Book Review: My Beloved

My Beloved by Jan Karon (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2025).

Picking up a new Mitford novel from Jan Karon is less like reading a book than going to a family reunion—the nice kind of reunion where there may be a few obstreperous characters, but there are also lots of people you care about, and good conversations, and great food. Okay, so you can’t actually eat the food in this case, but the descriptions are great.

For those who, like me, have been devouring the Mitford novels for decades now—and are accustomed to their author’s habit of retiring and then coming back from retirement—each new entry in the series is cause for celebration, and My Beloved is no exception. For those new to the series, it shouldn’t be too difficult to get into, though there are references here and there that may go over their heads. (OMC stands for orange marmalade cake, for the uninitiated.)

As usual, the story is set in the small mountain town of Mitford, North Carolina (based on Karon’s own town of Blowing Rock) and centers on Father Tim Kavanaugh, a now-retired Episcopal priest enjoying his late-in-life marriage to artist and writer Cynthia. But the focus keeps shifting from them to various other Mitford inhabitants and their doings: Tim’s adopted son, Dooley, and his young family; bookstore owner Hope Murphy; retired mayor Esther Cunningham; handyman Harley Welch; and various other lovable and quirky townsfolk.

I realize it sounds like I’m describing a Hallmark movie, and it’ll only heighten the effect when I note that the story is set during the runup to Christmas. But the Mitford novels are saved from saccharinity by the quality of Karon’s writing and her understanding that even happy endings may lack permanence. Longtime readers will feel frustrated for and by Dooley’s biological mother, Pauline, who achieved sobriety several books ago, but still keeps botching her efforts to connect with the children she once abandoned. There’s a disturbing dive into Cynthia’s troubled first marriage and its aftermath, which were barely touched on before this book (an advantage of having so many characters is that there are always new corners of various lives to explore). And sweet Father Tim has one or two less-than-admirable moments, veering off into uncharacteristic pomposity when hurt by a thoughtless remark of Dooley’s. Things may generally go better in Mitford than they do in our world, but the shadow of realism frequently makes itself felt.

“The community notice board at Happy Endings [bookstore] didn’t have much plot, but there were plenty of characters,” Karon writes in what feels like a meta moment. The main storyline—Father Tim’s love letter to his wife mysteriously goes missing and ends up circulating through the town through a series of mishaps, affecting various people in surprising ways—suits the episodic structure that the author prefers, allowing her to wind smoothly in and out of the various lives and situations. Karon handles characterization, setting, and dialogue with a deft hand, and the whole story is infused with her typical warmth and grace.

Think less Hallmark and more “Gilmore Girls,” perhaps—a Southern “Gilmore Girls” with a kindly minister at its heart. It’s a genuine treat for anyone looking for an autumn read that’s cozy but not suffocatingly so.

(Cover image copyright G.P. Putnam’s Sons.)

Book Links:

My Beloved on Amazon
My Beloved on Bookshop

Goodreads Links:

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Other Links:

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