What Chicks Are Reading

This is a story of the complex relationships between mothers and daughters so beautifully written. Sharla and Ginny are the two daughters; Marion is their mother. Ginny narrates her story both as a child and as an adult. As an adult, she is on the airplane to go to visit her sister and her mother across the country. She has not seen her mother, who left her family when the girls were quite young, for thirty five years. During her time on the airplane, she reflects on her past life, mainly on her early years when her family was together and she had a "mother." The author's tender description of a young girl's view of the world is uncanny and gives this story its heart. She depicts what is was like growing up in the 50's. The story helped me to review the world through the eyes of a 12 year old and actually feel the stubborn endurance of love. I would recommend this book to anyone who has daughters -- or any mother, for that matter. I am going to the library now to get another book by the same author! Chick Jeanette
  

SERIES: The Mitford Years by Jan Karon

The following four books reviewed by Chick Susie are part of a series of novels about rector Father Tim and the heartwarming cast of characters surrounding him in Mitford, North Carolina. All four books of the series plus a newer book (A New Song) can be purchased in a boxed set.
 

First in a series by this enchanting author who weaves her books around Father Tim, a small-town rector. In this book Father Tim has an empty heart which is filled in the novel by a mangy stray dog and later a stray boy. Finally, Father Tim falls in love with his next door neighbor. Wait... there's more! (See next review.)
  

A Light in the Window by Jan Karon

This is the second installment in the series about Father Tim and his cast of characters from a fictional town in North Carolina. In this book, Father Tim (a lifelong bachelor) starts getting distracted by his neighbor, Cynthia. Hilarious moments occur when his so-called cousin from Ireland moves in unexpectedly; turns out she isn't a cousin at all.
  

The village of Mitford and this series of books is 100% relaxing. The recently married Father Tim and his plain-folk neighbors live the best of Christianity in everyday life. There is the crisis of a real life problem in this one as we meet Lace who arrives in shredded clothes, bloody after being beaten by her drunken father.
 

Book four of my boxed set. What is remarkable and pleasurable about these books is you can visualize the town and the characters that the author weaves throughout the series. It also is reminiscent of a slower, small town lifestyle, that is very appealing, at least to me right now. Kind of Mayberry RFD.