my favorite fictional world: Mitford edition

The firefly only shines when on the wing, So it is with us–when we stop, we darken.

Through the gift to readers that is Libby, I randomly decided to start reading At Home in Mitford in September of 2022. It was one of the best reading decisions I’ve ever made. I read the Anne of Green Gables series growing up, and Mitford felt like the adult version of that world. Reading it felt providential, especially when I picked up Girl Meets God and Lauren Winner mentions the series. Mitford is a small town in North Carolina with plenty of churches and a tight knit community, and it’s such a joy to read about.

I’ve read up to book 8, and I’m taking a break from the series to fully enjoy it when grad school is over. I want to curl up and spend hours reading it versus reading tiny sections on the subway when I get a seat. 

Why Mitford?

One of the things that makes a dead leaf fall to the ground is the bud of the new leaf that pushes it off the limb. When you let God fill you with His love and forgiveness, the things you think you desperately want to hold on to start falling away . . . and we hardly notice their passing.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but this little small town feels like home. It’s the home I’ve longed for, where people care for one another, where the church does good for the community, where love and growth are values central to everyone.

Inter-denominational

The world we live in is divided. Even churches that should be places of unity, can often be a source of painful division. But in Mitford, churches work together to build up community, whether it’s helping at a parade or putting together the Thanksgiving feast. Differences of belief don’t result in broken relationships. Different denominations working together shows me that you can not agree with someone and still love them. What matters is kindness and an open heart.

Humor

Jan Karon is the queen of humor. Humor is hard enough for a comedian, but she manages to make me laugh out loud with the people of Mitford. Whether it’s the morning breakfast at The Grill or the antics of Barnabus. There’s much grief and pain in the books of Mitford, but it doesn’t linger. The jokes are subtle and yet they’re the extra seasoning that brings this world of Mitford.

Prayer

One of my weaknesses as a Christian is my prayer life. I go in cycles between being really good and really bad at being consistent in prayer. But through Father Tim and Cynthia and Louella and other characters in the Mitford series, you’re reminded of how prayer is central. Prayer actually works. The first book has this incredible moment of prayer, and it’s such a gift to witness. (Side note: it’s lovely to see clergy depicted as real, both flawed but also capable of such depth of love.)

Faith in the midst of troubles

Sorrow and joy, he thought, so inextricably entwined that he could scarcely tell where one left off and the other began.

One of the many reasons people walk away from faith is the avalanche of trouble life can pour out. To keep believing in God’s goodness, no matter the explanation for the pain, is a hard walk to tread. The people in Mitford have shown me how to do that, even if I still struggle. To respond in prayer, to respond by sitting in solitude with God, to back to the Word that is true. Things on earth won’t be perfect, but they can be mended. Embittered people can find peace. Hard hearts can forgive and hurt hearts can give forgiveness.

There’s nothing I can write that can do Mitford justice. If you do one thing, pick up At Home in Mitford. I know you’ll find delight as you read it.

Signing off,

Gigi