I tried to read this book at least three times but just could not get into it, My fault really! Apparently this is the 15th book of a series! Really the wrong place to start! Many people seem to love this series and the people contained within are considered old friends.

I absolutely adore the Mitford series and this title is no exception. Coming home to Mitford is comfort food for the soul - and all the familiar characters are here! Even with over a dozen Mitford titles, Jan Karon never ceases to come up with new and interesting storylines and plot developments. Don't miss this latest installment. Thank you for my review e-copy!

"To Be Where You Are" is the fourteenth book in the beloved Mitford series. We get to check in with the characters we have loved since the very beginning of the series, along with friends and family that have been acquired along the journey. Father Tim has a new job thrust upon him, Dooley and Lace suffer through money problems, Family rifts begin to knit together. Many characters are going through life changes as they age, as we all do. Through all the changes, family and friends stick together. Mitford is a place we all love to visit, over and over again.

Reading a new Mitford book is like stepping back into a community after a time away. You catch up on what everyone has been up to as you connect with old friends. And that's both the strength and weakness of this book.

If you have not read previous Mitford books, stop! Go back and start at the beginning of the series. Otherwise, this book will be confusing and probably not enjoyable. Mitford fans won't be surprised by Karon's trademark style, which is Southern smooth but doesn't shy away from the hard parts of life. If you've been to Mitford before, pour yourself a glass of sweet tea and catch up with old friends. A worthy series addition.

I did not know this was a series until I read the book and it deals with three generations of Kavanaghs.

This is a story with a big cast and maybe because I have read a book in a middle of a series I got a bit confused. Keeping track of them all was not that easy. Basically two families but with many, many people on the side, all very individualistic, all having issues and problems of their own converging into one community.

Very much a community story and one that takes you into a cleaner (in a metaphorical sense) world that probably does not exist much as I would like it to be around. Nice to indulge in for a bit till one is pulled back into the real world.

Goodreads and Amazon reviews on 26/3/2018. Review on my blog May 2018.

I always enjoy a visit to Mitford. Jan Karon has another great read with this latest book. I highly recommend you read the whole Mitford series if you have not already. It feels like reconnecting with old friends, and I'm already looking forward to the next visit.

To Be Where You Are by Jan Karon is the fourteenth A Mitford Novel. Father Tim is surprised when he receives a call that Esther Bolick has passed away. He is asked to return to Lord’s Chapel to give her eulogy. Dooley and Lacy Kavanagh have an unexpected expense when the pipes burst at Kavanagh Animal Wellness Clinic. Lacy has an opportunity to earn the money needed, but it would mean going away for a couple of months. Would it hinder the completion of Jack Tyler’s adoption? Life is always busy and full in Mitford. Come along for a visit and catch up with all your favorite characters.

Let me start by saying I have been a fan of the Mitford series since the beginning. But I have noticed a difference in Jan Karon’s writing style in the last two books. To Be Where You Are is my least favorite book in this series. It was all over the places. I wish Ms. Karon had kept the focus of the story on Father Tim, Cynthia, Dooley, and Lacy. Every other chapter was on a different character. You would just settle in to one person’s story and it would change to someone else. You then have to figure out which character it has jumped to and remember what happened to them five or so chapters ago. You just start to figure it out, then it’s a new chapter and you have to start all over again. It lacked the flow that was present in the earlier books in the series. It was just about impossible to keep track of all the various characters and what was happening to each of them. I do not recommend reading this book as a standalone. You need to read the books in order. My rating for To Be Where You Are is 3 out of 5 stars (it was okay). This story failed to capture and hold my attention.

To Be Where You Are by Jan Karon brings readers back to the delightful town of Mitford. The same cast of characters is much more advanced in age, but no less quirky and lovable. For longtime fans of the Mitford series, this book will feel like coming home. And you will not be disappointed! Although years have passed for the characters, or for the reader since having first read the series, you will be able to quickly pick up on the characters’ lives. I was delighted to find the characters and their lives to be developed in a manner so consistent with their personalities. I highly recommend this book to all Mitford fans and to anyone who enjoys lovable characters and small town charm. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I have read all the books in the Mitford series and this books does NOT disappoint .... To read one of these books is to come home for a family reunion. I love catching up with all the characters, seeing what their families are doing and just laughing out loud. If you haven't read this series yet you should give it a try.
Its a comforting series and you hate to see it end.

I read nine of the Mitford series books when they first came out. At first, I enjoyed the fresh characters and welcoming town. Nothing bad really happened. Dilemmas were solved with prayer. People were kind to each other, except for the token mean ones, who could always be redeemed. Falling in love ended happily. After the first few Mitford books, I grew bored. When I saw the new Karon book on Netgalley, I thought I’d go visit my old Mitford friends, see if anything was new. Let’s just say, not much has changed, except their ages.

To Be Where You Are reflects Karon’s faith. “She would do what he said and not worry. That’s also what God was constantly telling her. Take no thought for the morrow, fret not; be anxious for nothing. In hundreds of ways, God was telling her not to do what seemed like everybody’s favorite thing to do.” Christmas carol lyrics and mini-sermons/ reflections liberally blanket the story, like the predicted snowstorm covering Mitford at the expected time in the plot.

Southern accents got tiresome. “They seen colored lights and white lights, an’ heard carols an’ sleigh bells an’ whatnot, til by th’ time Christmas come around, they was both wore out. ‘We don’t need no Christmas tree, his mama said. ‘All a tree does is catch f ’ar an’ burn th’ house down.’

This book was kind of like going to Denny’s, or even McDonalds. Sometimes you need predictability and comfort, but we live in a rich diverse world, quite unlike Mitford. Enjoy the familiarity (To Be Where You are was an astounding #2 on the NY Times bestseller list this week), but then venture out and discover new foods, cultures, characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for granting access to an arc of this book for an honest review.

It is great to be back in Mitford with all the characters. They are like old friends. Love this series

Sine the very first line of the first Mitford book, I have been in love with this North Carolina mountain town and its people. I eagerly await every new novel and this one does not disappoint, it's one of the best.

The main people in the town are getting older and confronting the difficulties of old age with all the characteristics that have made them so memorable. In this book they confront death, illness, loneliness, and finding love again.

What I love is how a new generation has grown in the books and now forms an important part of the novels. Here the story revolves around Father Tim, his adopted son, Dooley, and Dooley's foster son, Jack. Taking place from early October through Christmas, Karon brings so much interest through the small things in life, it's one of the reasons the books have such staying power and timelessness.

As the characters confront the difficulties in life, and this novel has plenty, you always see the touching quality of life. And that's at the heart of these lovely books, here we see the goodness of God, even in difficult times, and that's always worth hearing.

I have loved the entire Mitford/Fr. Tim series save one. This one did not disappoint at all.

I did find it a bit difficult in the ebook version that I was reading to determine the speaker in some sections. The dialogue all just flowed together with no spacing. Because it had been so long since I last read one of the series, it took me awhile to determine the relationships of various people. On the other hand, that was far superior to the author spending time rehashing everything. For me, it was like going to a family reunion after a number of years and trying to get all the cousins straight in my mind. I was able to catch up fairly quickly. I don't know how it would seem to someone who had never read one of the Mitford books and was unfamiliar with the characters.

Dooley and Lace are married and are in the process of adopting a son, Jack. Sadly, I could not remember exactly how Jack came to live with them, but that didn't really affect the story. There were enough remembrances to allow the reader to understand Jack's background.

I loved the homey sayings that are an important part of the book, of making the characters come alive through their speech. "I'll be et for a tater." "I was going to give her a mean look, but she already had one." And so much wisdom is dispersed in the simple story of people: "Everyone needs something to do ... Someone to love ... And something to look forward to." "Love is an act of endless forgiveness." "No matter how rich you become or how powerful you are, ... when you die the size of your funeral will pretty much depend on the weather."

The book is so filled with gems like these that I found myself highlighting quite a bit so I could refer back!

Thankfully, most of the elderly characters are still alive, although it wouldn't be a true town if no one ever died. But in the book there are joys and sorrow, illness and health. The end has various characters leaving Mitford for vacations. And, naturally, some stay. I can't wait to hear the tales recounted when those who left return home and to hear how those who remained fared while they were gone.

I eagerly await the next offering of a Mitford story.

As per usual, Karon brings us a tale of Mitford and its lovely and flawed residents. While this isn't the strongest Mitford tale since Karon started writing the series again, it definitely carries the same spirit. I have found what I particular enjoy about the series in its resurgence is the change of focus on our main character, Father Tim, to also focus on his Dooley and his new wife, Lace. I felt like the story moved along at a good pace and carried a lot of the things about Mitford I love. I feel like it took until the last third of the book before a lot of weighty material came through, as if the first 2/3 we were sort of coasting through. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I hoped for a little more. 3.5 stars.

A trip back to Mitford is always worth the wait. It's fun to find out what our favorite characters have been up to since we last left them. This particular novel began with the passing of a beloved character (never fear it wasn't Father Tim) and the ending welcomed a new member to the clan. The time between the two events was filled with lots of love and crisis. But in the end love prevailed.

I found it interesting that it felt like most of the story centered on Dooley and Lace instead of Father Tim and Cynthia. You would think that I would be upset by that but it seemed like a natural progression.

The only thing that I'm sad about is the fact that I'm going to have to wait for the next installment. My prayer is that God continues to whisper to Jan the story of these fascinating people.

It's fall, so it's once again time to drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains to watch the leaves change colors. And while driving through, I'll stop at Winnie Ivey's Sweet Shop and stock up on her marvelous baked goods. I'll buy some books from Hope, local produce from Avis Packard (and get some of his recipe ideas), stop for a fabulous Italian dinner at that restaurant owned by the mayor, and marvel at the glorious gardens at Lord's Chapel. I can do all that, because it's time for another trip to Jan Karon's Mitford. 

Mitford is the lovely town in the mountains that we first visited in At Home in Mitford, and now, with the fourteenth book in the series, To Be Where You Are, we get the chance to go back and get reacquainted with all our friends and family there. Father Tim is once again drawn back to help at the church, and Cynthia goes along for the ride. Newspaper editor J.C. Hogan continues to confuse his readers, and Emma has to put her two cents in as well. All the usual suspects are back, to make us feel like we've come home once again. 

But everything is not ideal. From Esther Cunningham rising from her chair and telling her husband, "I'm dead," to newlyweds Lace and Dooley dealing with a plumbing problem at the veterinary clinic that could cost them their entire savings, the citizens of Mitford still have to deal with both the everyday irritations and bigger life challenges that can weigh us all down. 

And there are also those days that wipe away the bad memories. On the day that Lace and Dooley's adopted son Jack Tyler officially becomes Jack Kavanaugh, the celebration mends hearts and spirits for an entire village. 

Any trip to Mitford is one I want to take, and To Be Where You Are is no exception. Whenever life overwhelms me, I grab one of Jan Karon's books and head straight to Mitford for respite, relaxation, relaxing, and recharging. This latest book gives me another chance to get back to the place I love best in the world. I highly recommend all of the MItford books, from start to finish, in any order, in any of your favorite reading spots, over and over. Do not miss out on these books! 



Galleys for To Be Where You Are were provided by G.P. Putnam's Sons (Penguin) through NetGalley.com, with all the gratitude of my heart.

As always, Mitford is full of life. There are struggles and sadness, lives beginning together and the occasional ending, the loyalty of friends (canine or otherwise), and most of all, growth. Forgiveness isn't always easy, but friends don't let friends become bitter and resentful.

It did feel bittier than some of the earlier novels. I think it's because there are so many old friends in Mitford, no-one could bear it if any were left out! I don't believe any Mitford fans will be disappointed in this latest offering; it's still heartwarming, and I still felt a connection to all of them, almost as if I could see them for myself

Book #12 in the Mitford series is as delightful as all the others in the series!

I have enjoyed Jan Karon's Mitford Series for years. Each novel leaves me wanting to know more about each character and I feel like I'm at home with people I know. I always start from the very first novel and read the series over & over when I'm in a down mood because after reading each book it uplifts my mood and makes life a little easier. I'm so thankful she continues to come up with new books and each one is excellent.

We return to Mitford, where life is calm and peaceful. People help one another in times of crisis. These later books focus more on Dooley and Lacey. Newly married, they are trying to juggle his vet practice, her art career, and adopting Jack!. Little Jack Tyler is a bundle of energy, full of love and laughs. To Be Where You Are teaches us to love, laugh, forgive, and help in times of trouble. It shows us a community willing to pull together when one of its own faces a health crisis. The beginning of the book brings a death to one of the pillars of the community. However, the community sends her off with the perfect wake. By the end of the book, new surprises bring changes too many in Mitford. Through it all, Mitford retains the perfect small town status. I received this book through Netgalley. The review and opinions are mine alone.