Deep within most of us lies a belief that fellow humans are decent, despite abundant evidence to the contrary.
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In the fictional town of Mitford, that spark of decency is a flame, and fans of author Jan Karon turn toward the light with a sigh of relief. Here are people just like those around us. They have troubles and successes, doubts and pride. Nosy neighbors and silent angels are as busy in Mitford as they are on our block. The difference is that we get to wander through their homes as they live, observing the mundane and the inspirational.
And we can’t get enough of them.
In “Shepherds Abiding” (Viking, 288 pages, $24.95), the eighth in Karon’s Mitford series, we go through holiday preparations with Father Tim and his town. While dealing with the problem of mending a nativity scene as a surprise for his wife, Father Tim again guides his flock of characters.
Mitford residents are not a quiet bunch. This time, they’re letting go of routine and exploring dreams (one resident moves away), cruising through CyberMitford (online shopping is in vogue) and generally raising a ruckus.
But while some of Karon’s Mitford books (“Out to Canaan,” “A New Song”) have dealt with larger changes in Father Tim’s life, this is more of a lazy read for a Sunday afternoon.
This story of Christmas in Mitford has been a few years in coming, and Karon’s loyal readers have noticed.
Since the last novel (“In This Mountain”), Karon has written two spinoffs, “The Mitford Snowmen” and “Esther’s Gift.” She has announced a cookbook to be published in 2004, and then the ninth and final Mitford novel will appear in 2005 (“Light From Heaven”).
That presents a problem for Mitford fans. No more stories of Esther’s orange marmalade cake? No more walks for Barnabas the dog? Must we go forward without tales from the little yellow house?
We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, I suppose. Until then, we’ll take a cue from Father Tim.
The Lord — and Jan Karon — will provide us with at least one more novel, and we should be happy for that.