A New Song

Fifth in the Father Tim Kavanaugh of Mitford, NC series.

Retirement is not all it was supposed to be for Father Tim. Even though he’s “supplied” churches here and there, he’s restless and dissatisfied. So that when the opportunity comes to spend at least a year as an interim priest for a small parish on Whitecap Island in Pimlico Sound, he grasps at the opportunity eagerly. So what if he and cynthia are not particularly fond of sea and sand?

Follows then a year of challenges, not the least of which involves being able to let go of his old parish. A hurricane provides its own terror. There is the mystery of their next-door neighbor and his strange behavior. But also there is satisfaction and joy in new and old friends and the show more serenity of their surroundings.

As usual, the book enchants because of the ordinariness of the lives of its characters. They are real people, interesting people. What is even better is that Father Tim is no plaster saint but subject to the same worries and failings as the rest of his neighbors and friends. Karon continues to present their strong faith in a most believable and even inspiring way.

Anther strong installment in the series. Highly recommended. show less

A New Song follows Fr. Tim and Cynthia to the Outer Banks, as Fr. Tim serves as interim priest at a small island parish. Though the island community is small, there's plenty going on: Fr. Tim and Cynthia take in a three-year-old whose mother is in the hospital and whose father has deserted the family and caused a rift in the church as well, since he was the choir director and he ran away with the organist. In addition to this drama, there are minor squabbles, auditions for a new organist, and a mysterious and reclusive neighbor who piques Fr. Tim's interest. But even though they have immersed themselves in life on Whitecap, Fr. Tim and Cynthia find themselves missing Mitford, especially when they get several bits of bad news from back show more home. Can they stay the course in the new life to which they have committed?

As with earlier books in the series, this story offers up plenty of small-town charm, this time with an island twist. It always makes me want to go to the beach, even though the beach is not something I hanker after normally! show less

I have to say, I enjoyed this installment more than the previous installments. I know some readers may not like the idea that Karon has moved on from the familiar setting of Mitford to the unfamiliar setting of Whitecap. For me, this is a logical progression in the story arc with new characters and new situations for Father Tim and his wife Cynthia to encounter, including: an eccentric musically inclined neighbor; a lovelorn bachelor seeking a wife through personal ads; a church organist with a mysterious past; stormy weather; and the isolation one can experience while living on an island. The Whitecap characters are just as unique and lovable as the unforgettable Mitford characters. Even with the change in locale, Karon does not show more abandon the wonderful folks in Mitford. I found it heartening to be able to continue following Dooley’s development from a shy lad into a teen, eager to own his first car, gain some independence and learn some valuable life lessons.

Overall, one of the better installments in Karon’s Mitford series, IMO, although I do have one pet peeve to share: I do wish Karon had referred to a thesaurus more frequently. I lost count how many times she used the word "trot", in all its variations, to describe Father Tim's actions. It got to the point where I would cringe every time the word surfaced. The poor man (Father Tim) should be exhausted by all the "trotting" he was doing in this story! show less

I was very skeptical about reading this book - from reading the description on the jacket, I thought it would be trite; I'm not particularly interested in reading books with any type of religious bent; and I didn't want to start with a book that was fifth in a series. But I was enthralled by this book, despite its occasional cloying sweetness. I loved all of the characters (well, almost all) and found the book to be very calming and thought-provoking. I'm looking forward to reading the predecessors in the series, as well as other books by the author. I'd still hesitate to recommend it to others though, for all of the reasons for which I was initially skeptical.

Sixth in the Mitford series by Jan Karon. Father Tim Kavanagh has finally retired from being a full-time priest, and takes an interim assignment on the island of Whitecap. He and Cynthia, along with their dog Barnabas and cat Violet, spend a great deal of time preparing to move, have a rather traumatic journey and arrival, and then gradually settle in to a new parish. As ever, there are petty squabbles within the congregation as well as some more serious problems, and during the year they have to deal with extreme weather conditions they have not previously experienced.

Inevitably there are lots of new characters as well as familiar ones from Mitford, but they're introduced gradually and are mostly memorable and interesting.

It was good show more to have a foray outside Mitford while reading this series straight through, although the first time I read it I can remember not liking it as much as the previous novels in the series. Not really recommended to anyone who hasn't read the previous books in the series, starting with 'At Home in Mitford' but anyone who's enjoyed the rest of the series should certainly read this one.

Longer review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2021/07/a-new-song-by-jan-karon.html show less

This is my least favorite of the Mitford books so far.

Father Tim returns to his passivity as he allows himself to be bullied
into not returning briefly to Mitford - he repeats this.
The second time at least allows the airplane wedding plot twist.

Otherwise, the plot is too flat, predictable, and extremely convoluted....
or just plain awful as in the fishing sequence.

Even worse is Tim's dishonesty in not giving Miss Pringle both at least a generous allowance
and the promise of a place at Hope House for both she and her mother. She should have sued.

I'd seen the familiar orange Penguin Classics spine many times before while perusing used bookstores, so when I finally saw one at a Little Free Library I finally brought it home to find out who this author was.
Definitely a book meant to be "feel good" and promoting an overt christian focus on living. A lot of biblical quotes and religious songs sprinkled throughout. Father Tim frequently relied on platitudes in his communication, which was annoying but fit my perception of his stereotype.