Title: In the Company of Others (Father Tim, Book 2)
Author: Jan Karon
Released: October 19, 2010
Publisher: Viking Press
Pages: 416
Overall: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Shortly following a nostalgic and emotionally charged trip to his birthplace–Holly Springs, Mississippi, Father Tim is making good on an old promise to show his wife, Cynthia, the land of his Irish ancestors. Arriving at a Lough Arrow guest lodge in the midst of a torrential downpour, he soon counts this trip the reason he’s loath to leave home.
An intruder startles Cynthia, resulting in painful damage to her recently fractured ankle. A valuable and cherished painting vanishes without a trace. And the shocking wound at the center of a bitterly estranged Irish family is exposed.
As three generations struggle to find deliverance from the crucifying power of secrets, Tim and Cynthia discover a journal written more than a century ago by a Philadelphia-trained Irish physician. Who knew that faded ink could be the key to unlocking a crime and revealing the truth? Or that a country parson from the States would be chosen to enter the devouring conflict between Broughadoon and Cathair Mohr?
¡WARNING! There are a couple of spoilers in this review. They are marked so you can avoid them if you wish.
I was hoping that this second installment in the Father Tim series would be just as well written as the first. While Karon excels at creating characters with depth and personality, her dialogue is oftentimes hard to follow and her writing seems jumbled in places. There were parts of the plot that I think were not developed enough, and I missed seeing more frequent appearances of the characters in Mitford. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable read, and I look forward to the next book in the Father Tim series.
Plot: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
My favorite thing about this book was the air of mystery about Broughadoon–the man in the cupboard, the missing painting, *SPOILER* Jack Slade’s brutal stabbing of a man and subsequent jail sentence, the questions surrounding Liam’s paternity– {END SPOILER} all add intrigue to the plot. I wish that Karon had focused more on these elements of the story. I found the journal of Fintan O’Donnell to be mostly fascinating and a nice addition to the story, though I think his story should have been more tied in to the modern-day plot of Broughadoon and Cathair Mohr somehow. I also think the Karon should have developed the Dooley/Lace saga a little more. This would have satisfied a lot of readers who were hoping for the Mitford characters to play a more active role in this book.
Characters: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The cast of Irish characters in this book are dynamic and (for the most part) lovable. By the end of the novel I felt like I had really gotten to know most of them and I grew particularly fond of Anna, Bella, and the Book/Poker/Travel club ladies. I wish there had been more on Paddy so that I could be given a better understanding of him. *SPOILER* Despite her conversion at the end of the book, I could never really like Evelyn. {END SPOILER}
Ending: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Most of the loose ends were nicely wrapped up at the end, though I think that Karon could have elaborated a little more on some things, and there was a question or two I had that went unanswered. As tends to be the case in some of her novels, I thought the final chapters felt a little rushed.
Writing: ☆ ☆ ☆
I found the dialogue to be somewhat confusing, because it didn’t have enough connector sentences to fuse things together. Once again, this is an area which Karon’s editor should have addressed, but failed to satisfactorily. I was also disappointed that there was so little contact with the folks in Mitford. I think Karon would have done well to include a few more emails from the home front.
Cover: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
I love the imagery of the cover photo/illustration, especially the stone house in the distance which I pictured as Cathair Mohr throughout the novel. The woman in the sleeveless dress looks a little out of place in a climate which appears chilly enough for a sweater.
Other things you can do:
Visit Jan Karon’s website.
Read an excerpt of the book.
Purchase a copy of In the Company of Others.
Source: My copy of this book was provided by the publisher.
