A New Song (1999)

Loved reading about their thoughts on changing to the island location. Truly enjoy the interaction between Father Tim and his wife including the ways they came up to be together each evening. Good descriptions of Father's boat trip and then the storm. Liked how he got to know his musician neighbor. ( )

Another story in the life of Father Tim and his wife Cynthia. They will move to Whitecap Island to begin a new ministry in this story; but don't worry "Mitford" fans, you will be keeping up with what goes on there as well. In Whitecap you will also meet some interesting folks. Just a few things going on in this story: a church without an organist, a bachelor placing a personal ad for a wife, a mother battling depression, and a strong storm that will leave the town torn apart. But through it all people will show how they can overcome much and that God will never leave them nor forsake them. I enjoyed how the author now has me cheering on two towns full of colorful characters. ( )

I have to say, I enjoyed this installment more than the previous installments. I know some readers may not like the idea that Karon has moved on from the familiar setting of Mitford to the unfamiliar setting of Whitecap. For me, this is a logical progression in the story arc with new characters and new situations for Father Tim and his wife Cynthia to encounter, including: an eccentric musically inclined neighbor; a lovelorn bachelor seeking a wife through personal ads; a church organist with a mysterious past; stormy weather; and the isolation one can experience while living on an island. The Whitecap characters are just as unique and lovable as the unforgettable Mitford characters. Even with the change in locale, Karon does not abandon the wonderful folks in Mitford. I found it heartening to be able to continue following Dooley’s development from a shy lad into a teen, eager to own his first car, gain some independence and learn some valuable life lessons.

Overall, one of the better installments in Karon’s Mitford series, IMO, although I do have one pet peeve to share: I do wish Karon had referred to a thesaurus more frequently. I lost count how many times she used the word "trot", in all its variations, to describe Father Tim's actions. It got to the point where I would cringe every time the word surfaced. The poor man (Father Tim) should be exhausted by all the "trotting" he was doing in this story! ( )

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Sixth in the Mitford series by Jan Karon. Father Tim Kavanagh has finally retired from being a full-time priest, and takes an interim assignment on the island of Whitecap. He and Cynthia, along with their dog Barnabas and cat Violet, spend a great deal of time preparing to move, have a rather traumatic journey and arrival, and then gradually settle in to a new parish. As ever, there are petty squabbles within the congregation as well as some more serious problems, and during the year they have to deal with extreme weather conditions they have not previously experienced.

Inevitably there are lots of new characters as well as familiar ones from Mitford, but they're introduced gradually and are mostly memorable and interesting.

It was good to have a foray outside Mitford while reading this series straight through, although the first time I read it I can remember not liking it as much as the previous novels in the series. Not really recommended to anyone who hasn't read the previous books in the series, starting with 'At Home in Mitford' but anyone who's enjoyed the rest of the series should certainly read this one.

Longer review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2021/07/a-new-song-by-jan-karon.html ( )