These High, Green Hills by Jan Karon | Book Review

Continuing on my re-read project, These High, Green Hills is the third book in the beloved Mitford series.  Oh, I love these books so much!

In These High, Green Hills, Father Tim is happily married to Cynthia and they're working on merging their homes.  They're going to keep the little yellow house next to the rectory as Cynthia's workspace and as a place they can "retreat" to for a date night or weekend.  Near the beginning of the book, they work together to lay a flagstone path through the hedge, to make it all official.  :)  So sweet!  In this book, there's actual talk about feelings and some hard topics are broached.  While laying the path through the hedge, Cynthia brings up the subject of retirement and Father Tim balks.  Later, they get lost in a cave and Father Tim has a "breakthrough" about his failed relationship with his father and his inability to discuss retirement.

So, as I just mentioned:  this is the book where Father Tim and Cynthia get lost in the cave and the youth group uses Barnabas to find them!  The first time I read the book, way back in high school, it felt like they were lost in the cave forever.  This time the passage felt relatively short, but no less tense.  I think it'd be horrible to be lost in a cave for 10 hours without light, food, or water!  Also, re-reading this as an adult I recognize exactly how scary it would have been for a senior adult with diabetes.  

These High, Green Hills is also the book where Dooley's mom is discovered.  Quite by providential accident, actually.  Hoppy calls Father Tim to the hospital to pray over a woman who'd been badly burned; the woman turns out to be Paulina!  You'll need to pick up the book to find out whether she is reunited with Dooley.  ;)  (I can't give it all away!  I really want people to go read these books!)

Speaking of Dooley, he's a little twerp at one point.  He's been at his fancy new school for most of the book, and then when summer vacation arrives he announces (announces... doesn't ask... big point of difference there) that he'll be spending the summer at Meadowgate.  Hmm.  So Father Tim and Cynthia barely get to see him all summer!  

Last but not least:  Miss Sadie.  She is definitely aging, ya'll.  But the church throws her a fantastic 90th birthday party.  Will she be one of the first residents of Hope House?

Coming up next: Out to Canaan!