At Home In Mitford by Jan Karon

Mitford's small town life breathes a story that's revealed to us through the eyes of one Timothy Kavanagh, or as people prefer to call him, Father Tim.
Father Tim has led a solitary home life for the majority of his adult existence, though the certainty of that world will shift the year he turns sixty. His reality alters with the appearance of a massive dog, who's still a puppy, a young boy needing a home and an interesting neighbor, for which he's inadequately prepared.

The reasoning behind his bachelorhood isn't a reflection on his view of women, the problem evolved from the lack of a soul mate. He made an unconscious choice to live alone rather than forcing the fear of loneliness into a decision of an unwanted marriage.
At this point in his life, he believes he'll be single throughout his remaining years, though fate has other plans ready to thrust upon him, whether he's ready or not.

Is Mitford a realistic look at life in a southern village? The residents may appear a tad polished for a wee town in North Carolina. They're an engaging, giving, intelligent, interesting, hard working and essentially likable lot.
Mitford is situated on the top of a mountain with gorgeous views of the valleys below, and is a day trip tourist destination, and though the town welcomes visitors, there's an unvoiced slogan of "thank you for visiting, now go home."

Considerable reviews share Father Tim's imperfections. There's a belief  he should save everyone from everything, while never sleeping or meeting his own needs.
Does he have faults? Yes, he realizes he has a hard place in his soul from the result of a harsh father, and wants to deviate away from this flaw, yet this doesn't reflect on his giving spirit, for he metes out love to all he comes in contact with. He daydreams of running away, and self doubt isn't a stranger, and he'll be the first to tell people to put their trust in Jesus Christ and not in men, for men will always fail.
If you want to read a book concerning a perfect pastor--this isn't the book for you, though if you're willing to read of an unfinished (and aren't we all) person continuously looking to God for guidance, then read away.

The Honor Girl by Grace Livingston Hill

I've often compared the women in Grace Livingston Hill's books to the women in Agatha Christie's as they both had books published during the same time period.

There isn't one woman in Hill's books (that's not on the dark side) who drinks, smokes, plays cards, dances (and divorce is that terrible word never thought of).

Christie's women are the complete opposite--drinking, dancing and partying are many times a way of life, plus so many are divorced are wanting one.

Are Christie's women evil and Hill's women saints? I believe many of Hill's heroines take their belief system too far, though it's understandable since she wrote Christian books, and the women are most likely set up as role models for young girls. 

Though the women are extremely trusting of men they hardly know and fall in love almost immediately. The characters in her books believe they know a decent man just on the basis of meeting him, and every bad man shows his faults from the start. This situation is misleading--we all know that evil can be covered up with fine manners and a flair for words.

Christie's main characters live a more flamboyant lifestyle, but that doesn't make them wrong, just different. Would the protagonist from The Honor Girl care for one of Christie's characters? Maybe no, but they might find something rare and good in each other and overlook the others faults of being too saintly or not saintly enough.

Though Christie's characters are better at concealing the evil that dwells inside, hidden by smiles, actions and kind words. It's shocking to find out the character that I liked the most turns out to be a murdering fiend.

The Honor Girl is my favorite book by Grace Hill though the beginning part is rather boring. Elsie is so beloved by everyone for her brilliance in her studies and athletics.

After her mother died, she left her father and two brothers to live with her aunt. She hates to even visit her old home and rarely speak to the men she left behind.

One Saturday she must go to her old home to retrieve a book, and she finds her brothers and father live in great filth and poverty. She doesn't understand since they all work and can afford a maid to clean for them. 

 Standing in horror while looking around the large house, she remembers her father asked her in the last year to move home. At this point, I want her to run and never look back, but she starts to think of the youngest brother, and how his sheets are ripped to shreds and he covers up with coats and an old shawl that belonged to her mother.

She decides to spend the day cleaning and cooking a decent meal, leaving before they arrive home, so as in doubt who their house fairy is.

She hires two women (this part is racist now and should have been racist back then) to help her clean, and orders several items from a department store. The three women are able to make the house comfortable, plus Elsie is able to make all the beds with new sheets and comforters, and add many other normal conveniences such as towels.

This was a time period when a 12 hour/6 day work week was mandatory, and no one is at home nor will they be home until evening, so she has the entire day to make this happen and finishes the meal minutes before the men arrive home.

After arriving back at her Aunt's house, she realizes that she's not happy away from her family and starts to think about moving back home. Every Saturday she goes back and to add more comfort to the home, and her brothers find her. Oh, how they love her, and she can't resist any longer to be away from the home she should never have left.

Elsie has many trials along the way--her father is an alcoholic, and she wants her brothers to attend college which they finally kowtow to her wishes. Along the way, she meets the love of her life as it wouldn't be a Grace Livingston Hill book without a love story looming.

I read this book several times a year, it's a nice change from zombie books and it's quite satisfying, and I love books about my God.

When Mockingbirds Sing by Billy Coffey

As I read the first half of this book, I realized I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. It was rather slow and cumbersome, but redeems itself in the end.
I find it sad that we (me included) would turn our minds away from a new idea rather than to believe it might be true. I thought for sure the Rainbow Man was an evil spirit or the devil, but slowly realized that my first snap judgement was wrong.
Sometimes it's hard to know who or what to trust, and sadly most people love to judge first, and then distrust last. Christians are some of the worst offenders, but we've been brought up to believe most things are evil and of the devil. This is fear based faith, and something I don't ascribe to anymore.
The best passage of the book shows Leah stating  that none of us can hear God. We pretend to, but to hear Him, we must be as little children in our hearts. Then we can hear His voice. We all think we know the best way, and make our decisions without Him.
Allie is (30 year old) nine year old who befriends Leah. She is smart and good, and everything needed for a best friend for someone going through great turmoil
I loved this book, and feel there is a message for everyone, believers or non-believers.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

I saw the movie associated with this book many years ago, and was surprised to find out the book was so much more full of substance that can't be captured on the screen.
I don't always like Margaret Atwood's books, because they feel full of herself as if she was writing them with pompous attitude, but not this book.
This story is woven through three different time lines that all connect in a downward spiral. The main character speaks of the time before the madness, when she is conscripted and (attempted) brainwashed to become a handmaid, and the present time as a handmaid.
A handmaid is a surrogate (the woman doesn't have a choice in the matter) mother for a couple who can't have children. The men are high ranking officials, and for some reason there is a birth decline affecting many people in this new country of horrors.
Women are not allowed to read or write, and given the time the book was written, women had just achieved so much in equal rights. So many men (or at least many more men) during that time, didn't want women to work or leave the house and kitchen.
To say that the government of Gilead was based on Christian values would be to say the Westminster Baptist Church is based on Christian values, when it is actually based on hatred.
Even Offred doesn't believe this type of lifestyle is what God meant, but of course it comes down to people often perceiving others as trying to control their lives, as some perceive present day Christianity want to accomplish.
The one thing I really hate about this book is the ending, or lack thereof. Even the movie came up with a good ending, but the book just ended right in the middle of a story, and so everything is now left to our imagination.
Though there are some historical notes from a conference conducted in the future (yes they still have dreaded boring conferences), where the speaker tells how they know about Offred by the recordings she makes and hides.
Even though this last part is interesting, no one in this future which is in 2195 knows more than we know, so we still can't learn an ending here.
I believe this book is brilliant and genius.