DEAREST DOROTHY, HELP! I'VE LOST MYSELF!

Fans of Jan Karon's Mitford or Philip Gulley's Harmony will revel in the antics of the residents of Partonville, Baumbich's imaginary village in "the northern part of southern Illinois." Alongside various familiar faces (the prickly mayor, the garrulous salon owner and the city slickers who've recently moved in from Chicago), the town boasts an individual who is anything but a stock character: Dorothy Jean Wetstra, an 87-year-old spitfire with a heart of gold. As the town gears up to celebrate its 130th anniversary, Dorothy helps new resident Katie Durbin come to terms with an unsettling revelation about her family, while Katie's son Josh winningly navigates the turbulent waters of adolescent dating. The novel has some mechanical problems, with sudden and inexplicable shifts in point of view, but the characters are quirky and charming; there are several laugh-out-loud moments; and Baumbich offers gentle inspiration without hammering readers over the head with God, whom Dorothy delightfully calls "The Big Guy." (Sept.)