Most Popular Books by Jan Karon

In her seventh inspirational novel in the bestselling Mitford series, Jan Karon delivers surprises of every kind, including the return of the man in the attic and an ending that no one in Mitford will ever forget. In the little town that’s home-away-from-home to millions of readers, life hums along as usual. Dooley looks toward his career as a vet; Joe Ivey and Fancy Skinner fight a haircut price war that takes no prisoners; and Percy steps out on a limb with a risky new menu item at the Main Street Grill. Though Father Tim dislikes change, he dislikes retirement even more. As he and Cynthia gear up for a year-long ministry across the state line, a series of events sends shock waves through his faith—and the whole town of Mitford.

Get to know the lovable cast of characters that populate the small town of Mitford in this inspirational novel in Jan Karon''s #1 New York Times bestselling series. Millions of readers have come home to Mitford, the little town with the big heart, whose endearing and eccentric residents have become like family members. But now change is coming to the hamlet. Father Tim, the Episcopal rector, and his wife, Cynthia, are pondering retirement; a brash new mayoral candidate is calling for aggressive development; a suspicious realtor with plans for a health spa is eyeing the beloved house on the hill; and, worst of all, the Sweet Stuff Bakery may be closing. Meanwhile, ordinary people are leading the extraordinary lives that hundreds of thousands of readers have found so inviting and inspiring.

A collection of beautiful anedotes, delicious recipes, and memorable scenes from the Mitford books by #1 New York Times bestselling author Jan Karon. Millions of readers have discovered the delights of a trip to Mitford, and they''ve all found themselves hankering for mouthwatering dishes like Father Tim''s Rector''s Meatloaf and Esther Bolick''s outrageously delicious Orange Marmalade Cake. Now, Jan Karon makes it easy to satisfy all these cravings and many more. Along with 150 fabulous recipes are Jan''s personal reminiscences, dozens fo beloved scenes from each of the Mitford books, jokes, cooking tips, blessings, and a wonderful story never before published in the novels. For readers and cooks alike, Jan Karon''s Mitford Cookbook & Kitchen Reader is a veritable feast. “[Jan Karon''s] wonderful cookbook is like a souvenir scrapbook to be dipped into time and again. The real world should be as good as Mitford.”—The Cleveland Plain Dealer

In this beautifully crafted second novel in the Mitford series, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jan Karon delivers a love story that''s both heartwarming and hilarious. Father Tim—Mitford''s rector and lifelong bachelor—is in need of divine intervention. His attractive neighbor is tugging at his heartstrings. A wealthy widow is pursuing him with hot casseroles. And his red-haired Cousin Meg has moved into the rectory, uninvited. Only time will tell if the village parson can practice what he preaches. Filled with the miracles and mysteries of everyday life, A Light in the Window is an affirmation of what some of us already know: Life in a small town is rarely quiet. And absolutely never boring.

In this beautifully crafted second novel in the Mitford series, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jan Karon delivers a love story that''s both heartwarming and hilarious. Father Tim—Mitford''s rector and lifelong bachelor—is in need of divine intervention. His attractive neighbor is tugging at his heartstrings. A wealthy widow is pursuing him with hot casseroles. And his red-haired Cousin Meg has moved into the rectory, uninvited. Only time will tell if the village parson can practice what he preaches. Filled with the miracles and mysteries of everyday life, A Light in the Window is an affirmation of what some of us already know: Life in a small town is rarely quiet. And absolutely never boring.

Laughter and wedding bells ring as #1 New York Times bestselling author Jan Karon takes her millions of fans behind the scenes of the most cherished event in Mitford history. Mitford’s Lord’s Chapel is the home to the most joyful event in years: the wedding of Father Tim Kavanagh and Cynthia Coppersmith. Here at last is A Common Life, and the long-awaited answers to these deeply probing questions: Will Father Tim fall apart when he takes his vows? Will Cynthia make it to the church on time? Who will arrange the flowers and bake the wedding cake? And will Uncle Billy’s prayers for a great joke be answered in time for the reception? From Dooley Barlowe, to Miss Sadie and Louella, to Emma Newland, the mayor, everybody who’s anybody will be there celebrating in the little town with the big heart. A Common Life is the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, Christmas, anniversaries, and for a bride or groom to give to his or her beloved. In truth, it’s perfect for anyone who believes in laughter, relies on hope, and celebrates love.

The first novel in #1 New York Times bestselling author Jan Karon’s beloved series set in America’s favorite small town: Mitford. It''s easy to feel at home in Mitford. In these high, green hills, the air is pure, the village is charming, and the people are generally lovable. Yet, Father Tim, the bachelor rector, wants something more. Enter a dog the size of a sofa who moves in and won''t go away. Add an attractive neighbor who begins wearing a path through the hedge. Now, stir in a lovable but unloved boy, a mystifying jewel theft, and a secret that''s sixty years old. Suddenly, Father Tim gets more than he bargained for. And readers get a rich comedy about ordinary people and their ordinary lives.

In A New Song, Mitford''s longtime Episcopal priest, Father Tim, retires. However, new challenges and adventures await when he agrees to serve as interim minister of a small church on Whitecap Island. He and his wife, Cynthia, soon find that Whitecap has its own unforgettable characters: a church organist with a mysterious past, a lovelorn bachelor placing personal ads, a mother battling paralyzing depression. They also find that Mitford is never far away when circumstances "back home" keep their phone ringing off the hook. In this fifth novel of the beloved series, fans old and new will discover that a trip to Mitford and Whitecap is twice as good for the soul.

Experience the joys of a small town Christmas in this novel in the beloved Mitford series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jan Karon. Millions of Americans have found Mitford to be a favorite home-away-from-home, and countless readers have long wondered what Christmas in Mitford would be like. The eighth Mitford novel provides a glimpse, offering a meditation on the best of all presents: the gift of one''s heart. Since he was a boy, Father Tim has lived what he calls “the life of the mind” and has never really learned to savor the work of his hands. When he finds a derelict nativity scene that has suffered the indignities of time and neglect, he imagines the excitement in the eyes of his wife, Cynthia, and decides to undertake the daunting task of restoring it. As Father Tim begins his journey, readers are given a seat at Mitford''s holiday table and treated to a magical tale about the true Christmas spirit.

Now available in large print—Father Tim takes on a new challenge in this inspirational installment in the beloved Mitford series by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Bathed in Prayer. Father Tim Kavanagh has been asked to “come up higher” more than once. But he’s never been asked to do the impossible—until now. The retired Episcopal priest takes on the revival of a mountain church that’s been closed for forty years. Meanwhile, in Mitford, he’s sent on a hunt for hidden treasure, and two beloved friends are called to come up higher as well. As Father Tim finds, there are still plenty of heartfelt surprises, dear friends old and new, and the most important lesson of all: It’s never too late.

Now available in large print—#1 New York Times bestselling author Jan Karon welcomes you back home to Mitford in this inspirational novel that “hits the sweet spot at the intersection of your heart and your funny bone” (USA Today). After five hectic years of retirement from Lord’s Chapel, Father Tim Kavanagh returns with his wife, Cynthia, from the land of his Irish ancestors. While he’s glad to be at home in Mitford, something is definitely missing from his life: a pulpit. But when he’s offered one, he decides he doesn’t want it. For years, he believed he had a few answers. Now he has questions. How can he possibly help Dooley’s younger brother, Sammy, make it through the fallout of a disasterous childhood? Could doing a good deed for the town bookstore be the best thing for his befuddled spirit? And who was riding through town in a limo? Not Edith Mallory. Then an editorial in the weekly Muse poses a question that sets the whole town looking for answers: Does Mitford still take care of its own?

Join #1 New York Times bestselling author Jan Karon on a trip to Mitford—a southern village of local characters so heartwarming and hilarious you''ll wish you lived right next door. At last, Mitford''s rector and lifelong bachelor, Father Tim, has married his talented and vivacious neighbor, Cynthia. Now, of course, they must face love''s challenges: new sleeping arrangements for Father Tim''s sofa-sized dog, Cynthia''s urge to decorate the rectory Italian-villa-style, and the growing pains of the thrown-away boy who''s become like a son to the rector. Add a life-changing camping trip, the arrival of the town''s first policewoman, and a new computer that requires the patience of a saint, and you know you''re in for another engrossing visit to Mitford—the little town that readers everywhere love to call home.

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER #1 New York Times-bestselling author Jan Karon returns with the fourteenth novel in the beloved Mitford series, featuring three generations of Kavanaghs. Wounds heal, bonds grow stronger, and celebrations continue...Welcome back to beloved Mitford. After twelve years of wrestling with the conflicts of retirement, Father Tim Kavanagh realizes he doesn''t need a steady job to prove himself. Then he''s given one. As for what it proves, heaven only knows. Millions of Karon fans will be thrilled that it''s life as usual in the wildly popular Mitford series: A beloved town character lands a front-page obituary, but who was it, exactly, who died? And what about the former mayor, born the year Lindbergh landed in Paris, who''s still running for office? All this, of course, is but a feather on the wind compared to Muse editor J.C. Hogan''s desperate attempts to find a cure for his marital woes. Will it be high-def TV or his pork-chop marinade? In fiction, as in real life, there are no guarantees. Twenty minutes from Mitford at Meadowgate Farm, newlyweds Dooley and Lace Kavanagh face a crisis that devastates their bank account and impacts their family vet practice. But there is still a lot to celebrate, as their adopted son, Jack, looks forward to the most important day of his life--with great cooking, country music, and lots of people who love him. Happily, it will also be a day when the terrible wound in Dooley''s biological family begins to heal because of a game--let''s just call it a miracle--that breaks all the rules. In To Be Where You Are, Jan Karon weaves together the richly comic and compelling lives of two Kavanagh families, and a cast of characters that readers around the world now love like kin.

#1 New York Time bestselling author Jan Karon delivers the wedding that millions of Mitford fans have waited for. It’s a June day in the mountains, with more than a few creatures great and small, and you’re invited—because you’re family. Over the course of ten Mitford novels, fans have kept a special place in their hearts for Dooley Kavanagh, first seen in At Home in Mitford as a barefoot, freckle-faced boy in filthy overalls. Now, Father Tim Kavanagh’s adopted son has graduated from vet school and opened his own animal clinic. Since money will be tight for a while, maybe he and Lace Harper, his once and future soul mate, should keep their wedding simple. By the way, it’s a pretty casual affair, so come as you are and remember to bring a tissue or two. After all, what’s a good wedding without a good cry?

A new must-have collection for fans of the New York Times bestselling Mitford series, featuring the prayers, sermons, and inspiration from beloved Father Tim, as well as new essays and reflections on faith from author Jan Karon. Over the course of fourteen novels, millions of readers have fallen in love with the faith, encouragement, and wisdom that are at the very heart of Jan Karon''s Mitford series. Now, for the first time, readers will have the chance to walk with Father Tim through a collection of prayers, sermons, and inspirational passages that incorporates material from each of the novels. In addition, fans will get to hear directly from author Jan Karon, in a brand-new essay about her own personal journey in faith and the ways that the Mitford novels have impacted her. Full of advice and inspiration from the characters that fans have followed for years, this beautifully designed compilation will soon become a staple for any Mitford reader.

C.1 COUNTY FUNDS. B & T. 11-19-2007. $26.95.

Follow Father Tim and Cynthia on their journey to research his Kavanagh ancestry in the Irish countryside in this novel in the beloved Mitford series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jan Karon. Vacation—the very word has been foreign to Episcopal priest Tim Kavanagh. Now retired from tending his flock in the village of Mitford, he is making good on a promise to show his wife, Cynthia, the charming land of his Irish ancestors. But after arriving at a Lough Arrow fishing lodge in the midst of a torrential downpour, the charm disappears. They find their holiday upended by an intruder, a treasured painting is stolen from the lodge, and a family conflict dating back nearly a century turns even more bitter. As three generations struggle to find deliverance from the crucifying power of secrets, Tim and Cynthia stumble upon a faded journal that might just explain the crime—and offer a chance at redemption.

In this Penguin eSpecial, Jan Karon, the bestselling author of the Mitford and Father Tim novels, tells the personal story of her life as a writer. Illuminating the way in which faith has influenced both her life and her writing, Karon also discusses her calling as an author—a calling she received early but took years to answer. Only an incredible leap of faith gave her the courage to give up all she had, risking everything to follow this call. Intimate, funny, and straight-from-the-heart, this eSpecial is a superb companion to Jan Karon’s novels, providing a revealing glimpse into the life of a novelist who has moved so many people with her words.

From Jan Karon, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mitford series comes a collection of Father Tim''s favorite words of wisdom and spiritual inspiration... For years, Mitford’s Father Tim Kavanagh has transcribed into his dog-eared journals words of wisdom, faith, and encouragement. Written in his own hand or typed on his idiosyncratic Royal typewriter, A Continual Feast contains the lively ideas, common sense, profound wisdom, and plain good humor he has gleaned from the likes of C. S. Lewis, Emily Dickinson, William Blake, Helen Keller, G. K. Chesterton, and Will Rogers, to name just a few. Together with its successful companion volume, Patches of Godlight, Father Tim’s latest quote journal is sure proof of the truth of an entry from Lord Byron: "A small drop of ink produces that which makes thousands think." This entertaining and useful handbook is for all those who relish a good “Aha!,” including authors, clergy, speechmakers, dog lovers, and anyone who enjoys provocative insight into everything from the righteous to the ridiculous.

The first novel in #1 New York Times bestselling author Jan Karon’s beloved series set in America’s favorite small town: Mitford. It''s easy to feel at home in Mitford. In these high, green hills, the air is pure, the village is charming, and the people are generally lovable. Yet, Father Tim, the bachelor rector, wants something more. Enter a dog the size of a sofa who moves in and won''t go away. Add an attractive neighbor who begins wearing a path through the hedge. Now, stir in a lovable but unloved boy, a mystifying jewel theft, and a secret that''s sixty years old. Suddenly, Father Tim gets more than he bargained for. And readers get a rich comedy about ordinary people and their ordinary lives.

Join #1 New York Times bestselling author Jan Karon on a trip to Mitford—a southern village of local characters so heartwarming and hilarious you''ll wish you lived right next door. At last, Mitford''s rector and lifelong bachelor, Father Tim, has married his talented and vivacious neighbor, Cynthia. Now, of course, they must face love''s challenges: new sleeping arrangements for Father Tim''s sofa-sized dog, Cynthia''s urge to decorate the rectory Italian-villa-style, and the growing pains of the thrown-away boy who''s become like a son to the rector. Add a life-changing camping trip, the arrival of the town''s first policewoman, and a new computer that requires the patience of a saint, and you know you''re in for another engrossing visit to Mitford—the little town that readers everywhere love to call home.

A must-have treasury filled with original essays and personal photos from Jan Karon, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the beloved Mitford series. For the millions of fans who love the Mitford Years novels, this lushly illustrated keepsake will be the perfect book to curl up with. What was that Uncle Billy joke about the census taker? Where was that beautiful prayer Father Tim offered? The Mitford Bedside Companion will make it easy to find the greatest of the countless gems that grace each of Karon''s novels. Fans will relish favorite scenes, casts of characters, a Mitford crossword puzzle, and a bevy of original essays by Karon on everything from the life of a writer to her grandmother''s secret to good health. With a color insert of family photos and Karon''s early Mitford drawings, as well as new illustrations, this is a beautifully packaged volume everyone will cherish.

A beautiful collection of some of Father Tim''s favorite quotes and a great companion to the Mitford series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Jan Karon. Written in Father Tim Kavanagh''s own hand, this wonderful collection of quotes brings to life the personal reflections of Mitford''s beloved Episcopal priest. Here Father Tim has carefully recorded his favorite quotes from a variety of thinkers, philosophers, and poets whom he has admired over the years. Next to the quotes are Father Tim''s personal comments, scribblings, and doodlings. From C. S. Lewis and Mark Twain to Aristophanes and St. Paul, these heartwarming words on love, life, and faith are a perfect addition to the Mitford series--and a must-have for Jan Karon''s millions of readers. Further inspirational and uplifting quotes are collected in a second volume, A Continual Feast.

Ninety-nine year old Miss Fannie has lots of hats, and she loves them all. But her favorite is the pink straw hat with the silk roses. That''s the one Miss Fannie has worn on Easter Sunday for the past thirty-five years. When Miss Fannie''s preacher asks her to donate one of her precious hats to the church auction, choosing which one to part with is no small task. This heartwarming story about the rewards of unselfish love will enchant readers young and old. The star of Miss Fannie''s Hat is based on Jan Karon''s own grandmother. "My grandmother, Miss Fannie, was so wonderful I wanted to share her with everyone," says Jan Karon. "I wrote Miss Fannie''s Hat to give both children and adults a sense of family, to give them the grandmother or great-grandmother they never had, or always wished they had. Briefly, the story is about sacrifice--and the rewards that can come when we give with a willing heart."

A holiday story finds Esther Bolick considering not giving her expensive holiday cakes to friends that have disappointed her, before a Christmas carol reminds her of the meaning of gift giving.

Violet, a little white cat, tries out several homes before she finds just the right one.

The Trellis and the Seed: tells the story of a little seed that fear it will never grow into a beautiful blossoming vine.

Violet, a little white cat, tries out several homes before she finds just the right one.