From Amazon.com
A Light in the Window is the second installment in this enormously popular series about a small-town rector, Father Tim, and the heartwarming cast of characters surrounding him. This time Father Tim, a lifelong bachelor, finds his heart distracted by his free-spirited neighbor Cynthia, but his stomach and the rectory cash box are distracted by Edith, a wealthy widow who is wooing the rector with love potion casseroles. At every turn, including when a brooding Irish cousin decides to move in, Father Tim must decide whether he will practice what he preaches.
Fans of the series say they long to buy real estate in Mitford, just so they can live next door to these funny and endearing characters and feel the embrace of such a loving community. But what author Jan Karon probably knows, and many readers are starting to figure out, is that the integrity and solid Christian values that these characters possess can be found in just about every neighborhood, and with inspiration like this book, anyone can build their own Mitford community

TBR

This series is heart-warming and full of good values and good advice. Cynthia,Father Tim's love interest is very patient with him as he finds his way to her. This book is a nice comfortable cozy read

sent to Potok-Fan who tookit out of the VBB

I just realized that I never journalled this. I'm so sorry for the delay. I can't remember now when exactly it got here, but I've been reading a few pages every now and again before I go to sleep. [photo: Katharine Jefferts Schori accepts the primatial staff at her installation as presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church]

I read several books from this series (including this one, I'm sure) about 10 years ago or so, and enjoyed them. This time around I'm finding myself a little irritated by what I see as a very feminine take (understandable, since the author's a women, but with a male protagonist it seems odd) and somewhat oversimplified.

For example, the idea that the Rev Greer (I'm not sure what denomination he is, but maybe Baptist?) could just come in and take over services for an Episcopal rector who's on vacation seems unbelievable. Ok, maybe he could come in to preach, but what about the rest of the liturgy? And communion? I cannot see an Episcopal bishop ever authorizing a Baptist preacher to celebrate communion! I've been worshipping in liturgical churches for many years now, and I still sometimes make assumptions or mistakes which upset the diehards; I'll bet the Rev. Greer would have them going ballistic, completely apart from whatever his theology on hellfire was!

However, as Ace points out, it should be read as a cozy, and I'm probably being unfair. It's maybe the wrong time for me and this book. I should take it off the nightstand and come back to it sometime later. Thanks for sending it, AofH, and I'm sorry to be critical, especially when I'm in the wrong for not having journalled when it arrived.

Oh I was *so* cross when I wrote that last journal entry! Every time I see this book on the shelves in the bedroom I think of it with a little embarrassment (and yet I know I'm still not ready to try again). *But*, I have not given up on the series altogether yet, and in fact just took another one out of the VBB, so I just wanted to post here and say I'm still planning to come back to this eventually. :)

I'm on sick leave after scheduled surgery, and figured this was the time to try this book again. And I was right! This time around I was in a much better frame of mind, wanting something light and cheerful. This was a fun blend of seeming down to earth but also being a bit escapist.

I had not remembered from the last time that Father Timothy's mother was Baptist, while his father (from whom he was estranged???) was Episcopalian. This goes some way to explaining some of his not-so-Episcopalian traits (Oswald Chambers?). Interestingly, Mom brought a friend's DVD to entertain us while I was recovering, called Man of Miracles. It struck me as very similar! An Episcopalian priest, who nonetheless doesn't seem to follow any set liturgy, and whose parishoners love verses like John 3:16. Huh.

I'm tempted to wonder whether I should try to track down some of the other books before jumping almost to the end with "In this Mountain" (already on my shelf, and one I think I've never read before)... but I'll probably just go ahead and read that one, since I'm in the right mood and the book is handy.

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

For the book buffet at Kesäpäivät - the All-Finland annual BookCrossing meeting