappointment. I associate John McDonough's lovely reading with Father Tim, so it was hard to adjust to the new narrarator. The story itself was very entertaining, but due to the new narrarator, it lacked the usual Father Tim-isms!

I was attracted to Jan Karon's HOME TO HOLLY SPRINGS because it was the birthplace of my father and I had visited there when I was in the sixth grade. When AT HOME IN MITFORD was first published I was quick to recommend it to my library colleagues.
HOME TO HOLLY SPRINGS was so slow to start it was like walking a dirt road in August, not the best Father Tim. Midway it picked up, but most of the story was predictable there was no surprises and too much gush. It is a good read but as has been said "you can't go home again" especially when little of the story was included in earlier works. Fans love Father Tim as the man, not the preacher.
Nash Black, author of SINS OF THE FATHERS and QUALIFYING LAPS.

When Jan Karon wrote the last Mitford Series book, I felt like I had just buried a very close friend. I was thrilled when I read where she was beginning a new "Father Tim" series!

If you've read the Mitford series, all the references to characters will come clamoring back. This first story provides insight into Father Tim's past and his troubled relationship with his father and allows for some closure and understanding for Tim. And while his chance encounters with EVERY person he wants to reunite with stretch the boundaries of belief, they are nonetheless refreshing. Hats off to Jan -- she's got me hooked again!!

Kathy Wattenbarger

After reading initial reviews of this book, I left it on my shelf for many months trying to avoid what I thought would be inevitable disappointment. I love the Mitford series - have read every book and listened to the excellent unabrided audio of each. I wanted so badly to return to these much-loved characters and watch their lives move away from Mitford and all that was familiar. I finally picked up the book with the intention of deciding for myself. Well, I liked it. Granted, it was slow going at times and the flashbacks were a little jarring at first (hence, my four stars). It also lacks the overt humor of the other books, but it's GOOD. It really is. The Mitford series built beautifully on the one thing that seemed to be an Achille's heel to Father Tim - his relationship with his father and HOME TO HOLLY SPRINGS provides many of the answers to nine books' worth of wondering. It's a quiet, thoughtful, deep novel and kudos to Jan Karon for braving the criticism to give fans of Mitford this book.

I was so disappointed in this book. I bought it for myself as a holiday treat and could barely get through it. I loved all the Mitford books. Ive read them all twice something I rarely do. But this book was told mostly in tedious flashbacks which I found very boring. I also missed all the Mitford characters. I hope if she writes another book it's set back in Mitford.

Jan Karon did it again. She puts you right in the middle. Her script flows so that there is no confusion and you enjoy the story. I love Father Tim.

As with all the books by Jan Karon, I really enjoyed it. Somewhere about halfway thru I thought maybe there was too much detail on some of the characters. Just got a litle bored with it.
Other than that, reaching the end I was dreading the thought of saying goodbye to all the characters. I always feel this way at the end of the Jan Karon books.
Hurry and write another!!!!!
D. Whatley

I am not sure the same author wrote this book. I loved the Mitford books and Father Tim. I own them all.
It was slow about the little things and rushed about the really BIG things. Maybe she was setting up her people for the next book.
How can you love a father who will eat most of your cookies and then say "Don't tell?"

Home to Holly Springs is just as engaging as The Mitford series. It's interesting to see Father Tim's background. It helps explain some of what he says & does in the Mitford series. Jan Karon at her best.

After two years lapse, it was exciting to read a new Father Tim novel. I enjoyed this one more than the final one about Mitford. While the reunions seem to tie up all the loose ends, it satisfies the need for completions in relationships. Jan Karon's style is very down to earth and we can related to many of Father Tim's feelings (I wouldn't want to run into Mrs. Lewis!). Not a perfect novel but a joy nonetheless.