I really wanted to like this book. I was looking forward to reading it. I couldn't. As hard as I tried, I could only get three quarters the way through this overly sweet novel. The first chapter should start out, Once upon a time... Everything is too perfect. The town is perfect. Everyone gets along. There are no disagreements. The dialogue between the characters is too sweet and perfect. Nobody talks like these people. Even Dooley, the hostile young boy, doesn't come across as that hostile.
There is nothing to hold your interest in the story. The personal challenges that the characters are faced with seem to be presented a softened way, unlike the challenges in real life. When the characters are faced with these challenges they seem to easily except them, providing that the situation doesn't amazing work itself out. I understand and respect Karon's attempt to demonstrate the power of prayer and faith, but not every prayer is answered so directly or perfectly.
There are alot of shallow areas in this plotless book. There are a couple of points that the story could have really been interesting while hanging onto Karon's aim to write a "clean" Novel, but she kills the intrigue through neatly resolving the problem. The characters seem shallow. You don't really get to know their personal inner feelings, which would help make the story more interesting. Perhaps the only positive point to the book, it's that it is a clean novel without any vulgarity.
I had the priviledge to grow up in a small town. There was a feeling of closeness in the community, but not everything was always so clean cut and clear. It hosted a variety of different people who weren't all best friends. Situations developed and usually had more challenge to them. In time, these challenges were overcome, but no so easily. Unlike Mitford, people faced real problems and sometimes the resolutions to these problems didn't just seem to work themselves out, it took work (I'm sure, at times, prayer was included).
The book seriously has a fairy tale feel to it. If this is what you're looking for than maybe you'll enjoy it. Otherwise, choose another book, this one's really a waste of both time and money. If you still feel compelled enough to read it, borrow a copy and hang on to your hard earned money. Good intentions, poor results.