Young people can be very optimistic by what they can accomplish in a short period of time, but Dooley Kavanagh and Lace Harper have gone whole hog...or at least a whole, huge bull by the name of Choo-Choo, soon to arrive at their farm they had recently taken over from Doc Owens.

As if that isn't enough, Dooley is graduating from his studies in veterinary medicine, opening a new practice, building fences to secure his recently arrived animals, fixing up the farmstead and barn and getting married. Almost all in the same week!

It didn't seem all that many years ago that a bedraggled freckle faced boy by the name of Dooley was adopted by Father Tim, an Episcopal priest, now mostly retired in Mitford, North Carolina. Now, Dooley and Lace, the love of his life are about the tie The Big Knot. Surely they can pull all of this off easy as pie... but do they really know all the logistics involved?

Skillfully written in a deceptively simple, yet realistic style, bestselling author Jan Karon instantly involves you in all that is going on with all these preparations in the Meadowvale Farm not too far from the fictional town of Mitford, the place of the Mitford series so beloved by her many fans.

Having loved the first ten books written by Karon that I read when they came out, I very happily dove into what was happening to all the characters in COME RAIN OR COME SHINE and thoroughly loved the reconnection. So, I am quite sure that COME RAIN OR COME SHINE will be a heartwarming delight for fans already familiar with Karon's Mitford series of books featuring the beloved Father Tim. It is hard for me to assess how a new reader to Karon would find this as a stand-alone, but I can almost guarantee that if you do enjoy the story, you will definitely be glad to go back and revel in the earlier books.

All the characters are intriguing in their own country ways, yet, I loved the way Karon had Lace and Dooley share their thoughts as the countdown gets underway. Both Dooley and Lace were adopted by kind people who have a strong faith in God. From those people, they have developed into wonderful young adults, yet, they still carry the hidden scars of their sad and sorry start with their own families. The story is told largely in short clips from the thoughts and perspectives of various characters and skips across the pages like pebbles tossed across a lake , so some key elements get missed in the between and are up to the reader to fill in how some things look.

COME RAIN OR COME SHINE is a transitional novel and is the handing of the torch to the new generation, but the guidance from Father Tim, Cynthia and others resonate in their thoughts. This is a stronger change in writing style from the earlier books and it can be confusing at times as there are so many characters. Karon has that special ability to get the folksy language and mannerisms down that totally nails each character as to who they are.

My only small quibble with Karon's writing in COME RAIN OR COME SHINE is in its overwhelming richness of activities. It was a little like a cake with too much icing or too many desserts out that you can't relish each one. Still, I gobbled it up just the same and wanted to keep turning the pages to follow all the events. So COME RAIN OR COME SHINE, get a hold of this aptly named delight and enjoy!