A Common Life: The Wedding Story (Mitford)

The creator of the Mitford stories goes back through time to relate the wedding of Father Tim Kavanagh to Cynthia Coppersmith.

From Library Journal

Karon's sixth book about the small town of Mitford, NC, tells the story of the long-awaited wedding of Father Tim Kavanagh and his neighbor Cynthia Coppersmith. Tim, at 62, has never been married, whereas Cynthia's first marriage was not a success. However, their need to be together overcomes their fears of the unknown. With remarkable innocence, they plan the myriad details and navigate the dangerous waters of political correctness in their selections of providers of cake, music, and honeymoon cottages. In relating this tale, read with style and grace by Dana Ivey, Karon captures the reactions of all the principal residents of Mitford. She also captures the feelings of excitement, nostalgia, love, loss, and new beginnings thatcause people to cry at weddings, to feel the emotional upheaval of this radical change in lifestyle, and to participate in the euphoric cloud that surrounds the bride and groom before the nuptials and as wedded life begins. Recommended. Joanna M. Burkhardt, Coll. of Continuing Education Lib., Univ. of Rhode Island, ProvidenceCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile

This addition to the Mitford "canon" will charm and satisfy the author's readers, who have long asked for the story of the wedding of Father Tim and Cynthia. Dana Ivey reads with warmth and depth, fully capturing the emotional resonance of the story, which details the events of the engagement, wedding, and honeymoon. She voices Father Tim as deep, steady, and sure and Cynthia as feminine, strong, and loving. As for the other Mitford townfolk, Ivey captures the full effect of their personalities without ever falling into caricature. Karon doesn't hesitate to show the weaknesses in her lead characters, and their emotional honesty with one another is compellingly read by Ivey. This short program will leave the listener sorry that Karon has chosen the novella form this time--while at the same time realizing that it is the perfect length for the story. Karon's skill with these characters and Ivey's ability to capture them all perfectly just makes one reluctant to say good-bye. M.A.M. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

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