Discovering Oceans, Lakes, Ponds, and Puddles

Billed by the publisher as a ``contemporary village novel'' Karon's first novel is a gentle fantasy about Mitford, N.C., something like Trollope's Barchester with faxes but without real ethical dilemmas. The protagonist of this (and a projected series called The Mitford Years) is Father Tim, who, being Anglican, combines a kind of low-key ritualistic religious sensibility with the possibility of romance. In fact, the budding romance between Tim and his new neighbor, a children's-book writer/illustrator, is the one overarching theme. Otherwise, Karon's narrative is more episodic: a baby is born; a man's soul is saved; a new heart is found to replace a failing one. Throughout, Father Tim is consistently exhorted and exhorting to prayer (`` `If you'll pray for me, then of course, I can get it all finished, and in the mail' '') but to Karon's credit, it rarely feels preachy. The bigger problem is the relative spiritual health of Mitford: there are no real crises of faith, but rather small troubles overcome with prayer and covered dishes. Few of the villagers are complex humans and many are, in fact, personifications of the virtues: the homeless man who gives away everything becomes charity, the husband of a mad wife becomes patience. Still, for readers yearning for a cozy, neighborly read, the town created by Karon's fine descriptive style has much to recommend it. 75,000 first printing (July)