Shepherds Abiding (by Jan Karon)

(Amazon UK link)

I am very much enjoying re-reading Jan Karon’s delightful ‘Mitford’ series about Father Tim and his wife Cynthia. I’ve just finished the eighth book in the series, ‘Shepherds Abiding’, which I last read in 2006, although I recalled the basic outline of the story. I thought it a bit light-weight when I first read it, almost as if it were an excuse for a Christmas book. But reading it this time, I thought it a great addition to the series, even if a tad shorter than most of the others.

The whole book takes place in the few months running up to Christmas. Tim Kavanagh, who retired a couple of years earlier, spots a large and beautiful Nativity scene in an antique shop. It is in need of restoration - the whole thing needs repainting, and some of the pieces are slightly broken. It’s evidently a valuable set, given that he pays more than $500 for it - this is only mentioned in passing, in reference to something else, and I had to go back and check as it seemed like an astonishing amount to pay for an old Nativity set that needs a great deal of repair work.

However Tim is pleased with his purchase, and enlists the help of a couple of local experts as he sets to work to try something he’s never done before. In the gradual restoration of the set, he learns a lot about himself, as he discovers an artistic sense of colour, and the ability to do painstaking manual work, something which he’s never had to do before. He realises that he doesn’t have to rush around being active, and that careful painting is an inspiring and motivating thing to do.

Life in Mitford continues, as in the earlier books. There are forays to The Grill, which is closing at Christmas, and conversations with Tim’s adopted son Dooley about finding his last sibling. Cynthia is as supportive as ever, albeit very curious about why Tim is so secretive, and spending so much time at the antique shop. And there are some flashbacks to Tim’s childhood, as his new activity reminds him of odd incidents, some of them quite positive when he connected with the father he thought of as cold and uncaring.

In one sense this book isn’t necessary to the series; it covers a very short time period, and nothing of great import happens. But at the same time it gives a lot of insight into Tim’s past, something that hasn’t much been explored before, and paves the way for the later books, set in places other than Mitford.

The writing is good, the Christian message presented without being too preachy, and the Christmas spirit pervades the whole book. It would be a good one to read during the festive season, but I prefer to read the books in sequence and it was fine to read it in October.

Definitely recommended as part of the series. In theory it could stand alone, but  the sheer number of characters and backstories would make it very confusing to someone who was not familiar with Mitford.

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