The Mitford Years Books in order: The Mitford Years is a series of fourteen novels by American writer Jan Karon, set in the fictional town of Mitford, North Carolina. The novels are Christian-themed, and center on the life of the rector, Father Tim.
The best way to read Mitford is the publication order which is at the same time the chronological order, it is advised to follow such reading order because along the story there are a lot of interactions among the characters and you might miss these details if you don’t follow such order. The Mitford Years book series by Jan Karon includes books: At Home in Mitford A Light in the Window ,These High, Green Hills and several more. See the complete Mitford Years series book list in order.
List of The Mitford Years Books in order to Read
1. At Home in Mitford (1994)
At Home in Mitford is a novel written by American author Jan Karon. It is book one of The Mitford Years series. The first edition (ISBN 1-56865-347-6) was published in hardcover format by Doubleday in 1994. Penguin Books published the paperback edition in 1996 (ISBN 0-140-25448-X).
A story to return to again and againIt’s easy to feel at home in Mitford. In these high, green hills, the air is pure, the village is charming, and the people are generally lovable.
Yet, Father Tim, the bachelor rector, wants something more. Enter a dog the size of a sofa who moves in and won’t go away. Add an attractive neighbor who begins wearing a path through the hedge. Now, stir in a lovable but unloved by, a mystifying jewel thief, and a secret that’s sixty years old. Suddenly, Father Tim gets more than he bargained for. And readers get a rich provincial comedy in which mysteries and miracles abound.
2. A Light in the Window (1995)
A Light in the Window is a novel written by American author Jan Karon. It is book two of The Mitford Years series. The first edition (ISBN 0-7459-2803-X) was published in hardcover format by Doubleday in 1994.
MITFORD’S VILLAGE RECTOR, Father Tim, is running scared. He can no longer deny (even to himself), that he’s in love with his neighbor, Cynthia Coppersmith. Cynthia, after all, sees in him a man of warmth and daring–if only he’ll meet her halfway.But now a wealthy widow is pursuing Father Tim with hot casseroles. And the mysterious Cousin Meg has moved into the rectory bag and baggage–not to mention uninvited.
Abounding with characters both old and new, A Light in the Window compels readers to do something they treasure: laugh out loud. Praise for the companion volume, At Home in Mitford:
Jan Karon left a successful, award-winning career in advertising to move to Blowing Rock, North Carolina, a peaceful village not unlike Mitford. She says, “I write to give readers an extended family, and a little town they can call their own.”
3. These High, Green Hills (1996)
For years, Mitford’s sixtysomething rector has been happily married to his parish. Now he’s also married to Cynthia, his vivacious next-door neighbor.
For Father Tim, life in Mitford has never been so full of surprises. His wife is “aging” his already ancient kitchen walls, not to mention burning his draperies. The mountain boy he’s learned to love as his own makes a heartrending decision. And the agony of mastering the church computer system is as boggling as the pandemonium that breaks loose when his quiet rectory becomes a nursery.
All this, however, is small potatoes compared to what happens on a wilderness camping trip that sends him home a changed man.
4. Out to Canaan (1997)
Father Tim, the Episcopal rector, and his talented and vivacious wife, Cynthia, are pondering the murky uncertainties of retirement. They’re also trying to locate the scattered siblings of Dooley Barlowe, the mountain boy they love as their own. A brash new mayoral candidate is calling for aggressive development, and a tough survivor must hunker down for the fight of her life. Worse, the Sweet Stuff Bakery may be closing, and a suspicious real estate agent is trying to turn the beloved house on the hill into a spa. Can change be coming to Mitford? The buzz on Main Street says yes. Change is certainly coming to the tenderest regions of several townspeople’s lives. A woman struggles every day to stay on course after years of hard living. A man tries to forgive himself for a tragic mistake. And the town’s most eligible bachelor leaves Mitford — and returns with a stunning surprise.
5. A New Song (1999)
Mitford’s longtime Episcopal priest, Father Tim, has retired. But new challenges and adventures await when he agrees to serve as interim minister of a small church on Whitecap Island. He and his wife, Cynthia, soon find that Whitecap has its own unforgettable characters: a church organist with a mysterious past, a lovelorn bachelor placing personal ads, a mother battling paralyzing depression. Whitecap has more than its fair share of challenges, but in the end, Father Tim and Cynthia find that Mitford is never far away when circumstances back home keep their phone ringing off the hook.
6. A Common Life: The Wedding Story (2001)
Mitford’s Lord’s Chapel is the home to the most joyful event in years: the wedding of Father Tim Kavanagh and Cynthia Coppersmith. Here at last is A Common Life, and the long-awaited answers to these deeply probing questions: Will Father Tim fall apart when he takes his vows? Will Cynthia make it to the church on time? Who will arrange the flowers and bake the wedding cake? And will Uncle Billy’s prayers for a great joke be answered in time for the reception?
From Dooley Barlowe, to Miss Sadie and Louella, to Emma Newland, the mayor, everybody who’s anybody will be there celebrating in the little town with the big heart.
A Common Life is the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, Christmas, anniversaries, and for a bride or groom to give to his or her beloved. In truth, it’s perfect for anyone who believes in laughter, relies on hope, and celebrates love.
7. In This Mountain (2002)
The seventh novel of Karon’s beloved series is now available in paperback. Father Tim and Cynthia are back home in Mitford, where they find change in the air: a haircut price war that takes no prisoners and a risky new menu item at the Grill.
8. Shepherds Abiding (2003)
Since he was a boy growing up in Mississippi, Father Tim has lived what he calls “the life of the mind.” Except for cooking and gardening and washing his dog, he never learned to savor the work of his hands. And then he finds a derelict nativity scene–twenty figures, including a flock of sheep, that have suffered the indignities of time and neglect.
Could he give the small company new life? Restore the camel’s ear, repaint every piece, replace a missing nose on a wise man? “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks!” he reminds himself. It’s when he imagines the excitement in Cynthia’s eyes that he steps up to the plate–and begins a small journey of faith that touches everyone around him.
The eight novel in the bestselling Mitford Years series is a mediation on the best of all presents–the gift of one’s heart. Lovingly written and beautifully illustrated, it seeks to restore the true Christmas spirit and give everyone a seat at Mitford’s holiday table.
9. Light from Heaven (2005)
Father Tim Kavanagh has been asked to “come up higher” more than once. But he’s never been asked to do the impossible-until now. The retired Episcopal priest takes on the revival of a mountain church that’s been closed for forty years. Meanwhile, in Mitford, he’s sent on a hunt for hidden treasure, and two beloved friends are called to come up higher. As Father Tim finds, there are still plenty of heartfelt surprises, dear friends old and new, and the most important lesson of all: It’s never too late.
10. Home to Holly Springs (2007)
Readers of the nine bestselling Mitford novels have been captivated by Jan Karon’s gift for illuminating the struggles that creep into everyday lives along with a vividly imagined world (People). They learned quickly that after you’ve spent time in Mitford, you’ll want to come back (Chicago Tribune). Millions eagerly awaited the publication of each novel, relishing the story of the bookish and bighearted Episcopal priest and the extraordinary fullness of his seemingly ordinary life.
Now, Jan Karon enchants us with the story of the newly retired priest’s spur-of-the-moment adventure. For the first time in decades, Father Tim returns to his birthplace, Holly Springs, Mississippi, in response to a mysterious, unsigned note saying simply: Come home. Little does he know how much these two words will change his life. A story of long-buried secrets, forgiveness, and the wonder of discovering new people, places, and depth of feeling, Home to Holly Springs will enthrall new readers and longtime fans alike.
11. In the Company of Others (2010)
Father Tim and Cynthia arrive in the west of Ireland, intent on researching his Kavanagh ancestry from the comfort of a charming fishing lodge. The charm, however, is broken entirely when Cynthia startles a burglar and sprains her already-injured ankle. Then a cherished and valuable painting is stolen from the lodge owners, and Cynthia’s pain pales in comparison to the wound at the center of this bitterly estranged Irish family.
In the Company of Others is a moving testament to the desperate struggle to hide the truth at any cost and the powerful need to confess. Of all her winning novels, Jan Karon says this “dark-haired child” is her favorite-a sentiment readers everywhere are certain to share.
Another stirring page-turner about Father Tim—this time set in County Sligo—from the bestselling author of At Home in Mitford, Somebody Safe with Somebody Good, and other books in the Mitford Series.
12. Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good (2014)
After five hectic years of retirement from Lord’s Chapel, Father Tim Kavanagh returns with his wife, Cynthia, from a so-called pleasure trip to the land of his Irish ancestors. While glad to be at home in Mitford, something is definitely missing: a pulpit. But when he’s offered one, he decides he doesn’t want it. Maybe he’s lost his passion.
His adopted son, Dooley, wrestles with his own passions—for the beautiful and gifted Lace Turner and his vision to become a successful country vet. Dooley’s brother, Sammy, still enraged by his mother’s abandonment, destroys one of Father Tim’s prized possessions. And Hope Murphy, owner of Happy Endings bookstore, struggles with the potential loss of her unborn child and her hard-won business.
All this as Wanda’s Feel Good Café opens, a romance catches fire through an Internet word game, their former mayor hatches a re-election campaign to throw the bums out, and the weekly Muse poses a probing inquiry: Does Mitford still take care of its own?
Millions of fans will applaud the chance to spend time, once more, in the often comic and utterly human presence of Jan Karon’s characters. Indeed, they have never been more sympathetic, bighearted, and engaging.
13. Come Rain or Come Shine (2015)
Over the course of ten Mitford novels, fans have kept a special place in their hearts for Dooley Kavanagh, first seen in At Home in Mitford as a barefoot, freckle-faced boy in filthy overalls.
Now, Father Tim Kavanagh’s adopted son has graduated from vet school and opened his own animal clinic. Since money will be tight for a while, maybe he and Lace Harper, his once and future soul mate, should keep their wedding simple.
So the plan is to eliminate the cost of catering and do potluck. Ought to be fun. An old friend offers to bring his well-known country band. Gratis. And once mucked out, the barn works as a perfect venue for seating family and friends. Piece of cake, right?
In Come Rain or Come Shine, Jan Karon delivers the wedding that millions of Mitford fans have waited for. It’s a June day in the mountains, with more than a few creatures great and small, and you’re invited—because you’re family. By the way, it’s a pretty casual affair, so come as you are and remember to bring a tissue or two. After all, what’s a good wedding without a good cry?
14. To Be Where You Are (2017)
Wounds heal, bonds grow stronger, and celebrations continue…Welcome back to beloved Mitford. After twelve years of wrestling with the conflicts of retirement, Father Tim Kavanagh realizes he doesn’t need a steady job to prove himself. Then he’s given one. As for what it proves, heaven only knows.
Millions of Karon fans will be thrilled that it’s life as usual in the wildly popular Mitford series: A beloved town character lands a front-page obituary, but who was it, exactly, who died? And what about the former mayor, born the year Lindbergh landed in Paris, who’s still running for office? All this, of course, is but a feather on the wind compared to Muse editor J.C. Hogan’s desperate attempts to find a cure for his marital woes. Will it be high-def TV or his pork-chop marinade? In fiction, as in real life, there are no guarantees.
Twenty minutes from Mitford at Meadowgate Farm, newlyweds Dooley and Lace Kavanagh face a crisis that devastates their bank account and impacts their family vet practice. But there is still a lot to celebrate, as their adopted son, Jack, looks forward to the most important day of his life–with great cooking, country music, and lots of people who love him. Happily, it will also be a day when the terrible wound in Dooley’s biological family begins to heal because of a game–let’s just call it a miracle–that breaks all the rules.
In To Be Where You Are, Jan Karon weaves together the richly comic and compelling lives of two Kavanagh families, and a cast of characters that readers around the world now love like kin.
How many The Mitford Years books are there?
There are total 14 book in Mitford series written by famous American novelist Jan Karon. She is the author of the New York Times-bestselling Mitford novels, featuring Father Timothy Kavanagh, an Episcopal priest, and the fictional village of Mitford.
All Mitford series in order in order of release date
Here is the List of Mitford series books in Order of Release Date.
1. At Home in Mitford (1994)
2. A Light in the Window (1995)
3. These High, Green Hills (1996)
4. Out to Canaan (1997)
5. A New Song (1999)
6. A Common Life: The Wedding Story (2001)
7. In This Mountain (2002)
8. Shepherds Abiding (2003)
9. Light from Heaven (2005)
10. Home to Holly Springs (2007)
11. In the Company of Others (2010)
12. Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good (2014)
13. Come Rain or Come Shine (2015)
14. To Be Where You Are (2017)
About Jan Karon:
Jan Karon is an American novelist who writes for both adults and young readers. She is the author of the New York Times-bestselling Mitford novels, featuring Father Timothy Kavanagh, an Episcopal priest, and the fictional village of Mitford. Her most recent Mitford novel, To Be Where You Are, was released in September 2017. She has been designated a lay Canon for the Arts in the Episcopal Diocese of Quincy (Illinois) by Keith Ackerman, Episcopal Bishop of Quincy, and in May 2000 she was awarded the Degree, Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa by Nashotah House, a theological seminary in Nashotah Wisconsin. {“More from Mitford” Volume 4, Number 10, Fall 2000.} In 2015, she was awarded the Library of Virginia’s Literary Lifetime Achievement Award.
Conclusion:
Jan Karon’s Mitford series is a glorious escape from the stresses of daily life. These charming, wholesome stories transport us to a place of enduring love, faith, and friendship that will leave you wishing you could move in next door.
