by Jan Karon
Part of Mitford Years, book 12
First published 2014
Father Tim Kavanagh stands in his Mitford home after returning from Ireland with his wife Cynthia. Five years of retirement from Lord's Chapel have left him restless. He misses having a pulpit, yet when someone offers him one, he turns it down. His passion for ministry seems to have vanished. His adopted son Dooley faces his own struggles, torn between his love for Lace Turner and his dream of becoming a country veterinarian. Dooley's brother Sammy, still angry about their mother leaving them, smashes one of Father Tim's treasured items. Hope Murphy watches her world crumble as she might lose both her baby and her Happy Endings bookstore. Around town, Wanda opens her Feel Good Café while a romance blooms through online word games. The former mayor launches a campaign to reclaim his office. The local newspaper asks whether Mitford still cares for its neighbors. Father Tim must decide if he can find his way back to purpose and faith in a community that needs him.
Genres: literary-fiction, christian-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
Setting: Ireland, Lord's Chapel, Mitford
Period: Retirement
511 pages · Hardcover · G.P. Putnam's Sons