Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good

What next? Even though he firmly believes God has a plan, Timothy Kavanagh is struggling to be patient and wait to see what it is. He’s been retired for five years but is still uncomfortable with the lack of structure in his life. It isn’t enough to be surrounded by people he loves and who love him. He wants to continue serving. How?

As usual, his friends and neighbors in the fictional town of Mitford, North Carolina give him plenty to deal with along with lots of laughs. He and his wife Cynthia are enjoying the growth of their adopted son Dooley, while trying to cope with his brother Sammy who is having trouble adapting to small town life after leaving his abusive father. Hope Murphy, the owner of Happy Endings book store, is show more dealing with a health problem Lord’s Chapel is facing a scandal and the Mitford Muse is asking “Does Mitford Still Take Care of its Own?”

I was thrilled to receive this book as part of the Library Thing Early Reviewers program. I’ve been reading the Mitford books since a friend mentioned them to me and I’ve loved them all. It’s all about the writing for me because that encompasses everything: plot, setting and character development. Jan Karon excels at portraying the quirky characters without condescension, while at the same time making me laugh at their antics. I also love the way she honors Father Tim’s faith while exploring his doubts. She portrays a wonderful sense of place. These stories feel as though they couldn’t be written anywhere else but in the North Carolina Mountains.

This is definitely a winner! show less

Wonderful return to Mitford, though I did find it a bit of a slow start. Father Tim and Cynthia are back in Mitford after their travels. Cynthia is deep into her next book, but Father Tim is at loose ends. His friend and doctor is retiring and headed off to do charity work in the Sudan, leaving him feeling that he should be doing something useful with his time. But when trouble comes to his old parish, he realizes that he is not the one best suited to dealing with it, leaving him wondering what he should be doing.

The people of Mitford don't leave him wondering for long. Father Tim soon finds himself involved in many aspects of peoples' lives. I loved seeing his patience with Sammy, one of Dooley's younger brothers. Sammy is still show more dealing with his anger over his mother's treatment of him and acts out in many ways. He has an explosive temper, resents his oldest brother's success, and does his best to push everyone away. Even when Sammy wrecks Father Tim's car, he doesn't wash his hands, but continues to show his love. Though there isn't a complete turnaround, progress is made by the end of the book. Hopefully there will be more of Sammy in another book.

One of Father Tim's favorite places in town, the Happy Endings bookstore, is in danger of closing. The owner is newly pregnant and having problems that have sentenced her to bedrest. To prevent that from occurring, he offers to open the store for her one day a week, leading others to do the same. I loved seeing him get so involved in the running of the store and helping people find books. The support from the various townspeople is wonderful to see, and I loved the various book quotes they posted on the bulletin board. Father Tim seems to have found a perfect place to influence many lives.

Running throughout the book is the local paper's campaign to name the town's "Leading Citizen". The frontrunner is Father Tim, who is not at all happy with the idea. He doesn't feel worthy of such a title, and doesn't like being held up as such a role model. And yet, he finds a way to help so many. I enjoyed seeing his relationship with Coot, the local handyman, and how he was there for Coot during a heartbreaking loss and then helped make a dream come true. I loved seeing the "Turkey Club" back together, and hearing their observations on life in Mitford. Father Tim also has a wonderful way of listening to people who come to him, allowing them to work out their own problems with only some guidance from him. This especially shows in his relationship with Dooley and his struggles with his love for Lace. So much support, but also trust that Dooley will do what is right for both.

There are plenty of updates on old friends, and the introduction of new ones. I loved the surprise visitor to town and the incredible news she brings to a resident. There are interesting developments with Esther's Orange Marmalade Cake, and also with the former mayor of Mitford. I enjoyed the arrival of Fancy's sister Shirlene, and the effect she has on the morale of many residents. There are some things left hanging, which I hope means that there will be another visit to Mitford soon. show less

An unprecedented act on my part: I jumped right in, deep into a series, without having yet read any of the series' earlier books, which I'm aware are meant to be read in sequential order. Additionally, Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good is the first book whatsoever that I've read by Jan Karon. Perhaps this act of mine is somewhat of a violation against the International Bookworm's Unofficial Code or something, but, really, how could I pass up a novel with such a title when it came across my path?

A possible plus here is that my rating for this novel isn't riding in on the coattails of any previous/established love for this series or its characters, since I came in absolutely new to Father Tim Kavanagh and the people of small-town show more Mitford.

I can't tell you at exactly what point I became so engrossed in this novel that I wished I could swallow it whole, but it must have been somewhere during the first fourth of the book. I loved Karon's deft style and pacing, the chance to catch woven glimpses into her well-written characters' lives. Their joys, their hardships, and their questions are real; I could've hugged good ol' Coot Hendrick, and I made a delightfully failed attempt at restraining my laughter while encountering J.C. and Mule's banter while I was reading in public. (Albeit I did keep my chortling as quiet as was possible, in the moment.)

Do I intend to go back and read more of the Mitford Years series? Yes! Though, please pardon me, I still shan't guarantee the order I may read them in.
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I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program for an honest review. show less

I have read all of Jan Karon, with the exception of a couple of her children's books. While I loved reading her last two books, in which she branched out from the idyllic mountain village of Mitford and sent Father Tim to Mississippi and Ireland to discover more about his past and, consequently, himself, I greatly missed Mitford! Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good is a cozy return to small town life, in which Father Tim attempts to figure out what it means to be retired. Many familiar Mitford characters return, along with a few new ones. We get to see Father Tim struggle with how to help the troubled seventeen year old Sammy Barlowe, and discover how several Mitfordians pull together to help keep the local bookstore afloat while the show more proprietor goes through a trying time, amongst several other subplots. I love many things about this book, as well as all of the Mitford series, but here are two charming aspects that I found especially delightful: 1) The hilariously bad local newspaper articles penned by Vanita Bentley and peppered throughout the book are a riot. I think everyone has encountered a Vanita Bentley at some point in our lives- a person who is passionate about what they do, but clueless as to how terribly they do it. 2) All the bookstore bits. Who among us hasn't longed to own, or at least work in, a home-owned book shop? I was living vicariously through Father Tim in this book, and could almost smell the coffee and hear the soft classical music.

This book is a portrait of everything we wish small town life could be- caring neighbors, a host of eclectic characters, a thriving downtown, and a wonderfully endearing Christmas celebration. If you are going through a hard time, read this book. If life is going great for you, read this book. Either way, you will be encouraged to do your part to make the world a little bit more like Mitford. show less

Fr. Tim and Cynthia are back in Mitford after their trips to Mississippi and Ireland. Fr. Tim has always struggled with being retired and his desire to remain useful, but when a scandal rocks Lord's Chapel and he's asked to step in as interim, he finds himself oddly hesitant to do so. Is he coming to terms with this phase of his life, or is there something else he's supposed to be doing?

Life in Mitford is as charming as ever. There was one thing I was afraid would happen in this book, but it didn't, so that was a relief! My favorite thing about this book was seeing Dooley's character development and how much he has grown over the course of the series.

I didn't reread the two Father Tim novels before tackling this one, and I found myself show more occasionally wishing I had, since I've forgotten what happened in them over the intervening years. So, if you're rereading the series as I did before starting this new volume, don't skimp on those last two books (even if you feel, as I do, that they are somewhat sub-par). It's not been definitively stated (as far as I know), but from a few clues in the text, I suspect that this will be Karon's last novel about Father Tim. I'd be delighted to be wrong about this, of course, but I found this a much more satisfactory end to the series than Light from Heaven, so if it is the last book, I'd say the author chose an excellent stopping place. show less

I received this book through the Librarything's Early Reviewer feature. I've read all Jan Karon's "Mitford" series, in order. While it certainly helps, getting to know these quirky characters through the years, the author summarizes their history well enough that a new reader can follow along without any problem. This novel opens with Father Tim and his wife Cynthia finally home from their extended vacation in Ireland. The story lines include Father Tim's activities during retirement, his adopted son Dooley's relationship with the beautiful Lace Harper, Dooley's brother Sammy's anger and rebellion, Scott and Hope Murphy's difficult pregnancy, as well as the variety of changes happening among the lives of the many citizens of Mitford. show more Karon's novels are filled with well developed characters in whose lives the reader can't help but feel engaged. The "faith-challenges" everyday people experience, and the ability to see God's hand in our lives is a theme seen frequently in Karon's writing. One of the aspects of Father Tim's personality that I enjoy and appreciate most is that he is filled with imperfections, yet he is loving and lovable. I find the relationships between Karon's characters, as well as their relationship with God thought provoking and inspiring. I have found that all her novels are worth reading a second (and third?) time because with each reading, depending on where I am in my life, I find something I didn't see the first time. This book is filled with warmth and wisdom and is one of Jan Karon's best novels to date. show less

Somewhere Safe With Somebody Good - Karon
audio performance by John McDonough
4 stars

This was a pleasant trip back to Mitford with the familiar cast of aging characters. Father Tim is offered a chance to return to Lord’s Chapel as interim priest, but wisely refuses. Instead, he volunteers to help run the local bookstore while it’s owner is disabled. This allows Jan Karon to add many quotations and discussions about books and reading to each of the chapters. Father Tim and his neighbors are coping with numerous challenges; grief, aging, disability, and the weather. Mitford continues to lack diversity, despite one token Jew and one black character. When I read these books I’m aware of a culturally narrow perspective, but I enjoy show more the colorful characters. And, I have no argument with the underlying moral message; ‘Mitford Takes Care of It’s Own’ is not so very far from ‘It Takes a Village’. The book ended a little abruptly on a snowbound Christmas day. I’m wondering if there will be a short conclusion just in time for the Christmas market. show less