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General Fiction ReviewsOut to Canaan by Jan KaronViking Press, May., 1997.Hardcover, 342 pages. ISBN: 067087485X. Ordering information: Amazon.com. | Amazon.co.uk 
This is the fourth entry in the enormously popular
Mitford series which chronicles the life in the
tiny North Carolina town of Mitford. The first book in
the series was At Home in Mitford which was given
an ABBY Honor Award by the American Booksellers
Association in 1996. In Out to Canaan, change is coming
to Mitford. A mud-slinging mayoral race is underway
with newcomer and proponant of urban development
Mack Stroupe taking on Mitford's longtime
mayor Esther Cunningham, who has long been the
champion of the preservation of the unique charms
of Mitford. Father Timothy (who is staring retirement in the face)
and his wife Cynthia have their hands full with caring for
adopted son Dooley and a house full of visitors and guests
needing their attention. The popular local bakery may be
closing and a fancy, European style spa may be moving to
town, causing many residents to wonder what is happening
to the normally sleepy pace of quiet Mitford.
Jan Karon has a unique gift for recreating the charms and manners of a small town which has earned her a loyal readership who await each installment in the Mitford Years series. The interaction between the characters and the gentle humor make for a leisurely, heartwarming read. Return to Book Reviews Index ** To visit the archives of general fiction books reviewed in The IWJ, please click here. |