A New Song

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

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.

In A New Song, Father Tim and his wife Cynthia leave the mountain town of Mitford for an interim ministry on Whitecap Island. At first they are homesick for their Mitford friends and the comforts of home, but they soon find room in their hearts for their new parishioners and neighbors.

I like the way this series deals with matters of faith. Bad things happen in life, and faith isn't always easy. Karon's characters struggle with problems like illness, depression, moral failure and its consequences, grief, and loneliness. Father Tim always has just the right word or action to provide help and comfort. When that isn't enough, he relies on prayer and the wisdom of Scripture, with faith that God will provide the strength to endure what must show more be endured.

Readers living through change in their own lives will likely identify with this book, whether that change be retirement, relocation, a change in employment, or altered family circumstances. Some of the story threads are continued from previous books in the series, so it would help to have read those books first. However, since most of the book takes place away from Mitford, it would be possible to enjoy this book without having read any of the earlier books. I highly recommend it. show less

I was really happy with where Jan Karon took the reader in this book. I wasn't sure I was going to like Father Tim with a new parish and having to learn all new characters. The story is still interesting to me - even on the fifth book - and I can't wait to read the next one.

Father Tim's idea of retirement isn't much like I would think of retirement - he's in the thick of things with a new parish and battling homesickness as well. There are some lovely storylines around the idea of forgiveness and of prayer. As always, I love seeing how Father Tim lives his religion as well as teaches it.