Other editions of book Out to Canaan

In her popular Mitford series, glimmering with gentle laughter and tears, novelist Jan Karon transports you to the cozy small town of your dreams. An instant bestseller, Out to Canaan, finds Father Tim Kavanagh, the beloved Episcopal priest, confronting some unsettling trends in the village. Preparing for his retirement, Father Tim wrestles with a reluctance to release his flock to another shepherd. His difficulties multiply when the new mayoral candidate splits the town's voters with plans for aggressive development. Suddenly the rector and his vivacious wife, Cynthia, are spending their once tranquil days calming heated bickering between old friends. And after some questionable real estate deals threaten to overturn several of the villagers' plans, he wonders if Mitford and its warm-hearted way of life will survive. Narrator John McDonough perfectly voices each of the endearing townsfolk making Jan Karon's closely-knit community hum with the joys and trials of everyday life. A visit with Father Tim in his homespun world will have you packing your bags and poring over maps in search of Mitford.

Thousands of readers have come home to Mitford, the little town with the big heart, whose endearing and eccentric residents have become like family members. But now change is coming to the hamlet. Father Tim, the Episcopal rector, and his wife Cynthia are pondering retirement; a brash new mayoral candidate is calling for aggressive development; a suspicious realtor with plans for a health spa is eyeing the beloved house on the hill; and, worst of all, the Sweet Stuff Bakery may be closing. Meanwhile, ordinary people are leading the extraordinary lives that hundreds of thousands of readers have found so inviting and inspiring. Peopled with the lovable cast of characters familiar to so many, and peppered with plenty of new and colorful personalities, Out to Canaan is filled to the brim with the mysteries and miracles that make everyday life worth living, and that make Mitford one of the most memorable small towns in recent literature.