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Book Summary and Reviews of Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon

Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon

Home to Holly Springs

The First of the Father Tim Novels

by Jan Karon

  • Critics' Consensus (1):
  • Readers' Rating (1):
  • Published:
  • Oct 2007, 368 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

Readers of the nine bestselling Mitford novels awaited the publication of each novel, relishing the story of the bookish and bighearted Episcopal priest and the extraordinary fullness of his seemingly ordinary life.

Now, Jan Karon enchants us with the story of the newly retired priest's spur-of-the-moment adventure. For the first time in decades, Father Tim returns to his birthplace, Holly Springs, Mississippi, in response to a mysterious, unsigned note saying simply: “Come home.” Little does he know how much these two words will change his life. A story of long-buried secrets, forgiveness, and the wonder of discovering new people, places, and depth of feeling, Home to Holly Springs will enthrall new readers and longtime fans alike.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Development of the quirky locals in Holly Springs is thin, and the end is a tad abrupt. Most frustratingly, the central drama of the novel falls flat .... Still, Mitford fans will enjoy this newest visit with wise, winsome, lovable Father Tim." - Publishers Weekly.

"The saga veers into magical theater as Karon (Cynthia Coppersmith's Violet Comes to Stay, 2006, etc.) ties up every loose end in Tim's past. But readers who miss Mitford's colorful eccentrics will be satisfied by Holly Springs's ample supply of quirky characters." - Kirkus Reviews.

This information about Home to Holly Springs was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

J. Leland

This is a good one
Holly Springs IS my home town, as it must be for all who read the book. We were all there once, then we left the place and entered another world leaving behind the true grit our lives.

I think at some time we all would like to return to seek out what shaped us later on. "Home to Holly Sprins" allows the reader the opportunity to do that.

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Author Information

Jan Karon Author Biography

Jan Karon was born in Lenoir, North Carolina, in 1937. Her creative skills first came alive when her family moved to a farm. Jan knew that she wanted to be a writer, and even wrote a novel at the age of ten. Her first real opportunity as a writer came at age eighteen when she took a job as a receptionist at an ad agency. She kept leaving her writing on her boss's desk until he noticed her ability. Soon she was launched on a forty-year career in advertising. She won assignments in New York and San Francisco, numerous awards, and finally an executive position with a national agency.

Jan went on to have a highly successful career in the field, winning awards for ad agencies from Charlotte to San Francisco. In time, she became a creative vice president at the high-profile McKinney & Silver. ...

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